STANDARD 01
Fair digital access
Fair access means a capable collision repairer can participate in a digital workflow on transparent, proportionate terms.
Published
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SMARTLINK INDUSTRY STANDARDS
Fairer, safer digital connections for collision repair
A practical 24-part standards programme supporting fair access, secure information exchange, accountable decision-making and resilient digital workflows across New Zealand’s collision repair industry.
These standards are designed for practical use by repairers, insurers, assessors, suppliers and platform providers. Each standard explains the issue, identifies warning signs and provides safeguards, role guidance, a self-check and a concise implementation checklist.
A connected industry needs shared expectations
Digital connections should make approved work easier to coordinate without hiding decisions, trapping business records or exposing more information than a job requires. The programme is a public, plain-language reference point for conversations about fair participation, privacy-aware workflow design and resilient operations.
STANDARD 02
Open markets and customer choice
Digital workflow design should preserve informed customer choice and make it easier to understand the available repair options.
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The risk of closed digital silos
Closed digital silos can force repair information through brittle manual channels, obscure accountability and make continuity harder when a platform changes.
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Interoperability as an industry standard
Interoperability is the disciplined ability for approved systems to exchange the right repair information reliably without unnecessary re-keying.
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Data portability and business continuity
Repair businesses need a reasonable ability to retain and move their operational records when systems, ownership or service arrangements change.
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Repairer control of business data
Repairers should understand which information is theirs to use, who can access it and how platform settings affect their daily operations.
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Purpose-limited data sharing
Data shared for a repair workflow should be tied to a clear, legitimate purpose and should not drift into unrelated use.
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Minimum necessary data
Good digital design asks what information is genuinely needed for the next repair decision, then avoids collecting or exposing the rest.
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Secure insurer document access
Non-integrated insurer document workflows should authenticate access before documents containing personal information are displayed.
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Time-limited document links
Time-limited links reduce the period in which an old email or forwarded message can provide access to repair information.
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Identity and access control
A trusted repair workflow depends on being able to tell which person or organisation is requesting information and what they may do with it.
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Audit trails and evidence
A usable audit trail turns a disputed digital event into evidence that people can review, understand and act on.
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Separation of duties
No one person should be able to create, approve and conceal a sensitive workflow change without appropriate oversight.
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Conflicts of interest in digital workflows
Digital settings can influence repair allocation, information visibility and recommendation outcomes, so material interests should be visible and managed.
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Independent verification
A meaningful independent check helps confirm that important workflow claims match how the system actually behaves in practice.
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Transparent digital decision-making
People affected by a material workflow decision should be able to understand the main inputs, the decision owner and a route to question it.
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Fair supplier access
Suppliers that support collision repair should be assessed through transparent, relevant criteria rather than opaque digital gatekeeping.
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Neutral platform governance
A neutral platform should make governance decisions in a way that does not quietly favour one participant because of ownership, referral or data advantage.
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Proportionate security controls
Security should reduce real risk without making a legitimate repair workflow so difficult that people seek unsafe workarounds.
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Retention, deletion and staging data
Temporary copies, exports and staging areas can become the least visible part of a repair workflow unless retention is actively managed.
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Incident response and notification
A prepared incident response turns a confusing access or data event into a controlled sequence of containment, assessment and communication.
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Change control and version accountability
Changes to repair workflow rules, integrations and permissions should be visible, tested and attributable to an accountable owner.
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Right to explanation and review
When a digital decision materially affects work, access or customer outcomes, there should be a clear explanation and a workable route to review it.
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Building a resilient connected industry
A resilient connected industry combines secure exchange, fair participation, clear governance and practical fall-backs so repair work can continue when conditions change.
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Read the standardHelp improve the conversation
SmartLink welcomes practical feedback from people working across the collision repair industry.