Collision Repair Supplement Tracking

Build one record per supplement

Start with the RO number, vehicle, claim number, insurer, adjuster contact, and supplement identifier. Add the date submitted, amount requested, amount approved, current status, responsible staff member, and next follow-up date. Link the estimate version and its supporting documents. Someone covering the desk should be able to act without reconstructing an email conversation.

Use the incremental change for each supplement. If the original estimate is $5,000 and the revised total is $6,200, the additional request is $1,200. Adding both estimate totals would count the original work twice. State whether your amounts include tax, and apply that convention consistently.

Separate the decision from the money

A workable approval sequence is draft, submitted, more information needed, partially approved, approved, or declined. A withdrawn or superseded version should remain in the history with its replacement identified. Track payment separately as unpaid, partially paid, or reconciled.

Approval records what the payer accepted. It does not prove that money arrived, and it does not replace the shop's required customer authorization for additional work. Before production acts, confirm the authorized scope, parts availability, and any unresolved operations. When only some lines are accepted, record the line-level decision and amount rather than marking the entire request approved.

Make the request easy to review

Give the reviewer a short explanation of what changed and why. Include the relevant estimate version, clearly identified photos, the affected line items, and supporting documents that apply to the request. Label evidence so a reviewer can connect it to a specific operation without guessing. Keep the original image alongside any annotated copy.

Check receipt through the channel used to submit the package. A file in your own folder is not evidence that the intended reviewer received it. CCC's estimate-review documentation distinguishes an additional-photo request from an approval action. Your tracker should make that difference visible too.

Work the queue by next action

At the daily review, look first at supplements with overdue follow-ups and those blocking the next repair stage. Give each one a concrete action: obtain the missing photo, confirm the reviewer, clarify a disputed line, or request a decision. “Follow up” is less useful than “Maria will send the left-front bracket photo and ask whether line 42 can be reviewed.”

After each contact, record the date, person reached, response, and next commitment. Use your shop's agreed follow-up cadence and the specifics of the claim. Avoid presenting an internal target as a legal deadline or an insurer promise. If the responsible contact changes, update the record immediately.

Example: one request, two open items

Illustrative example: RO 2418 has a $1,200 supplement submitted on Monday. On Wednesday, the reviewer approves $950 and requests another photo for the remaining $250. Record $950 approved, $250 unresolved, and the next evidence task. Do not label the $250 declined unless that decision was actually made.

On Friday, a $700 payment is received and documented as applying to the approved supplement. The approved amount still awaiting payment is $250. A separate $250 remains under review. Those are different problems with different next actions. If a payment covers the entire RO, use its remittance detail and the RO ledger to allocate it; do not guess that it belongs to the latest supplement.

Close the loop and review the pattern

Close a supplement record after its decision is documented, the final estimate is reconciled, and the related payments or authorized adjustments have been matched. Leave the evidence and prior versions available. When a request is revised, note whether it replaces an earlier request or adds new work.

For weekly review, count unresolved requests, requested dollars awaiting a decision, approved dollars awaiting collection, and days since submission. Use a consistent start and end event when comparing response times. A small set of claims or one unusually complex repair can distort an average, so open the underlying records before drawing conclusions.

Use the tracker on active ROs

Start the downloadable tracker with the supplements currently waiting on a decision or payment. Complete the owner and next-action fields before adding older closed work. Review it with estimating, production, and the office so each team understands which amount and status it should use.

AutoHound's estimate and supplement workflow keeps versions, approval status, evidence, and follow-up with the RO. The worksheet provides a practical starting structure for that same conversation; its illustrative entries are examples, not customer results.

Shop checklist

• Identify the RO, claim, and exact supplement version.
• Record the incremental request and approved amount separately.
• Attach evidence and confirm the intended reviewer received it.
• Assign an owner, next action, and follow-up date.
• Confirm work authorization before changing production scope.
• Match payments and adjustments before closing the record.

All worked examples are illustrative, not customer results or industry benchmarks. This guide covers shop workflow and recordkeeping, not legal, tax, or accounting advice. Confirm requirements with your qualified advisers.