To address the issues that often arise with recycled and counterfeit parts, Ford Motor Company has created the Recovered Original
Equipment (ROE) program.
"We created ROE to capture and redistribute parts that fit and perform like new OE parts, but have slight blemishes that disqualify
them from new-vehicle production and/or service use," says ROE Program Manager Betsy McKelvey in an interview with ABRN.
Primary categories of ROE parts include bumpers, hoods, fenders and doors. The program controls the unauthorized distribution
of blemished Ford parts and recycles a segment of parts that would otherwise be scrapped. It provides an alternative to non-OEM
parts when insurance companies mandate their use.
McKelvey says Ford's largest collision wholesaling dealers are participating in the program, and they've had success distributing
the ROE parts to collision repair centers, recyclers, fleets and auctions. A marketing campaign was also completed, where
90 percent of collision repair centers surveyed indicated a likelihood of using ROE parts. The program was expanded nationally in late 2006, in order to broaden Ford's reach and build inventory, says McKelvey.
"We continue to develop and add sources of material to the program, and are currently focusing on assembly and stamping plants,"
she says. "Also, at the request of several insurance carriers, we are working with the information providers to ensure ROE
parts are properly represented in the estimating systems.
How it works
The ROE program captures rejected or excess assembly plant and supplier-produced service parts, as well as dealer inventory
returns. All captured parts are then put through a quality control process. According to McKelvey, the program assures that:
- Parts meet Ford replacement collision parts standards for structural and dimensional integrity and functionality.
- Cosmetic damages or blemishes will be minor. Ford's part preparations will usually correct the damage or blemish.
- There's an efficient process to identify and recycle certain materials, reducing the amount of scrap materials disposed of
at landfills.
McKelvey says all ROE parts carry competitive list prices, will be clearly identified and branded as "Recovered" and carry
the same service part warranty (excluding cosmetic damage) as genuine Ford replacement collision parts.
The parts will be identified by the same part number, along with a "BP" suffix and will be classified in non-OEM categories
on all major electronic collision repair-estimating systems.
"We hope significant repair cycle time and overall severity reductions are possible with ROE parts on the market," McKelvey
says.
For more information on the ROE, e-mail Ford at cphelp@ford.com
.
