An observatory for positioning the buoyancy of your sales of bodywork-specific parts in relation to the profession’s companies' consumption trends.

The bodywork observatory, set up by the Institute in 1999, is based on the quarterly interviewing of a sample of 900 coachbuilders, divided into three main groups of participants representative of the population studied.

SAMPLE STRUCTURE
Dealer	Small bodywork companies	Large bodywork companies	Total
300	250	350	900

The information gathered by a combination of fax/telephone by the Institute’s interviewers, who specialise in gathering information in a professional environment, is subjected to the appropriate statistical processing using the weighted quota method to assess trends.

The bodywork-observatory produces four quarterly publications combining two sets of information:

Recurrent quantitative information

> Bodywork turnover trends

> Turnover trends according to the companies' characteristics: dealers, small bodywork companies and large bodywork companies

> Trends according to the type of work: fitting a windscreen, minor bodywork and work involving the surface plate

> Activity positioning according to the customer type (buoyant markets, etc.)

> Trends in the number of accidents handled

> Spare part consumption trends:

• Optical sets
  
• Tail lights
  
• Radiators
  
• Windscreeens
  
• Wings
  
• Front bonnets
  
• …
  

> Use of consumables trends:

• Abrasive disks
  
• Fillers
  
• Paint
  
• …
  

Qualitative information (optional)

Rotating themes made up of 2 to 3 issues of a qualitative nature chosen by the subscribing company.

Example : customs and attitudes, product selection criteria, expectations as regards suppliers, etc.