RA RMI

What is the Registration Authority (RA RMI)?

The Registration Authority (RA) for Repair and Maintenance Information (RMI) maintains and updates a terminology collection of vehicle parts. It does so in cooperation with vehicle manufacturers and independent repair shop operators. The RA publishes the terminology collection for use by interested parties.

What is the use of the terminology collection?

It is not easy for repair shop operators who are not affiliated with vehicle manufacturers to access repair and maintenance information. It is the aim of the RA to facilitate such access for independent operators in this service market. A list of standardized terms for vehicle parts was created by the RA, which was then mapped to proprietary terms for these vehicle parts provided by the vehicle manufacturers. This, as it were, decodes the relevant repair and maintenance information since the user of the terminology collection can clearly identify which company uses which proprietary term for which (spare) part. This is a boost for the capability of independent operators to offer repair and maintenance services since it becomes transparent what is meant by proprietary terminology. Therefore, the terminology collection plays its particular part in creating a level playing field in this service sector of the economy. 

What is the basis of the work? Who is involved?

A few years ago the European Union passed legislation aimed at opening the market sector of repair and maintenance services for road vehicles to repair shops operating independently from vehicle manufacturers. One of the relevant barriers to opening this market identified by the EU was the fact that proprietary terms for spare parts used by the manufacturers were not readily understandable for independent repair shop operators. That is why the European Commission entrusted the European standards organization CEN with the task of maintaining a terminology collection to which each vehicle manufacturer must map his own spare part terms.