Q&A: PHINIA
PHINIA, an independent publicly listed company which recently spun off from BorgWarner will focus on internal combustion engine systems and aftermarket products
Published: 17 October, 2023
In July, PHINIA spun off from BorgWarner to focus on the transition to carbon-neutral and carbon-free fuels for internal combustion engine vehicles. The new entity, which includes theDelphi, Delco Remy and Hartridge brands, will be centered on fuel systems, and components for OE and aftermarket customers.
Aftermarket spoke to Neil Fryer, Vice President and General Manager Global Aftermarket at PHINIA about the new company.
Tell us about the thinking behind the creation of PHINIA
We were originally Delphi Technologies, which was acquired by BorgWarner in 2020. We have continued during the period of ownership to develop the aftermarket segment, really focusing on our own technologies, which would include diesel fuel injection, gasoline fuel injection and vehicle electronics, and adding to that other items like chassis products, steering, suspension and brakes, where we bring those to market. We have a broader portfolio than just our OE offer.
That offer is really built around being a combination of a Tier One aftermarket business, plus an aftermarket specialist in the products which we bring to market, although they're not OE products.
BorgWarner is going in a direction increasingly focusing on electrification. We decided in the end, to spin off as PHINIA because we have a different strategy. That strategy is very much to focus on combustion, but we believe that there is a pathway to carbon-free combustion using synthetic fuels, hydrogen and other alternatives such as ethanol and methanol. We also believe that in certain sectors, like commercial vehicle and industrial, combustion is going to be around for a long time, so we see an opportunity to offer an alternative pathway for sustainability in these sectors.
As the strategies of the two companies were diverging, we wanted to create a situation where we could really invest in our business.
What will this look like for garage customers who look towards Delphi for parts and training?
PHINIA is the company name, but we have a number of brands that we use to sell in the aftermarket. One is Delphi, another is Delco Remy, because we also have the commercial vehicle starters and alternators business, and then we have the Hartridge brand for our test equipment as well. Nothing's going to change for our customers on a day-to-day basis. We will continue to use those brands. They are strong and recognised within the market, but our corporate name is PHINIA rather than BorgWarner.
There has been a degree of pushback on the idea that the car parc will ever be all EVs, so is this a sort of a recognition of the fact that it's going to be a more mixed picture?
Yes, I think that is exactly the point. We see that there are things that we need to do to become carbon neutral in the world as a society, and there are a number of paths to get there. Our view is electrification will be one path, but there will be a role for combustion to play. Our technology is helping to drive along the way to carbon neutrality, as I say, with alternative fuels, and also developing technology to make combustion engines which use carbon-based fuels as efficient as they can be to reduce pollution.
Many garages over recent years have been looking to specialise to focus investment.
Delphi has been providing training in a number of areas. Is there going to be an expansion of the training offering?
We see training as an essential part of what we are doing for our customer base in the independent aftermarket. We've been offering training for a long time. We've recently launched Masters of Motion, which is really based on supporting technicians. It's our intention to continue with that. The programme covers more than just the products in our portfolio. There is EV training in that offer, there is hybrid training in that offer. One of the things that we've seen is very much technicians coming to us and saying, we would like to work on electric vehicles, but we don't know how to, and we want to be trained and we will continue to offer that training. We are IMI approved in the UK for giving certified training to technicians so they can work on EVs. We see that as a key part of our offer going forward.
Across OEM manufacturers, there's sort of a pull back from production of combustion engine parts. Following the launch of PHINIA, I assume that's not something Delphi is going to be doing?
There are probably 1.5 billion vehicles on the road today, and by 2030 there'll be 1.7 billion, or maybe 1.8 billion if you take passenger cars and commercial vehicles into consideration. By 2030, more than 90% will still be combustion engine vehicles. My feeling is our customers have a long runway in front of them where they will need to be able to offer maintenance and repair for combustion engine vehicles. They need suppliers that they can rely on to provide them with the parts that will allow them to do that.
At the same time, they need to get ready for the change in the aftermarket and we will help them, particularly through our training programme, to prepare for that.
Any final thoughts?
The message I want to get across to our customers is that it's very much business as usual.
Nothing is changing. The team remains the same, so there shouldn't be any concern from that point of view. We look forward to collaborating with our customers to be even more successful in the future.
- Parts shipping: The riddle of steel?
For years, automotive parts have been shipped in cardboard or wood containers, custom-made for the task, and packed in paper or plastic-based material for protection.
However, these containers provide insufficient protection of large, specialised components, particularly Class A surfaces that must be protected from damage or marring. Once used, the containers and packing material are typically discarded after delivery, adding to the overall costs.
Now, a growing number of OEMs are turning to a more cost-effective, eco-friendly, solution: Reusable steel shipping racking that prevents part damage and eliminates packing waste. The engineered steel rack is specifically designed to protect sensitive parts with Class A surfaces including body panels, bumpers, grills, lights, dashboard, seats and door pads while maximizing storage density during shipping and warehousing.
The steel racks are also designed in configurations that orient and position parts for easy unloading and immediate assembly on the line to reduce labor costs.
Minimising damage and waste
Although cardboard and wood shipping containers and crates are used throughout the industry, parts can be damaged in transit or storage, which is simply not acceptable for Class A exterior surfaces and interior surfaces.
“Since Class A surfaces are ultimately seen by customers, there can’t be any scratching, scuffing, marring, or other damage visible,” says Craig Heil, a manager at Steel King Industries, a leading manufacturer of shipping rack, storage rack, and material handling products since 1970.
Cardboard, corrugated, and even wood containers also lack the strength for stacking during shipping or storage, which leaves substantial vertical space unused.
Utilising disposable containers and packing materials also generates tons of waste. Even reusable wooden containers and crates need to be repaired frequently and eventually replaced.
“Auto manufacturers want to reduce waste and the time involved with breaking down, recycling, or disposing of cardboard and wooden containers,” says Heil. “Many manufacturers now will not allow that type of packaging in their facilities because they feel it is not a green solution.”
Custom steel shipping rack
As the automotive industry moves towards more eco-friendly solutions, reusable custom steel shipping rack is gaining in popularity. This was the case when a major automotive OEM that manufactures components in the Midwest and ships to assembly plants in North America sought to minimize part damage during transit and storage.
“Using wood and cardboard boxes, parts were getting damaged because the stacked boxes weren’t holding up,” recalls the automotive executive involved with shipping.
Over a decade ago, the executive turned to Steel King for custom reusable, returnable, steel shipping racks for various components. Steel King specialises in the design and production of a variety of fabricated steel material handling products including storage rack and multi-use rigid, collapsible, and adjustable shipping rack.
The company can customize rack size, dunnage, weight capacity, construction materials, and other factors. Steel King’s in-house, professional engineers are experts at analyzing OEMs’ operational systems and processes relative to the parts handled, whether for transport, assembly, or both. CAD solid modeling software and techniques are used to design the steel racks.
A variety of dunnage options can be incorporated to cushion and secure components to prevent shifting or movement of parts during shipping. The rack is structurally stable when stacked up to three levels high for shipping, and up to six levels high for warehouse storage. Empty shipping rack can be folded flat, so it takes one-third the space on the return trip.
“These racks are designed to protect class A or other easily damaged parts,” says the executive. “We experienced far less damage with our glass components, fiberglass components, and painted parts, as well as instrument panels and electrical parts.”
When desired, the steel shipping rack can be designed with consideration for part loading, unloading, and assembly. This may involve orienting parts so they can be easily pulled from production and placed in the rack for transport, and then later removed in the proper orientation for quick assembly at the plant. When the rack is empty, it can be folded down to minimize the space used on a truck, returned to the supplier, and refilled.
“Steel King racks are built to minimise the amount of labor required all the way along the line from the supplier to the point of unloading and assembly,” says the executive.
Over time, Steel King has customised approximately 40 configurations of shipping rack for the automotive OEM and is now their principal supplier.
Heil points out that customizing shipping rack is easier than ever today and can accommodate parts such as tires, doors, radiators, bumpers, fuel tanks, dash boards, instrument panels, glass, and mirrors.
“Previously, we would design a shipping rack around a sample part, but now OEMs have digital 3D models of their parts that we use to expedite our CAD design. We then create a prototype to confirm that the physical part fits well,” says Heil.
In the industry, it is not uncommon for some companies that provide custom shipping rack to specialize in design while others focus on manufacturing, but this can complicate and delay the process. In contrast, providers like Steel King have the industry experience to take a custom shipping rack project from start to finish, from design to the assembly line.
Although the automotive industry has tolerated some part damage as well as container and dunnage waste as a cost of doing business, using custom engineered shipping rack can better protect products while requiring less space and labor. Manufacturers that adopt these best practice techniques can substantially boost their bottom line in an eco-friendly manner.
For more information, visit: www.steelking.com
- From zero to 100 on mental health awareness
If asked to describe the last few years in a business sense, the word turbulent springs to mind. Dealing with the uncertainty of the pandemic and the consequent economic hangover has been less than ideal; however, arguably, the greatest silver lining to emerge from it is a more unified understanding of mental health.
COVID-19 was a visceral reminder for many regarding the importance of mental health. Aside from the imminent worry of the disease itself, many were forced to confront feelings of acute loneliness when kept away from loved ones or colleagues. On a more positive note, others discovered drastic mental health benefits when given some breathing space to assess their habits, in some cases completely overhauling their exercise and dietary regiments in pursuit of this newfound mental energy.
As the nation and wider world eventually returned to work, by-products of these home-grown epiphanies appeared to start manifesting into the working world. Although mental health awareness has been somewhat at the forefront of public agenda for some time, a 2023 study conducted by the CCLA’s Corporate Mental Health Benchmark shows that 57% of the companies sampled “state a management commitment to tackling the stigma associated with workplace mental health; an increase of 13% on 2022.”
Despite this clear increase in mental health awareness, there still remains a discrepancy between organisations that promote tackling the stigma of mental health, and the subsequent action taken by businesses to ensure it. Fix Auto UK does not fit that description.
Mental health journey
Almost a year ago to the date, Fix Auto UK’s Regional Business Manager Carl Norton kickstarted the company’s mental health journey with a single aim, to train at least two individuals at each of the network’s 115 bodyshops to identify signs of mental ill health and arm them with the knowledge to help colleagues in need.
A volunteer for the Samaritans, mental health is an issue close to Carl’s heart. After considering a variety of educational training courses designed for workplace application, and with full sponsorship from Fix Auto UK, he embarked on a course which resulted in him becoming a fully qualified trainer for Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA), effectively a licence to provide in-house two-day training courses which provides successful candidates with a recognised certificate to be a qualified mental health first aider. Prior to the inaugural course, Carl had “several sleepless nights” by his own admission due to nerves, however, was overjoyed with the “phenomenal feedback” he received from “a broad mixture of students” from all levels of age and seniority.
“The reality is we don’t tend to know how to take care of our mental health, or even identify when someone is suffering with it,” Carl commented when asked about the course. “Being a mental health first aider isn’t about being a therapist. You simply learn how to recognise warning signs of mental ill health and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone while keeping yourself safe.”
Speaking of his experience of the course, Assistant Manager of Fix Auto Liverpool Alex Lewis commented: “I like to believe our doors are always open for staff to walk in and speak their mind. Having been on the course, I now feel confident to potentially identify whether a colleague needs support and reach out to them. I have no doubts in my mind that every repair centre should have a qualified Mental Health First Aider.”
Profound impact
The inaugural course in 2022 produced 14 mental health first aid graduates comprising predominantly of senior management, and a selection of representing repairers from within the network. Spurred on by the successful trial, the second course in early 2023 was opened up to include a broad spectrum of candidates ranging from business owners, heads of departments, bodyshop managers and technicians. In fact, such was the profound impact of the course, three business owners who participated in the second two-day event vowed to sign up key members of their respective management teams.
Summing up the second course, Terry Gilbert, owner of Fix Auto Stevenage and chair of the Fix Auto UK National Leadership Team, said: “It was brilliantly captivating throughout. I truly wish I know now when I started out all those years ago. We are living and working through completely different times but now I’ve sat through the course, I’m convinced I could have helped a couple of highly valued colleagues who, unfortunately, had to leave us.”
By the mid-year point of 2023, Fix Auto UK surpassed 50 mental health first aid graduates, deeming the half century a suitable time to roll out the scheme to the entire network. However, it is worth noting that although simply getting people through the course is one thing, tailoring it to the requirements of the accident repair industry is another.
Fix Auto UK’s Managing Director Ian Pugh realises this, commenting at this stage that “while Carl has followed the strict guides laid down by Mental Health First Aid England, as this is so new to the industry, we have literally been finding our own way in which we feel the course benefits our industry. I’m delighted to say that we’re now able to build upon those successes.”
Galvanised by the unanimous network-wide support, in September 2023, the landmark of having 100 qualified Fix Auto UK Mental Health First Aiders became a reality. Achieving such a feat less than 18 months after the initiatives’ inception makes the milestone ever sweeter, and also makes the initially ambitious target of having 2 qualified MHFA staff members at every Fix Auto site now seem inevitable.
Gaining momentum
Speaking of the achievement, Carl Norton stated on final day of the landmark course that “this is an extremely proud day for me, personally, and for the network. To have 100 successfully qualified Mental Health First Aiders in less than 18 months is beyond all my expectations when we started this journey, but this really is just the start. The course is gaining momentum with our Franchise Partners and will only accelerate, and the feedback from those who have attended has been incredible.”
To echo the initial sentiment, actions speak louder than words, and with Carl’s and the wider network’s support, the goal of reaching two Fix Auto mental health first aiders per bodyshop will undoubtedly become a reality.
- Monarch of the garages
Kings and Queens of Scotland, when it was time to be crowned, would head for the town of Linlithgow, which sits in the Central Belt of Scotland roughly halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow to have themselves anointed. Reign-ready Monarchs were not what Aftermarket was looking for when we visited though. Our main point of interest was on an industrial estate on the outskirts; Top Garage 2022 winners Hunters of Linlithgow.
The business, which fields a team of 20 including techs, front-of-house and support staff has two workshops with eight ramps, two MOT bays, a geometry bay, a tyre bay, and a wheel alignment bay in its sizeable and extremely tidy modern building. There’s even a nook housing a pair of washing machines for washing work clothes and technician towels. If that’s not enough, there is also a satellite site housing a bodyshop.
Invest
The family business is led by husband-and-wife team John and Mairi Hunter. The story of the current business began when their previous enterprise came to an end. Mairi explained: “John was the third generation of his family in the motor trade, based in Edinburgh but ultimately we sold up. We lived in Linlithgow, and 21 years ago this building was available. We just thought that the town would benefit from another garage. When we started it was just John, myself and a tyre fitter, and I was helping with tyres and it grew from there. My background was retail, so I just used the skills I had with customers. We built up a great client base very quickly, word of mouth got around and we grew at quite a rapid pace. We were amazed.”
She continued: “Our customers have been very loyal and we're always getting new customers because we invest heavily in training and our facilities. We compete against franchised dealers, and we differentiate ourselves with the personal touch.”
With customers travelling from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and even Inverness, this is clearly working for the business. John pointed out: “We have a lot of people who wait until they're on holiday, coming to visit relatives and they then book their car in with us when they're here. Also, because we're on the rail link halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh with trains each way every half hour, it’s easy for people to come through.”
Family business
As well as servicing and repairs and the bodyshop, car sales is part of the mix. According to Workshop Manager Johnny Campbell, the range of offerings has been partly responsible for the way the business has evolved over the years: “When you build one thing, you realise you need to be doing something else.” While they are set up to work on all makes of cars, they do have a Volkswagen and Audi specialism. Service Manager Keith Fraser observed: “This is the kind of commuter town where there are a lot of Audi and Volkswagen owners, and it grew from there.”
As well as a wide and loyal customer base, the team have also stuck with the business. “I’ve been here since 2015,” said Keith. Looking at Johnny, John said: “He had a friend working here and when he was a teenager he kept coming in asking for a job every week Eventually I said to Mairi, ‘you have to take him on!. “I started here when I was 19,” Johnny pointed out, “now I’m 34 and I’ve just become a father.” Keith then observed: “It’s a real family business. Last week I called in to say I was having childcare issues. John said ‘bring the kids and I’ll watch them here’. It’s got that nice kind of atmosphere. What makes a difference with the customers, and obviously we do keep them is that, the little things mean a lot; The cups of coffee, the friendly faces. We're not maybe the cheapest, but we do go the extra mile.”
Then there is training. Keith said: “Johnny’s first course was 2008 and he started in 2008, Mairi has always been a firm believer in staff development. We've always got at least two technicians doing training as we purchase the annual training package and we just put them through as many courses we can. Johnny was the first Level Four EV technician, and we've now got three in-house.”
John observed: “There's nothing worse than having to turn a car away. We learned early on not to outsource if we could help it. We used to buy all the dealer diagnostic kit, but we have streamlined over the years. You can get coding done onsite with a remote access, so you don’t have to outsource it to the dealer and you don't have to spend thousands of pounds on the equipment either. We try and cater for everything. We don't just want to be a service centre. We want to make it all-inclusive, because you get the repeat custom as well as the new cars that the customer buys down the line. On the EV side, we are part of HEVRA now, so if there are any questions we know where to go.”
One-stop-shop
Commenting on their experience in Top Garage, John said: “Winning was a total surprise and such credit to the guys for their presentation and all the work they put into it. It was a learning curve, but also showed us where we can improve.”
Keith noted: “Johnny and I were delighted to be able to present the platform that John and Mairi built at the Top Garage final for 2022, and actually become winners. It's testament to the hard work and effort that they've put in. It was good to go down and enjoy the Awards Evening as well, for us to go It was intimidating as well though because it's taking yourself out of your comfort zone, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Looking ahead, while the team took a break from Top Garage 2023 so they could give it their all again in 2024, there is a lot coming up for the business. “I am trying to get a new building for our bodyshop” said John. That is not the only area where there could be changes, as Mairi pointed out: “Because we cater for so much, and we have so many cars in and out that we are struggling with parking.”
While a new bodyshop could be nearby, the business is unlikely to move from its long-term base. “We’re know as being here” observed Mairi. John concurred: “We've got the tyres, we've got the top and bottom workshops and reception. The reception renovation was carried out a few years back and We have the building layout to suit our needs.”
John noted: “There is a vet opposite. That was our car sales showroom a while back, but the vet came out with a fantastic offer for the building as he couldn’t find any premises with parking. Now he sends his customers to us. We are a dog-friendly garage. Our dogs, Marco and Gino are both normally walking about the service reception and the waiting area, and are very much part of the garage.”
Mairi continued: “Where we have the bodyshop, we have now outgrown it, hence the need to move again. We used to just use the bodyshop for our own car sales and customers, but we have now opened it up to the insurance companies. That's expanded very quickly as well.”
It might end up being a little more than that, John concluded: “We might put more down there because we are at capacity here with ramps, techs and everything here. We can feed the mechanical into the bodyshop and vice versa, making a one-stop-shop.”
- You down with OCPP?
Why is conformity with Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) charging profiles important? The reason is hardware agnostic load balancing.
Some sites with charge points have a limited electricity supply, and load balancing can alleviate these problems by actively controlling the charging current for charge points on a site.
Let’s look at how load balancing works. Static load balancing means that each charge point is assigned a fixed maximum current. For a 48-amp installation, six charge points could be installed being 48/6 = 8 amps for each charge point. But what if only four cars are charging? It would make sense if the current could be changed according to the number of cars charging. Dynamic load balancing assigns each charge point a maximum current continuously based on how many cars are charging. If four cars were charging in the example before, each charge point would be assigned 12 amps, meaning a better charging experience for the end user. This allows for a greater number of charge points per site without reduced level of service during non-busy hours.
In practice
How is dynamic load balancing implemented in practice? Some manufacturers implement their own load balancing solution within the charge point software; i.e. using a web interface, app, etc.
Dynamic load balancing requires constant communication:
- New business models driving SMR
How can automotive service providers level-up to support customers impacted by increasing costs, while maintaining profitability in their organisation? Research shows that the rise in the cost-of-living is impacting vehicle owners, but also garages, repair shops and automotive service providers.
Forbes reports significant cost-of-living pressures on consumers. A study found that 19% have had to dip into rainy day savings or take out a loan to cover basic running costs. Overall, two-thirds of all drivers agreed the rising cost of living has made owning a car more challenging, with 68% worrying about affording fuel for essential journeys such as commuting to work or taking children to school.
The impact of rising inflation works both ways. A study from The Motor Ombudsman shows that automotive servicing and repair businesses are facing their own operational issues due to the cost-of-living increase. Nearly 80% of workshops surveyed stated that increased parts prices may impact their business. This led to 60% of those polled to suggest they would be looking to increase costs to their customers, in order to remain profitable in the face of higher overheads.
Delays getting hold of replacement parts were cited as the second largest obstacle for garages and workshops, negatively impacting 72% of businesses. The poll also showed 71% of workshops are seeing motorists reducing their ad-hoc spending and routine vehicle maintenance when compared to the first six months of last year.
McKinsey’s prediction for the reality of the automotive sector spanning the remainder of the decade is upbeat however: “Driven by shared mobility, connectivity services, and feature upgrades, new business models could expand automotive revenue pools by about 30%, adding up to $1.5 trillion.”
As McKinsey cites in its report, thinking out of the box is key to unlocking both better customer offerings and business value – and both of those are symbiotically linked. The route to better customer satisfaction and business growth will involve changing traditional repair shop business models, adapting to meet changing customer preferences and introducing supporting automotive technology inside and outside the physical garage. This is exactly the approach Halfords has taken as a business – both inside and outside of its autocentres with its tech- and customer-led changes, underpinned by its end-to-end Avayler software platform.
New software accelerates business change and keeps the customer in tow
On the Halfords Autocentres side, new tech has been introduced on to the repair shop floor that has a threefold advantage. It aids technician productivity, at the back end makes parts/inventory management more automated, and essentially keeps the customers on-side with a portal to keep them informed throughout the repair journey.
Halfords has also been growing its Mobile Expert operations. Customers can book slots online for vehicle repairs at a time and location that suits them. The Avayler platform then tracks the skills level of a technician, work hours and the work undertaken to not only optimise scheduling but learn from the data to make mobile jobs more efficient. The van operation, which has a 4.8/5 Trustpilot rating, has seen a 70% increase in job productivity and more than 200% increase in utilisation since it started using the platform, demonstrating the potential for greater customer satisfaction from mobile operations.
With this experience in mind, here are the top three areas where tech-led innovations can deliver realisable cost, efficiency and time benefits across all areas of the automotive repair landscape.
1. Putting the customer front and centre
Automation of tasks and having a coherent digital presence makes repair organisations more responsive and time-efficient – better for customer service and for the business bottom line. Whether booking a service inside or outside the garage, most customer journeys will begin online. This means making sure they can easily book their services at a time and date that suit them – for mobile services this will also extend to location. Overlaying this with dynamic pricing depending on slot availability allows.
Once the service is booked, it’s important to keep a digital line of communication with the customer through a self-service portal. Customers log in to the portal and can view details about their appointment including pricing quote, parts needed, technician name and more. Automated digital communication is sent to the portal at every stage, for the customer to access in real-time. Inside the garage this could be live updates on the status of their repair, for mobile operations this could be accurate updates on the whereabouts of the technician coming to execute their repair.
Identify and manage minor faults
By digitising all customer interactions, garages and automotive service providers can also maintain customer data and history and streamline services according to this information. Here’s where this can really pay off in the current economic environment. Any non-critical faults that might save the customer some money on this appointment can be flagged and tracked to address later.
Here again, a more predictive maintenance management approach can remind customers to book their next services when needed based on relevant customer data – to capture recurring revenue but also let customers manage and prioritise their requirements on their own terms.
2. Boosting operational efficiency with increased automation
Of course, it’s not just the customer themselves getting better value from more streamlined, intelligent and efficient processes. Operationally, introducing new tech will have significant business benefits too – right from initial booking through to job execution and recurring revenue.
Automated scheduling delivers the best outcomes for while maximising efficiencies with our automated scheduling. Dynamic appointment booking easily books customers into lanes, bays, offices or other site locations from the schedule board. Managers, dispatchers, and admin users have the ability to accommodate walk-in customers, additional jobs and last-minute changes. Capturing key customer information that integrates with dynamic scheduling ensures added jobs are optimally scheduled to accommodate more services per day.
Avoid inventory shortages
One of the best efficiency benefits that technology and software can offer to automotive repair organisations shops is inventory management. End-to-end software can track inventory levels at all times and trigger responses to shortages accordingly. This type of platform can also connect with vendors and automatically notify them of required inventory, products and parts. With the Motor Ombudsman reporting citing inventory shortages was a key pain point right now – automating these processes can significantly alleviate these inventory pressures.
3. Keeping employees on the right road
Not only should technology optimise stock and resources, but it can also maximise employee productivity too. It begins with assigning the most suitable technician to each specific job. Putting technology into the hands of technicians in auto repair centres and in the field, makes their jobs much easier. Tablet-based systems can easily guide technicians through jobs, including integrations to access information such as vehicle identification numbers and all the details of vehicles to make the process quicker and more transparent.
Technicians will need the ability to add additional jobs that are needed on the vehicle – the system, which should then automatically remove completed jobs from the technician’s diary to free up any other available slots throughout the course of the day. Not only will this ensure quality assurance, audit trails and time stamps, but without the option to adjust labour timings, technicians are encouraged to complete the necessary MOT, service, or repair within the designated time slot.
All these tech-enabled efficiencies will translate into bottom line benefits. We are a case in point. We used Avayler to manage the Halfords expansion to mobile operations, and it was both successful and profitable. Very quickly we were able to increase productivity by 20% on top of our initial projections, while ensuring the highest levels of customer satisfaction
New digital solutions drive the future of the garage
Both drivers and automotive repair providers are feeling the effects of inflation everywhere, especially as this era of economic hardship isn’t expected to disappear quickly, but those who look to new models to serve customers and prioritise digital solutions will prosper.
Automotive repair providers should take this chance to re-calibrate their business systems and make the most of available technology to provide a better service to their customers. A tech-focused investment could propel garages well into the future of the auto repair industry.
