Christopher Columbus has nothing on the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC).
During the Study Group sessions at Monday’s Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn., the S.16 Service Provider study group held four exploratory sessions to address potential future Recommended Practices to introduce into the industry.
The sessions addressed RP implementation, tool management, heavy-duty collision repair and mobile service management.
The first session was universally supported, with conversation quickly moving toward the production of an RP.
WheelTime’s Jill Gingrich says an RP Implementation task force is long overdue. Gingrich says WheelTime has been active in helping molding RPs for many years, but coming up with a best practice in the abstract is a lot different than getting one off the ground when you get back to the office.
“Trying to get an RP implemented across our 200 locations is not an easy job,” she says.
Other service providers shared similar experiences, and the group was unanimous in its agreement that there needs to be a more effective way for service providers to peruse the RP manual to find and implement the best options for their businesses.
Tool Management in Service Operations also appears likely to soon become an official task force. As Monday’s second exploratory session, attendees from all corners of the industry were in agreement that tool management is problem throughout the service channel.
Some attendees suggest tools are best managed like parts, with dedicated SKUs and shelf space that can be catalogued as part of a repair order. Others showed preferences toward bar coding tools or storing them in lockers to be checked in and out as needed.
Dan Ouillette of Detroit Diesel has been tapped to lead future potential RP discussions.
Monday’s exploration on collision repair best practices focused on the fact that at the moment, almost none exist.
Chris Sterwerf with Fairfield Auto & Truck Service says he’s spent the last four years traveling the country looking for guidance. For the most part, he’s come up empty.
“Everyone seems to think someone else is handling [collision repairs],” he says.
S.16 showed interest in helping out. Those in attendance mentioned some aspects of collision repairs (alignment, collision mitigation, etc.) are addressed by other Study Groups, but all were in agreement that collision-centric Recommended Practices would be welcome in the marketplace. S.16 Chairman Peter Savage says the topic will be addressed again at future meetings.
Monday’s attendees also showed moderate interest in mobile service — particularly in regards to safety. Jerry Bodkins with TA/Petro says ensuring his techs return home safely after a roadside repair is the biggest struggle in his mobile maintenance business.
“No matter what any of us are doing, taking care of our technicians has to be important,” he says.
Clarke says S.16 will begin researching the multitude of potential RPs that could be developed under the mobile maintenance umbrella. Potential task forces are likely to be introduced at the Study Group’s next meeting.
