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THE THINGS YOU HEAR
Sometimes you just have to be there…
Contributed by Bob Chabot

ToolTech and Summer Tech Week have come and gone — two of three annual events that the Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI) hosts each year (Winter Tech Week is the other). Those who missed the events can review some of the content in presentations uploaded to the ETI website. But it is the nuances you gain by actually being present at these events — the things said, heard and shared face-to-face during or between sessions — that is often the real genesis of change and opportunity. That’s where light bulb moments arise, insights linger and business opportunities are discovered.

Allow me to share a glimpse of how attending in person can impact your life. Using the voices and comments of those who attended, let’s have a look at some of what I heard and saw at these two recent events that impressed and impacted me.

Time to change the Status Quo?

   

Tools and equipment manufacturers make products for both OEMs and the Aftermarket. But the current distribution channels (left) create inefficiencies. A possible future model, suggested by Gorman, would have OEMs “commonize” distribution to one channel for both dealers and the aftermarket. (All Images - ETI).

Automakers & the Aftermarket … A New Direction … Renewed Partnerships
This was the theme of ToolTech 2012. “Much is being done to convince the automakers (OEMs) that having an aftermarket (AM) support strategy is in their best interests,” shared Charlie Gorman, ETI Executive Manager.

“There is enough work out there for everybody, dealers and independents alike,” he added. “More than $62 billion in under- and unperformed work is left on the table, which is the equivalent of 26 percent of all service/repair work. Neither the OEMs nor the AM is well served by the current conditions. Nor are motorists.”

“ETI and its members have always looked at OEMs in two ways during ToolTech undefined as a customer and as an information source,” he added. “This ToolTech, let’s also begin to look at OEMs as potential suppliers of data, service parts, tools, training and other necessary resources. If OEMs “commonized” distribution to one channel for both dealers and the aftermarket, they could spread development cost over more units.”

Let me inject a sidenote related to the “partnership” theme. It made me think about opportunities where the theme could impact me. Later during the event, I scheduled several one-on-one private meetings (a unique perk at ToolTech events), in which I met with OEM and AM representatives privately. The freedom to just talk in private frees up discussion. One can talk in areas that otherwise, in public, would be “out of bounds.” These meetings provided the chance to explore cooperative opportunities and ideas. When the representatives and their employers are ready, I shall pursue them further. These one-on-one meetings are a unique feature and opportunity provided at ToolTech. But you have to be present to leverage them.

Overcome Educational Challenges
“One major challenge that our industry faces is how do we prepare people to cope with the rapid pace and level of change that is occurring,” stated Tony Molla, ASE vice president of communications. “We've been ignoring it for a while, but training is going to catch up with us. What are vehicles going to look like 10 years from now? What’s going to have to be serviced? The OEM-Aftermaket partnership must begin to prepare now for what is going to be needed soon.”

“From an education and training perspective, OEMs make, by far, the largest investment into the technical pool of knowledge, whether it’s training and developing instructors, developing materials, integrating OEM and AM training materials and more,” acknowledged Mark Warren, an instructor with WORLDPAC Training Institute. “If the OEMs wants AM technicians trained to the best standards, then leveraging that investment into the AM only makes sense. We need closer cooperation to do that. It serves us all.”

Improve Diagnostic Tools
“There's huge value in the AM undefined whether a dealer or independent facility undefined for having the best service information and scan tools,” advised Bob Augustine, technical training manager for Christian Brothers Automotive. We must recognize that OEMS and the AM face common undeniable trends with scan tools.”

Augustine said these include the:

  • Increasing adoption of PC-based, high-speed controller area network (CAN) communication protocols.
  • Migration to embedded device-to-PC platform in software.
  • Tethered to wireless architectures.
  • Continued strict hardware specifications, but less restriction regarding what devices data is communicated is exchange with (e.g. smartphones, tablets),
  • VIN-based diagnostics, with interlinked specific technical service bulletins, diagnostic trouble codes and service information.
  • Implementation of real-time calibrations,
  • Real world fix databases (e.g. Identifix) that save technicians time chasing around.

“As the senior diagnostics technician at our shop, I provide technical support to three ASE Master/L1 Technicians and one intern,” explained Donny Seyfer, co-owner and operations manager at Seyfer Automotive, Inc. “We use mostly OEM tools with the balance being AM tools.”

“There’s a business opportunity for ETI members and OEMs,” he suggested. “Often, we're stealing five minutes between cars, so we need info that is easy to get to,” he continued. “The biggest challenge I face when buying a new scan tool is how to set it up and use it. OEM and AM scan tool manufacturers could really help us as end users, as well as educators and trainers, by providing a brief five-minute training video and supplying intuitive info on how to setup Web-enabled tools.”

 ETI Resources
 ETI provides a number of resources to its members, other industry professionals, educators, students and the public. Some are available for free, others (e.g. market research) have a nominal cost.

Examples of cost-free ETI resources include:

  1. Presentations from ETI events that have been uploaded to the website.
  2. Free subscriptions to receive the ETI Industry Update enewsletters, press releases, and more.
Technology Isn't Going to Slow Down Just so You Can Catch Up
Think about that phrase for a moment. It was shared during a lively ToolTech forum about collision repair. Here’s another: New cars crash too. As this session played out, the sharing of those present made me realize that when it comes to an improved OEM-Aftermarket partnerships that works for all, collision can teach us a few things.

When a new vehicle is sold, AM dealerships typically get the bulk of early maintenance work, largely a result of warranties; AM independent shops typically see the bulk of their work from older vehicles.

The situation is reversed for collision repair. Relatively few dealerships do collision repair; the bulk of them work with AM independent body shops. In addition, emerging technology and new materials are often seen in a body shop well before mechanical professionals face them.

There is one more difference worth noting: Training for collision service/repair is much more centralized than it is for mechanical service/repair. While there are many different training providers on both sides, the collision industry has the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR), an organization that provides a centralized source of practical training that is recognized industry-wide. “I-CAR works closely with all OEMS, equipment and tool makers and others to develop, provide and update collision ‘role-based’ repair training to existing technicians in the field and aspiring technicians enrolled at educational institutions,” explained Jason Bartanen, technical director for the organization.

There is no such equivalent on the mechanical side that is recognized industry-wide like I-CAR is for collision. The high level of OEM-AM cooperation in collision service/repair, which better serves OEM, AM and consumer interests, could serve as a useful model for an renewed and improved OEM-AM partnership on the mechanical side.


Upcoming ETI Events


Winter Tech Week 2012
December 3 – 7, 2012
Tokyo, Japan

ToolTech 2013
April 23 – 25, 2013
San Diego, California  
 Summer Tech Week June 10-13, 2013
Detroit, Michigan

Make plans now to attend these three upcoming ETI events.
Visit the ETI website at www.etools.org for more information, as it is made available.

An Idea Takes Root
Just two months later, at Summer Tech Week, I witnessed a number of instances where the theme of Tool Tech planted by ETI’s Gorman became more than an idea. Please understand that while Tool Tech is a more open event, Summer Tech Week requires a non-disclosure agreement, so I am exercising some caution in sharing several examples below.

When organizations and individuals are invited to improve their relationship, some actually act to do so. General Motors’ collision team hosted a session at Summer Tech Week. The level of detail they provided was stunning, be it about collision repair overall or new vehicle models about to be introduced, such as the Cadillac ATS.  Likewise, I-CAR also hosted a session. Both are the subject of other ETI articles, but let me leave you this: Both GM and I-CAR want more meetings with ETI and even with its members. I heard the phrase “improved partnership” repeatedly. They “get’ it.

The sessions with the U.S.- and European-based automakers also demonstrated renewed and improved partnership. For example, Chrysler made specifc comment during its welcome to ETI visitors of the long-standing and valuable partnership the two organizations have shared. During the breakout sessions, the automaker provided nearly a dozen presentations that addressed the introduction of the all-new 2013 Dart and 2013 Ram 1500.

Besides their own technical subject matter experts, several of the presentations were given by representatives from Tier I partners (e.g. ZF) who manufacture components and/or systems for the new vehicles. These presentations not only covered the technical details regarding new technology, they each included service and repair information, procedures, diagrams and demosntrations for both mechanical and collision service/repair.

Volkswagen/Audi also attended Summer Tech Week and made, some important announcements. The automaker said that it will begin providing more complete scan tool data to ETI from now on. They will begin by suppyling data for some models that use ODX file architecture.

VW/Audi has worked closely with ETI concerning issues pertaining to OBDII. Sometimes technology can get ahead of regulations and standards. I thought it was remarkable how the automaker and ETI work together toward solutions that are agreeable to both organizations. When this kind of cooperation takes place it makes the regulators’ jobs much easier because collaborative solutions are much easier for them to deal with. In addition, this working relationship ultimately benefits the aftermarket.

One last thing: Like many of you, I enjoy being able to see the presentations posted on the ETI website or sent to us on CDs. That’s effective and informative, but only to a point. What’s missing is the dialogue, insights and comments that attendees get to experience firsthand at an event.

It’s true … sometimes you just have to be there.

 

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