Businesses across the globe have been facing the same challenges to the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis: How can we do the same, if not more, with less?
Taking steps to improve productivity and process efficiencies is not a new concept. But the motivation to do so now is being felt perhaps more acutely than ever before.
The big challenge in the coming months and beyond for commercial workshops will be achieving these gains, and many are already looking at the costs of outsourcing their vehicle testing, recognising the value in bringing those activities in-house.
Here, we take a look at some of those benefits.
Stop paying per test
Depending on the size of your fleet, the cost of routine brake testing each vehicle soon adds up. Investing in an in-house brake tester eradicates those costs and you might be surprised how quickly you can break even too.
Faulty diagnosis and guaranteeing quality workmanship
Testing in-house can save considerable time (we will get to that in a moment). A by-product of this is that it will help drive quality. For instance, let’s say that you’ve brake tested a vehicle and the test has failed. The brakes then get inspected and adjusted before being re-tested. What if it fails again? Is it a faulty part? Has the mechanic done a good enough job inspecting and adjusting things?
Testing in-house helps to get answers to these questions quicker… and without those annoying re-test fees!
Save time
Let’s say you currently outsource the brake testing of your fleet. Every time a vehicle is taken to be tested, the vehicle and the driver are both unavailable to you. The time taken to drive the vehicle to a test centre is time the vehicle and driver could be on the road adding value to your business.
What’s more, brake testers of the past used to require two engineers to conduct a test – one to sit in the vehicle and run through the test and one to view results on a large analogue display and shout instructions to the person behind the wheel.
These days, with a tablet which connects to the brake testers computer via wi-fi, tests can be conducted by one person from the comfort of the driver’s cab. Simple!
Save fuel
For the same reasons outlined above – cutting out those journeys to and from a test centre not only saves fuel, but reduces your carbon footprint as a result.
Test several things at once
So you’ve invested in a brake tester for your workshop and are already seeing the impact of those time and cost savings we talked about earlier. But could you economise further?
Of course you can! The vehicle is already on the brake tester, so why not test things like headlamp aim or its diesel smoke emissions while the vehicle is in position? In just a couple of minutes, you’ve not only got a record of a brake test having been conducted, but the headlamp beam aim has been adjusted and you have checked the vehicle’s exhaust emissions are within the legal limits.
When these additional checks can be conducted in a matter of a few minutes, why wouldn’t you do them in-house?
MTS Connectivity
Like it or loathe it, the world is becoming an increasingly digital place. DVSA changes which became law in October last year state that MoT stations making new site applications or replacing older brake testers must purchase connected test equipment that can interface with the MoT test system (MTS).
The advantages of connected equipment are many, but in short, they dramatically reduce the likelihood of data entry errors and facilitate even quicker testing, cutting out some of the associated administration work. What’s not to like about that?
Attracting staff
As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life.
Increasing the variety of work undertaken in-house makes the company more attractive to job applicants when you are recruiting – a good way to ensure you hire the best people. Similarly, it can have a positive impact on staff attrition rates and reduced turnover of staff equates to a settled, stable and productive workforce.
So how much could you save?
The time savings of bringing your brake testing in-house are instant and will be felt immediately. But the financial aspect is key when weighing up a capital investment, and that’s why we’ve created our brake test savings calculator.
Just enter the number of vehicles in the fleet and the number of tests each vehicle requires each year. The calculator will not only tell you when you’ll break even but will give you figures over a ten-year period, demonstrating the full extent of what you stand to save!
Prefer to speak to somebody? Contact us on 01215 852 724 or at sales@totalkare.co.uk to speak to one of our experts.
