insight issue 4
EVENT SPECIAL
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insight
COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY Ford Accident Repair Network Magazine Issue 4 | Quarter One | 2015
CONTENTS 3 Introduction 6 Ford of Britain 8 News 10 Ford 2015 15 W R Davies 16 One Vizion 18 Dave Reece - Making an Impact 20 John Thompson - Industry Conferences 22 Ford Impact 2014 - A Students Perspective 26 One Vizion 2015 – Event photos 28 Ford Impact 2015 – Event photos 30 Exhibitor photos 34 Dave Reece – Lifetime Achievement Award 38 Andrew Marsh – Autonomous Driving 42 Ford Write-Off Avoidance 44 Eye’s on the Prize 46 All new Ford Focus RS 50 Marcus Laird – Good Design Sells 54 Accident Management App 56 Ask James – Profit Generation 60 Dave Reece – Are you a boss or a leader?
EVENT SPECIAL
64 The all-new Ford Mustang 66 Alex Humphries & Paul Scott Interview 68 M-Sport announces driver line-up 70 Quest Consumables 72 New Aluminum F-150 76 Andrew Hooker – Some things are just right 80 Ford Shelby GT350 82 Designing the future of Ford 84 Ford’s Engineering Centre, Cologne 86 New S-Max 88 Standox – Paint Brand of the Year 90 Mondeo wins UK ‘Green’ Award 92 Ford’s Research and Innovation Center 94 Glasurit 90 97 Ford tops popular vote 98 Ford of Briain 100 Skills Assessment Winner 104 Axalta Apprenticeship Programme 112 AkzoNobel Mixit Pro Colour Database 114 BSI 116 GYS – First Year Report
Dave Kittle WHOLESALE PARTS AND COLLISION MARKETING MANAGER
Welcome to this, our first edition of Insight for 2015 Last year we saw a number of notable achievements in the world of Ford and Ford Accident Repair:>> The launch of some exciting new products, including New Focus, All New Mondeo, EcoSport and a whole raft of exciting new commercial vehicles >> New panel members to the Ford Insure scheme, enhancing the demographic coverage and looking to increase policy sales >> Dave Reece being “crowned” Lifetime Achiever at the 2014 Bodyshop Awards >> Ford being a Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year finalist at the 2014 Bodyshop Awards, narrowly missing out to BMW (well done lads! Grrr!!!) >> A top-notch Ford Impact Event, with a fantastic “Trade Show” and a superb turnout of esteemed industry partners …..to name but a few! Additionally, we definitely saw a strengthening in the aftersales industry, including collision repair.
This year promises to be even more exciting, and has started so already….. >> Mustang is well on the way with deliveries commencing to new regions of the globe >> More exciting new products, including Vignale >> The announcement of Ford’s new high performance vehicle division “Ford Performance” with the unveiling of the new F150 Raptor, the Mustang GT350R, The Focus RS and (my next Company car) the Ford GT AND; We are already planning our next Ford Impact Event, so get ready to hold the date later in the year. The economic indicators all look like they are heading our industry in the right direction, so the business outlook for 2015 looks very encouraging indeed.
Wishing you all a strong year ahead DK
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Transforming distribution...
Being bold... Not only has Finixa expanded with investment in a new head office in Antwerp (Belgium) to handle three times its current capacity, but also has made a bold strategic move in the UK with the opening of… ‘Elevation Group - The Automotive Alchemists’. Thirty years old now Finixa is proactive in over fifty countries worldwide, quadrupled in size in less than a decade and fast becoming the most talked about non-paint brand in the world. Owner Piet Greeves explains “The Automotive industry moves so fast, you either stand still and face the consequences or embrace it, grow and reap the rewards!”
UK based ‘Elevation Group - The Automotive Alchemists’ will open its’ doors 2nd September boasting a state of the art Training Centre with Spraybooth incorporating the latest in UV and Infrared Drying Technology (globally supported by Akzo Nobel) and includes a Detailing Bay which includes the all new ‘Image’ Process, the very latest and innovative way to polish programme.
Born of Frustration... As the Export Sales Manager of Finixa Alex Humphries explains: “Distribution in the UK is being left behind with growth and proposition in comparison to our other markets and with recent bankruptcies and acquisitions we felt we had to do something different. Opening a direct supply specializing in Finixa (no paint), coupled with hands-on training gives us the opportunity to offer the repair centre’s more value. The equation is simple - Finixa innovate and Bodyshops desire the innovation...the conveyor in between shouldn’t be complicated, but for some reason in the UK it is and that had to change!”.
So what does ‘Automotive Alchemists’ mean? Paul Scott Co-Founder of Elevation Group explains: “Alchemy is the chemistry study of turning worthless metal into gold. The bodyshop is already spending a certain amount on dry goods each month and has to do so, therefore this spend could be seen as ‘worthless overhead’ (metal). I f a bodyshop spends w ith Elevation they receive - Business Coaching, Partnership investment into new technologies to increase margins, Profitable new market opportunities, Faster Processes with complimentary training, a Personal Technician and of course some of the best Products in the world! (Gold)”. Paul added: “After a recent visit from one of our industry’s most respected individuals we were paid a huge compliment by being described as the ‘Google of our industry’. We are Quirky, fun but we have a serious message attached and our customers will love being spoilt with our energy, elements of surprise and reap the rewards!”
Units 32 & 33 Carlow Place Wolseley Court Dyson Way Staffordshire Technology Park Stafford ST18 0GA
www.elevationautomotive.co.uk For more information contact Alex Humphries 07920 820304
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
NEWS
FORD OF BRITAIN APPOINTS NEW FLEET DIRECTOR Nick Themistocleous has been appointed director, fleet operations Ford of Britain, succeeding Phil Hollins, who has held the role since 2012. Hollins has been appointed commercial vehicles director, Ford of Europe. Both appointments are effective February 1, 2015. Themistocleous joined Ford Credit as a graduate trainee in 1986. He held a variety of sales, marketing and financial roles in Ford of Britain including UK fleet marketing manager before moving to Germany in 2003 as the European fleet and leasing director. Themistocleous returned to the UK in 2006 as the operations manager in aftersales before taking up his current role as sales district manager. Born in Halifax, Themistocleous is married with three children and lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. He is a keen sportsman and enjoys coaching football at junior level and is currently with Tonbridge Junior U11s.
and Ford of Europe fleet sales. Nick will build on the excellent foundations provided by Phil as we move into the launch of new Focus, new Mondeo and continue to benefit from our industry-leading range of commercial vehicles.”
Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said: “Nick is ideally suited to this position and will be a great addition to our team. He will bring a fresh perspective to the role with his extensive knowledge of our Ford dealer network and background in both Ford of Britain
For 2014, Ford was the number one manufacturer for the net UK fleet car market with 10.6 per cent share, up 7,300 vehicles on 2013. Ford also increased its commercial vehicle market leadership with 27.4 per cent of fleet sales – more than the next two rivals combined.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
NEWS
SMART BODY PANELS WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN SOMEONE DENTS YOUR CAR Ever come back to your car to find that someone dinged it while you were away? You might have a better chance at catching the culprit in the future. Germany's Hella is developing a smart body panel that uses a grid of foil-like pressure-sensitive electronic sensors (plus special algorithms) to detect when someone dents or scratches your vehicle. It can even tie into onboard cameras and GPS to both record where the car was and get some video evidence, so you can show that someone else's botched parking job wrecked your ride. Of course, this might also work against you. Insurers could use dent alerts to increase your rates on the fly, and rental agencies could apply
penalties for damage before you've even returned the vehicle. However you feel about the technology's potential, you'll have to wait a while. Hella is attracting interest from other manufacturers, but it doesn't expect its intelligent panels to reach shipping cars until 2018. It might be worth the wait, though. If enough cars start using these panels, less-than-considerate drivers might drive more cautiousl- they'd have a harder time getting away with scrapes and other minor dings and dents.
SYMACH TO THE NORTH POLE Bilskadesenteret Bodyshop in Tromso Norway has chosen Symach FixLine formula for 70 repairs per week, buying a FixLine SprayTron with Robodry, Drybox and Flydry for roll primer application and in addition a FixStation for 20 repairs per week of one panel same day key to key delivery. Symach for this customer has also realized a new product, we have called it “window-extraction”, this because Norway normative about safety and healthy at work provides a recycling of 19 cubic meters of fresh air per hour for every employee, for this reason every workstation has been equipped of one window-extraction. Osvaldo Bergaglio The creation of this new body shop, which will work in extreme climatic conditions, put us also to the test for the creation of other new products like “ Humipaint and Heating-exchanger” integrating them into our Spraytron, we thus had
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the opportunity to enhance our experiences and knowledge and we are so ready for building other body shops in extreme area.
NEW NAME FOR FORD IN PERTH
Over a period of more than forty years Elder & Paton have built a reputation for the highest standards of workmanship, reliability and customer care. Elder & Paton’s excellence in the field of motor vehicle Accident Repair and Refinishing has been recognised through the award of the PAS 125 kitemark and by some 19 manufacturer approvals, together with preferred repairer status for a number of major motor insurers and accident management agencies. Strategically located off Perth’s famous Motor Mile in purpose-built premises extending to 1700 square feet including a fast-track repair unit and commercial vehicle repair facilities, Elder & Paton
offer a rapid response and a reliable service over an area covering Tayside, Fife, the central regions and beyond. Elder & Paton’s reputation is maintained by a team of qualified technicians and dedicated customer service staff through a combination of traditional skills and investment in new technologies including staff training and accreditation in the repair of the electric and hybrid vehicles now coming onto the market in increasing numbers.
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FORD
2015
2015 will be one its busiest years ever in terms of new product launches in the UK Ford of Britain - which last year strengthened its UK market lead while recording 38 consecutive years of car sales leadership and 49 years of commercial vehicle leadership on strong demand for its new models - said 2015 will be one of the busiest years for new product in the company’s history. Ford confirmed for the first time that an all-new Ford Galaxy seven-passenger vehicle will go on sale about mid-year. Other new models coming in 2015 include the all-new S-MAX, C-MAX, Grand C-MAX and Mustang. All-new Edge SUV will go into production in late 2015. In addition, Ford will complete the rollout of the all-new
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Mondeo with variants equipped with Intelligent all-wheel drive, high-powered diesel and petrol engines, and the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost. The new Focus family is also being expanded to include a new Focus ST and Focus diesel ST, followed by refreshed versions of EcoSport and Ranger. Jim Farley, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe commented, “In 2014, our new passenger cars, commercial vehicles and remarkable technologies helped us outperform the market and increase our market share in Europe. In 2015, we’re excited to build on this momentum and reach new customers with everything from larger, more upscale cars
and utilities to new performance vehicles to vehicles designed for families of every size. These new vehicles reflect a more emotional and upmarket vision for Ford products in Europe.” This year Ford expects to launch new or significantly refreshed versions of passenger cars that last year accounted for around 45% of their total UK sales.
Ford Performance
A mouth-watering year for performance vehicle enthusiasts includes the arrival of an icon. After more than 50 years, the all-new Ford Mustang will go on sale in the UK for the first time and Fastback and convertible models will be offered equipped with Ford’s new 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, and the latest generation of Ford’s legendary 5.0-litre V8.
Focus ST will for the first time offer a powerful
Recently, Ford have introduced the new Focus ST. Offered as a five-door model, and estate, the new
that Ford is bringing to customers worldwide
diesel option - the most fuel-efficient and lowest CO2 Ford performance car ever. The 30th RS model produced by Ford since 1967 will be the first to go on sale globally, and is among more than 12 new performance vehicles through 2020.
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FORD 2015 Vignale
Ford will debut its upscale Vignale product and ownership experience in 2015 with the Vignale Mondeo. Vignale will be sold from select FordStores across the UK. Among bespoke services available to customers who have bought a new Ford Vignale from the FordStores will be collection and delivery for vehicle servicing - from a home address or office location - alongside servicing scheduled to suit the owner. Vignale vehicles will always be handled with care and, with a premium valet, handed back to owners waxed, cleaned, and vacuumed.
Family vehicles
The all-new Ford Galaxy that will join Ford's family vehicle line-up this year, is the fifth generation of one of Europe's most popular seven-seat family movers. For families, Ford will deliver a wide spectrum of new models including, in spring, an all-new version of the trail-blazing S-MAX sports activity vehicle. At the same time, the stylish new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX multi-activity vehicles will enhance a MAX family that also includes the B-MAX multi-activity vehicle to ensure the broadest choice of family vehicles in Europe.
All-new Mondeo
SUVs
Ford will extend the all-new Mondeo range which includes, for the first time, the Mondeo Hybrid Electric Vehicle.
Ford's expansion of its SUV range was led by the introduction of the new Kuga, first revealed in late 2012.
There also will be a first Mondeo 1.0-litre EcoBoost, equipped with the engine that achieved an unprecedented third consecutive victory when it was named 2014 International Engine of the Year. Ford will introduce to the line-up Intelligent all-wheel drive, and a new twin-sequential turbocharged 210PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine.
Last year, the company introduced the all-new EcoSport compact SUV, combining the practicality and affordability of a small car in a spacious, flexible SUV package.
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This year Ford will start production of the all-new Edge, Ford's most advanced SUV, which will go on sale to European customers for the first time.
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FORD 2015
Remarkable technologies All-new Mondeo and S-MAX customers will this year be able to specify technologies including:
Intelligent all-wheel drive, which measures how the car's tyres are gripping the road surface every 16 milliseconds, and can adjust power delivery to individual wheels in 100milliseconds. Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, which can detect people in the road ahead - or that could cross the vehicle's path - and automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not respond to warnings. Active Park Assist with Perpendicular Parking technology, which can detect and reverse the car hands-free into spaces alongside other cars as well as parallel to the road; technology first offered on the
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new Ford Focus. All-new S-MAX will debut in Europe Ford Adaptive Steering, which continually changes the ratio between the steering and road wheels according to vehicle speed. It also will introduce Front Split View Camera technology to the segment, which makes negotiating junctions or parking spaces with restricted visibility easier through the use of a 180deg camera system installed at the front of the vehicle. Finally, all of the vehicles being launched in 2015 will feature SYNC 2 - Ford's connectivity system with advanced voice control and eight-inch colour touchscreen. This enables drivers to operate phone, entertainment, climate
and navigation systems using simple conversational language. Drivers can even bring up a list of local restaurants by using the command: "I'm hungry". Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe said, "Our entire product development team around the world, and especially here in Europe, have been working harder than ever to deliver on the product promises that we have made as part of our revitalisation plan. From performance cars that deliver outstanding on-road performance to family vehicles that deliver great quality, fuel efficiency, safety and technology, 2015 promises to be one of the most exciting years for Ford of Europe and its customers."
INTRODUCING W R DAVIES W R Davies has been a family run business since it was set up by William Rees Davies in the village of Berriew near Welshpool, in 1924. The business became a limited company when relocated to Welshpool in 1938 and appointed as a Ford dealer in the 1960 opening it’s Pool Road site in Newtown. In the year 2000 the business aquired an interest in Kirby Jones Ltd in North Wales expanding the number of Ford dealerships to four including Llangefni on Anglesey The business has passed through the generations and is now headed by the grandson
of the original W R Davies Jonathan Davies. The Ford Dealership in Llangefni on Anglesey has been one of the Ford Accident Repair Centre network for many years and in 2014 moved to be incorporated with the exciting new dealership.
Congratulations to Geraint Jones and the team at WR Davies. 15
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ONE VIZION
The success of a venture which bridges the gap between motorists and the insurance industry is bringing more business, more jobs and a demand for more space to Hull-based Vizion Network Ltd. The latest success for Vizion - a nationwide deal with the Ford Accident Management programme - sees the company build on growth of more than 400 per cent in the last year. As a result, Tracey Taylor, Operations Manager, is measuring up more office space at The Deep Business Centre and planning to add to a team which has expanded from five to 17 in the last year. Chris McKie, Director of Network Development, says other proposals submitted by the company could be a real game changer.
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He said: 'If we were to win everything that we are currently tendering for we would have to quadruple our size. 'But the Ford deal alone is huge, and whereas last year we increased the number of vehicle repairs by more than 400 per cent to 53,000 we are forecasting to exceed 100,000 repairs this year. 'So we expect to need more staff and more space, and we will find what we need here at The Deep, where they have shown that they can change their infrastructure to provide what we need in terms of additional security around data.'
Tracey was the sole member of the team when Vizion opened at The Deep in January 2009 with the aim of providing safe, consistent, quality repair solutions to corporate and individual car owners. The company has strengthened its links with motor manufacturers to the extent that it now works with 19. It also has good relationships with many insurers, including partner programmes with Allianz, Aviva and Ageas, and it has built a network of 450 carefullyselected repair centres. A sister company, White Room Consortium, brings together
industry professionals to provide integrated apps and other software solutions. Chris added: 'We all brought a lot of experience in the motor industry but we are not about doing things cheaply, we are about removing the frictions, transferring information effectively and measuring the outcomes. We found that about 23 per cent of the cost of an insurance claim came from the cost of repairing the vehicle and the rest related to credit hire and administration.' The progress is reflected at Vizion's Hull headquarters, where initial, modest growth has gathered pace and from occupying just 250 square feet initially, then 1,000 square feet the company is about to expand again. Tracey said: 'By the end of our first year there were two of us
here. A year ago there were five or six. Now we have 17 people and we will probably at least double that by the end of the year. 'There are a lot of advantages with being here starting with scaleability, the management at The Deep make it easy for you to move up or down depending on the needs of the business. 'There are meeting and conference facilities available when we need them, good parking, we're only five minutes from the city centre and public transport is good, which is important because most of our claims staff are local. And the space here is reasonably priced particularly when compared to elsewhere in Yorkshire. 'The standard of our staff is extremely high. Quite a lot of the people we recruit have had experience with financial
The standard of our staff is extremely high. businesses and bring a good grasp of the sort of rules and regulations we have to deal with and they are very keen to get on.' Freya Cross, Business and Corporate Manager at The Deep, said: 'It has been fascinating and hugely satisfying to watch the success of Vizion from a new start up, and more particularly with the company's expansion during the last year. Every new phase of Vizion's development brings more challenges for us as we make changes to their space, IT and communications to help them accommodate more people. But they are the sort of challenges we enjoy and that's why we are looking forward to further growth with Vizion.'
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Dave Reece FORD COLLISION PROJECT MANAGER
MAKING AN
IMPACT
Bigger, Better and Back was the battle cry for our Ford Conference as we skipped a year in 2013 and we did just that.
We moved the venue at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry to accommodate over 60 exhibitor stands in the Supplier Village and filled the 400 seat auditorium for a two day event shared with Ford partners WRC and Vizion. These events are special in the calendar but take an awful lot of hard work and the whole event started at 4.30pm the evening before with Jane Riley and Steve Mullen joining me to layout the supplier village ready for the next morning which started at 6.00am so thank you Jane and Steve for going beyond the call of duty over the whole event. Set up day was, as you would expect, a frantic exercise with Marcus and Jules from Pure VC
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setting up the auditorium, the Vizion and Ford teams getting the exhibition hall and reception ready. 12.00pm came and the doors opened for the inaugural Vizion Conference. Our surprise guest arrived with a bang as the all new Ford Mustang squeezed its way through the corridors and drove through the supplier village and into the auditorium. With over 350 delegates firstly meeting the suppliers and then being entertained in the auditorium by guest speakers including Chris McKie – Vizion, Andrew Marsh – Auto Industry Insider and Kevern Thompson – Jaguar Land Rover, and myself ably facilitated by Mark Hadaway – Bodyshop Magazine. The guests were presented with
the Vizion of the future, amazing technical updates from Andrew and Kevern where the industry standard BS10125 was up to and the Ford Write off Programme. The Vizion conference was then closed by Eamonn Dunne Vizion Chairman followed by a very entertaining evening casino event and that was only day one. The Ford Impact Conference and exhibition opened the doors on day two with representation from the Ford Accident Repair Centre network enjoying the supplier village and interactive displays, not to mention the Maclaren F1 Simulator on the Akzo Nobel stand. 20 young adults from Ernesford Academy were welcomed by myself as VIP guests and presented with a
Finixa goody bag, which included Belgium chocolates and were introduced to our education centre exhibitors, Ford College/ Skillnet, Axalta, Thatcham, IMI, Bridge Academy and Autoraise who, along with our exhibitors, made the students and support teachers welcome and they witnessed the vast array of diverse companies involved in the collision sector. Our speaker line up was amazing and my personal thanks go out to every one of them including Dave Kittle – Collision Repair Manager, John Wellsman – Director, Ford Customer Service Division, Dave Phatak – Ford Aftersales UK Marketing Manager and our Ford of Britain Managing Director
and Chairman Mark Ovenden. We also enjoyed the industries technical guru Andrew Marsh and Business expert Linda LeeDavies. Unfortunately Graham Threllfall from Bodyshop Magazine was unwell and I became the first reserve so up on the stage again. The whole event was brilliantly facilitated by Mr Jazz Hands himself David Cresswell – ABP, who also did a great job with his industry update and the final event of the day our first Ford Accident Repair Centre Awards. 10 awards culminating in our Bodyshop of the Year Pertwee and Back and Bodyshop Manager of the Year Jamie Barton – Richardson Ford and a special contribution to the
network award presented to a very surprised Chris McKie – Vizion The 2014 event closed with a comprehensive overview by Dave Phatak with the challenge to do it all again in 2015. Many thanks to all the brilliant supporters of the event on both days in particular Marcus and Jules from PureVC, Chris, Jane and the Vizion team, all the exhibitors, our special guests the students from Ernesford Grange Academy and most of all our guests from Vizion, Ford Accident Repair Centres and the insurance companies. You are all welcome to Impact 2015 in October.
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WINNING NUMBERS AT THE INDUSTRY CONFERENCES... Wind the clock back to October 2014 and the Venue, Ricoh Arena Coventry. The event… two great Motor Industry Conferences being held back to back.
John Thompson BODYSHOP & BUSINESS SERVICES INCLUDING MARKETING, TRAINING, COACHING
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Running over two days and returning some incredible numbers: >> Over 1000 visitors came through the doors >> 62 exhibitors displayed their goods and services >> 10 fantastic awards were presented to Ford UK accident repair centres >> 10 great guest speakers educated and entertained the visitors >> 1000’s of pounds of new business was generated for exhibitors >> 20 youngsters from local colleges were invited and attended and of course vast numbers of drinks, food and exhibitors gifts were absorbed by all attendees. It had been two years since the previous Ford Impact Conference and the 2015 event broke new ground holding the two conferences back to back, benefiting both visitors and exhibitors. The topics covered by the guest speakers included varied subjects from the success of the Ford Write Off Avoidance programme, in saving over 7,500 vehicles so far, to Linda Lee-Davies getting delegates
performing on stage with some very thought provoking activities. Also included was the motor car in its extremes... from Andrew Marsh giving us the future with driverless vehicles, whilst on display was the’ Six Million Dollar Car’ the Ford Mustang. Day two included the Ford Impact Awards in which 10 awards, sponsored by very generous sponsors, where presented with the prestige award of Bodyshop Manager of the year going to Jamie Barton from Richardson Ford. The feedback from all parties was very positive and some of the attendees gave us their views on the events. “Incredibly well organised, very well thought through and brilliantly delivered” commented James Clifford from ARC Support Services, “ Also it was well planned as the exhibitors were adjacent to complementary businesses and as a result we are expecting some good business to come as a result of attending “ John Stanner from Stanners equipment Ltd. stated “a really good couple of days, we actually took orders on the day and
we have had great follow ups since the conference” he also commented “ the quality of the people attending was very refreshing and made it very worthwhile for us to attend and help both Vizion and Ford”
in over 40 years in the trade this was one of the best events I’ve been to, the organisation and venue were both excellent With similar views Andy Mansfield from Movac “in over 40 years in the trade this was one of the best events I’ve been to, the organisation and venue were both excellent” he added “as an exhibitor we had everything we could have needed.” So all in all the numbers added up to an excellent Industry event. David Reece from Ford and Chris McKie from Vizion, who jointly made the event possible, can both look forward to an exciting 2015 and hopefully repeat and maybe even improve on the 2014 Conference.
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FORD IMPACT 2014
A STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE Life after early education is terrifyingly uncertain, especially now that education is compulsory until the age of eighteen. After that you have three options; an apprenticeship, college or sixth-form. You would think that with only three choices it would be an easy decision to make, but believe me when I tell you. It most definitely is not. So when events like the ‘Ford Impact Conference’ come along, there are plenty of eager and interested people wanting to attend.
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On an early Wednesday morning in October, when most of Coventry’s students were still asleep, 20 Ernesford Grange Academy students travelled to the Ricoh Arena to take part in the Ford Impact Conference. The purpose of the trip, which students gave up an entire day of their half term to attend, was to experience what it was like working for a major company. When they arrived, the students wondered around freely, getting the opportunity to meet different people within the various sectors in the industry. The stalls presented their area of focus in multiple formats, so that it appealed to all learning styles. The thought that Ford catered for so many different people when they are such a massive company is astonishing;
they genuinely wanted the students to benefit from the experience. Some stalls had Ford representatives, who would explain the job, what they had to do and answer any questions people had. Others had information laid out in booklets and posters. Some even had hands on experiences; for example, the students were given the option to help paint a car that Ford had brought in for this specific purpose. Later on in that same day, the attending students entered the hall where the conference was and they listened to the company discuss its future. The students who attended learnt a lot from the whole experience, most of them felt more confident in their career choice. Chloe, a year 11 student,
said that, “The day really helped me with my career decision.” It’s events like these that make this difficult decision, that much easier to make. By creating a bridge between education and the business world, it is less of a shock when people leave education. Giving students the opportunity to see companies up close and in work, allows them to explore more options available to them. One of the boys who went said the conference made him, ‘realise there is a much wider range of jobs within the industry’, which is exactly why experiences like these should be more frequent. The majority of the people who went wanted to thank Ford for giving them the chance to join their company and begin
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EVENT SPECIAL to understand the vastness of what it is they do. Ricardo, a year 11 student who attended the conference, said that, “It
It gave me the idea that you don’t necessarily need to be a mechanic or an engineer to be a part of the industry, gave me the idea that you don’t necessarily need to be a mechanic or an engineer to be a part of the industry,”- which turned out to be somewhat of a myth-buster for a number of the attendees. Showing these possible future Ford employees that there are so many different cogs that make this huge company turn, has helped students understand how they can diversify their skills and interests. Mr McCann is the academic and Next Steps mentor for Ernesford Grange Academy. He works with the key stage four students, ensuring that each and every one of them have an understanding of industries. He also tries to make sure that they are exposed to what work is all about, before the big decision on what they are going to do after early education. Every school should have a Next Steps advisor because now that students don’t get to do work experience, it is important that students still get the insight into business. It is his job to interact with businesses and bring them into education, which again is
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helping bridge the gap between business and education. People like Mr McCann help make decisions easier and provide more opportunities to learn more about things outside of the school walls. He has been busy having one to one meetings with students to help assist them in their further education choices, finding out what is actually around in the Coventry area that students can take part in and engaging students as best he can with businesses and taking them to exhibitions around the West Midlands that are going to support them in their chosen career fields. To continue his role around school and carry on making this huge decision easier, he plans to ensure that the year 9’s and 10’s have the same experience we have had and getting more and more businesses to engage with the school. He also plans to help the sixth-formers with their choices, as to whether they want to go to university and what courses are out there for them. In the long run, I think it’s perfectly fair to say, that without people like Mr McCann, the current year 11’s at Ernesford Grange Academy would have a much harder time knowing what to do when the year ends. I think that events like the Ford Impact Conference and people like Mr McCann should be less of a rare find. Although it is amazing when these opportunities come along, it shouldn’t be an occasional thing when there are so many students around the country struggling to make the same decision.
The majority of the people who went wanted to thank Ford for giving them the chance to join their company and begin to understand the vastness of what it is they do. Katie-Marie Hawkins STUDENT ERNESFORD GRANGE ACADEMY
WHY SHOULD YOUNG STUDENTS CONSIDER THE COLLISION INDUSTRY AS A CAREER? When I approached a local Coventry Academy to invite students to our Ford Impact Conference the reply was not unexpected. ‘That would be brilliant, we have some students who want to be mechanics’, and this is the impression most young students have of our industry as they come to that time in their lives to make a decision on a career. The industry is a victim of its own lack of activity and information getting to young students nationally. The training organisations concentrate heavily on the mechanical aspect of the industry predominantly because there is a greater volume of students,
the mechanical sector is significantly larger than collision repair and the investment in equipment for collision training is huge compared to mechanical but their focus is on the technical skills.
An ageing workforce is a problem for many industries and is getting worse every year in our sector An ageing workforce is a problem for many industries and is getting worse every year in our sector so young people need to be made aware of the diverse
opportunities our great industry has to offer whether they are coming out of school at 16, 18 or university with a degree. There is momentum with vehicle manufacturer apprenticeships and graduate programmes but we need to see more focus on informing students while they are still at school to encourage them to look for a career in the Motor Industry and our own sector Collision. There is hope on the horizon with the various organisations starting to be pro-active with schools and colleges. Our industry profile needs to be improved dusty old workshop to the Hi-tech industry it actually is.
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SAVE TH
2 DAYS. 2 EVENTS. EN
FORDIMPACT & EXCELLENCE AWARDS
FRIDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2015 NEW BIGGER VENUE ANNOUNCED SOON
2015
HE DATE
NDLESS POSSIBILITIES
Thursday 22nd October 2015
Clarity Through Innovation
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
DAVE REECE
Bodyshop Lifetime Achievement Award 2014 Some might think my career started with a plan but reality says three statements one from my Dad was ‘if you get a trade you’ll always be in work, one from my teacher ‘not academic enough to amount to anything and one from my Mum ‘don’t expect to live here if you don’t have a job’ makes you just go out and get on with it and coming out of school at 15 years of age with no ‘ologies’ the choices were Garage work, Building work or working for the local council. A one day visit to the local college of further education and into the motor trade I headed.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4 It all began in a small family multi franchise dealership in Warwick in July 1967 coming into the industry as a trainee mechanic and then an indentured apprenticeship and having great mentors like Mr Gray (we called him mister) and his sons. Coming out of your apprenticeship is a great feeling and I then moved around in the Leamington/Coventry area having a small business in Coventry then working for a company called BEWAC motors as a Jaguar/Rover/Triumph specialist and eventually in 1979 setting up what was probably at the time the first dedicated Fleet and de-fleet centre including a Bodyshop. I have never been afraid of moving into other areas of the industry and over the years have been the Autofinish Business Development Manager for Partco and Hex Holdings, a Service Manager for a Vauxhall
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dealership, Local Business Development Manager for Ford and Renault Dealers and even Brand Manager for Renault and VW LCV. All this leading up to joining the Ford Collision Team in the summer of 2001 and as they say... the rest is history. I felt extremely proud to be recognised by the industry at this prestigious event in my homeland of Wales and having my partner Sue and my eldest son Richard and his girlfriend Melissa there as well made it even more special. I think it is an achievement for anyone who has spent and survived almost 50 years in this industry and hats off to all the ‘old war horses’ still shaping the industry but I think being involved in the Ford Collision Programme, working with a team of incredible people and the Ford Accident Repair network full of great characters and being part of how it has
changed in the last 14 years is and maybe my greatest achievement is still being around and active. Getting involved with BSI, IMI, Thatcham, Ford College and the SMMT is amazing, sometimes frustrating but always fun and hopefully being part of the future of the industry. Getting the opportunity to spread the bodyshop gospel all over the world has come directly from being involved with Ford Motor Company Q: Since your career began, how has the industry evolved and, how do you see it evolving in the future? To be honest the industry in my view has changed very little. The same players, in the same space, doing the same old things. We live in a sector of the industry that struggles with change but I think change is coming. Technology is about evolution and education, Business is about process and profit and I think
over the coming years these are the areas where our industry will have to change. Vehicle technology is as we all know moving at such a pace that businesses will need to invest in educating their staff and equipping them with new skills and tools to do the job, something we have always done. There will always be the generic skills in the industry but there will be a requirement for more specialist skills to support them. Training will come back as these specialist skills are required so qualifications like ATA might not fit the future body repairer and manufacturers may be the only ones who can supply this specialist training so there will have to be enough profit in the pot to support these changes. If the Industry standard and Manufacturer standards become the norm for the providers of the work there will
be more capacity pressure for those fewer bodyshops and we may well see more segregation coming into the sector with specialist facilities being created for structural and non-structural repairs and businesses will have to have good solid processes in place and managed. We could even see licencing being introduced as we have in the gas and electricity sector. Businesses may well be in a position in the not too distant future to ‘pick and choose’ who they work with and these providers of work may have to review their processes to ensure the survival of the repair sector. If they start this now and work to make sure the repairers can make the required profits to invest it will be a benefit for everyone in the future. If they wait for the industry to shrink and the supply and demand model switches with repairers taking the lead it could be too
Change is required, change is coming but it in my opinion it won’t be a quick process and common sense hasn’t always prevailed in our wonderful but completely dysfunctional industry. late for them. We are already witnessing some work providers struggling to find bodyshops to carry out their repairs while still suppressing rates. Change is required, change is coming but it in my opinion it won’t be a quick process and common sense hasn’t always prevailed in our wonderful but completely dysfunctional industry. No intention of hanging up my boots just yet so I might be pleasantly surprised watching the industry evolve. I hope so.
Marketing tips, tools and techniques to help you grow your retail work, win extra work from existing and new customers and make it easier, enjoyable and get better results
m: 07860 510004 t: 0845 388 6683 e: john@johnt.co.uk
www.bodyshopmarketing.co.uk @johnt_co
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
Andrew Marsh AUTO INDUSTRY CONSULTING LTD
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING INSIGHTS FOR THE REPAIRER… Much is written about autonomous driving, with a full range of ‘research’ to suggest it will be anywhere from universal to universally shunned. Meanwhile the technology march from vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers marches on. Make no mistake, the next step is coming. Just consider the progress to date with these milestones: 2002
The first adaptive cruise control systems reach the market as expensive accessories on expensive cars. This used a RADAR ‘lens’ technology first developed for military applications during the 1990s.
2008
Volvo offer the first autonomous braking system which combines RADAR, LIDAR and CMOS camera on the XC60. Other manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda follow almost simultaneously.
2011
Subaru offer the first twin CMOS camera system, so eliminating the LIDAR sensor. This has been rolled out from the Japanese market to North America and now, in 2015, Europe.
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Ford are first to offer RADAR, LIDAR and CMOS camera system as a low cost option on Focus3 (C346) and rolled this out to Galaxy / S-Max (CD340) as well as Mondeo (CD345).
2012
Volkswagen introduce a LIDAR and CMOS camera low cost system for Up! / Mii / Citigo.
2012
Toyota and Honda show autonomous braking systems with the capability to manoeuvre the vehicle to avoid collision.
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In all cases many other vehicle manufacturers have introduced systems around the same time or shortly after each of these major steps. In between the systems have gained improved sensor performance and improved software updates whilst the system cost has fallen as production volume take up has soared. So far all of these systems rely on a driver being at the wheel, and are strictly driver aids to ensure that if there is an apparent lapse in concentration the vehicle can mitigate or even avoid the collision. In spite of the huge progress in system integrity as well as dramatically reduced system costs, these are not 100% fool proof. A typical ‘state of the art’ system currently looks like this:
The next big step? Autonomous vehicles.
That is to say the occupants get into the vehicle, set the destination and do nothing at all to drive the vehicle. In February 2015 we gained an important insight to how this might really happen by 2017‌. Volvo Car intend to give 100 prototype vehicles equipped with production ready systems and let them be driven in and around Gothenberg on public roads, by 2017. The system has a complete 360 degree coverage of the vehicle. Next up is a suite of ultra-sonic sensors which provide short range detection of potential obstacles. Not new, but these are fully integrated into all the other sensor data.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4 Lets look deeper into this. The first level is optical, with four clusters of CMOS cameras covering the front, side and rear of the vehicle – much as can be ordered today from some manufactures. The difference is the three on board processing computors can decide what is going on if one of the cameras is obscured by excess sun light, for example. In addition the forward facing camera suite uses not one but three cameras to increase data acquisition and provide range measurement too. Next up is a suite of ultra-sonic sensors which provide short range detection of potential obstacles. Not new, but these are fully integrated into all the other sensor data. There are four RADAR modules, one mounted on each corner of the vehicle – this is twice the number previously used in ‘state of the art’ systems. The modules operate at 24 GHz, providing a wide angle of sensing with not so much range. Once again the RADAR modules are fully integrated into the overall data system – so detection from the RADAR is cross referenced to the CMOS cameras to classify the object as well as calculate its trajectory relative to the vehicle. In addition there is a 76 GHz forward facing long range RADAR, with a CMOS camera built into it, with the additional function of being able to aim the whole module via an electric motor controlled linkage. The next part is really new. A single LIDAR module which contains multiple LIDAR sensors. This sensor is key to the overall system performance – to gather as much detail about the road ahead as possible. Whereas the LIDAR sensors today are fixed behind the windscreen, this module is right at the front of the vehicle: The key to this system is a fully mapped road network, with better resolution than the 5m by 5m square possible with GPS. In addition there are two levels of back up – hence three computors processing the data, receiving data from outside the vehicle and broadcasting data too. There we can see directly the gap between the ream and the reality of autonomous driving. Mapped road data is available from many organisations (guess why Google go into this rea?).
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The issues the collective pioneers are struggling with are: >> Who is in control of an autonomous vehicle? It is naive to think a person sitting near controls could resume control as a potential accident unfolds. Essentially the system has to deliver 0% error rate, and that requires much better road data than is globally available right now. >> How can the system mitigate accidents in real time? By taking in as much data about the surrounding traffic and the location as possible. That in turns forces Volvo to develop its own road map system, for the moment. >> Who owns the risk? The motor insurance sector have been bombarded with all sorts of scare stories and been shown many innovative active safety systems by many vehicle manufacturers. Yet, to date, not one has formed any sort of objective policy on how to deal with the subject. The Volvo system will park the vehicle safely once it reaches the limit of the map system, if the driver has not resumed control. This gives another indication about why so much specific road data is required.
What’s in this for us?
For repairers and even insurers, being outside the data stream from the vehicle means that they will only receive information about accidents
if one or more of the partners inside the data stream permits it. This is already underway with connectivity, where WiFi is used as the headline for new car customers whereas the real point is to connect the vehicle to the franchised repair network. It’s not wrong – it’s simply a rapidly developing fact of life. This trend is already more than a decade old and is finally reaching mass market traction. Fully autonomous vehicles will happen, and they will be exposed because in spite of all the systems on board the cars will interact with vehicles driven by humans. So accidents will continue to happen until we have 100% coverage and 100% agreement on how those systems should be operated. Finally, it shows that as exciting the future is stability in technology is unlikely much before 2030. In between we will all see the most amazing show on earth, as competing technologies slug it out for supremacy. Hence Google, Microsoft and and Apple getting into vehicles. It means more than ever we need to keep up with each development, learn how the systems work and never assume anything has remained unchanged within a vehicle manufacturers product range year on year. We have to invest our time to capitalise on being the professionals to bring damaged vehicles back from the dead.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
FORD WRITE-OFF AVOIDANCE 2015 Caring for Your Customer with the Ford Write-off Avoidance Programme The industry-leading Write-off Avoidance programme from Ford continues to deliver outstanding benefits to Accident Repair Centres, Work Providers, and – lest we forget – the poor individual who has suffered the misfortune of an accident. In the hub-bub of the Accident Repair Centre or the Insurance Claims office it is all too easy to forget one of the core principals of business growth:
If you look after your customers, they will do your marketing for you >> They will tell their friends and family how the Accident Repair Centre catered for their needs and completed a first-class repair in the predicted time frame. >> They will tell their friends and family how their Insurance Company delivered on their promise. >> They will tell their friends and family that they got what they wanted and needed – their car back, as if the accident never happened.
When it boils down to it, the owner wants their car back. If they receive that call advising them that their vehicle will not be repaired: >> They will probably have their courtesy car withdrawn.
>> They will receive a settlement from their Insurance Company and say: “How do they expect me to find a like-for-like vehicle for that money?” >> They will rush into buying a car that they don’t really want. >> The Ford Write-off Avoidance programme helps avoid all of this >> Over 1,000 vehicles are saved from write-off each year under the programme.
DOUG BUNKER
>> Over 250 Accident Repair Centres across the country have used the programme.
COLLISION PRODUCT SPECIALIST
The process is simple, and it works.
For further details, contact Doug Bunker or Dave Reece at Ford Motor Company repairuk@ford.com
>> It is open to all Accident Repair Centres that have achieved BS10125 certification or approval from any Vehicle Manufacturer. >> Requests for support can be submitted directly from Audatex to network code VBR036CM, or by e-mail to repairuk@ford.com.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
EYE’S ON THE PRIZE
Ford GT Wins EyesOn Design Prize for Best Production Vehicle at 2015 North American International Auto Show The all-new Ford GT – a technology showcase for top EcoBoost® performance, aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fiber construction – today earned the prestigious EyesOn Design Award for best production vehicle. The ultrahigh-performance supercar was unveiled Monday at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. EyesOn Design, the official design awards for NAIAS, honors the best production and concept
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vehicles making global debuts in Detroit. Judges include current and former design leaders from global automakers and transportation departments at top art schools.
into a 21st century car. The GT’s cutting-edge technology and engineering demonstrate Ford’s commitment to performance and innovation in every aspect of our business.”
“Ford and its employees are honored to receive this recognition,” said Moray Callum, Ford Motor Company vice president, Design. “The great thing about the all-new Ford GT is that we were able to maintain the essence of the original GT40, while making it
The all-new supercar represents the company’s commitment to innovation through performance. Its advanced, lightweight composites will help serve Ford Motor Company’s entire product lineup moving forward. A next-generation, 600-plushorsepower twin-turbocharged
EcoBoostŽ V6 engine demonstrates remarkable efficiency – a key attribute of its endurance racing-derived powertrain. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle that provides for nearinstantaneous gear changes and exceptional driver control. Aerodynamic efficiency is at the heart of the design of the Ford GT, with every slope and shape designed to minimize drag. An active rear spoiler is keyed to both speed and driver
input, deploying and adjusting its height and/or pitch angle depending on conditions. Beginning production in 2016, Ford GT arrives in select global markets to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The great thing about the all-new Ford GT is that we were able to maintain the essence of the original GT40, while making it into a 21st century car. Moray Callum, FORD MOTOR COMPANY VICE PRESIDENT, DESIGN.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
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ALL NEW FORD FOCUS RS In February, Ford previewed the all-new Ford Focus RS, a high-performance road car that debuts the innovative Ford Performance All-Wheel-Drive, delivering class-leading cornering speed, thrilling performance and unbridled driving enjoyment.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
The Focus RS – equipped with a special 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine engineered to produce well in excess of 320 PS – is the latest vehicle to be unveiled as part of a new era of Ford performance that will bring more than 12 performance vehicles to global customers by 2020. In addition to pleasing enthusiasts, these vehicles help deliver the company’s One Ford plan for profitable growth, product excellence and innovation in every part of its business. “The all-new Focus RS is a serious machine with highperformance technology and innovative engineering that
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sets a new benchmark for driving exhilaration on the road and track,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company. “The RS line has a proud history of technical breakthroughs that have migrated to mainstream Fords to benefit all of our customers, and the new Focus RS is no exception. It’s a great example of our passion for innovation through performance and creating vehicles that make people’s hearts pound.” Developed by a small team of Ford Performance engineers in Europe and US, the new Focus RS is the third generation of Focus RS cars, following models
launched in 2002 and 2009. It will be the 30th car to wear the legendary RS badge, following such technology trendsetters as the 16-valve 1970 Escort RS1600, the turbocharged Sierra RS Cosworth of 1985 with its radical aerodynamics, and the four-wheel-drive 1992 Escort RS Cosworth. Sporting a dramatic exterior design that delivers enhanced aerodynamics and cooling, the new Focus RS offers technologies new to the RS marque including Ford SYNC connectivity system. The all-new Focus RS is the first ever RS model that will be sold around the world and will
be produced for all markets at Ford’s Saarlouis, Germany, manufacturing plant beginning late this year. “The new Focus RS represents Ford at its passionate best – delivering innovation, unmatched driving dynamics and stunning performance that was previously the sole province of high-priced performance luxury marques and exotics,” said Jim Farley, president, Ford of Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We are acutely aware of the benchmarks we have set ourselves with RS performance models through the years, and rest assured that this new car raises the game to a new level.
“Just as important is the fact that with technologies such as EcoBoost, we are able to demonstrate how an innovation that powers almost every car in our range can also be the heartbeat of our finest performance cars.” Gymkhana and World Rallycross star Ken Block was brought on as a consultant on the allnew Focus RS and joined the Ford Performance team at the preview event in Cologne, Germany – the city where the RS legend was born in 1968 with the Ford 15M RS.
The all-new Focus RS is a serious machine with high-performance technology and innovative engineering that sets a new benchmark for driving exhilaration on the road and track. Raj Nair GROUP VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
MARCUS LAIRD CREATIVE DIRECTOR PURE VISUAL COMMUNICATION
All businesses, no matter how big, or what they do, should recognise the power and financial value of good design. Simply put....
good
DESIGN SELLS Have you ever thought how design affects your buying decisions, you know when a website is bad, you know when something looks expensive and design can often stir emotions such as trust, frustration and love... simply by the font, the colour or the overall design...... 50
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
But why have people become so design sensitive? Why does that leaflet, that newsletter, magazine look so dated now? Why does website look like i have seen it before? Why did they use those colours? Perhaps Apple, Nike and other large global company’s views on design and creativity have enhanced expectations? What is certain is that the design barometer has been raised and design-focused businesses are winning. Your marketing material is a contributing factor to the decisions consumers make about your products or services, and whether or not they are interested in what you offer. This is why visual appeal is your driving force. Design-oriented companies invest in the creativity and the solution. They put design at the heart of their company to guide innovation and to continually market. They recognise that a great design leads to differentiation, customer loyalty and higher profits. Improve products, service and market. There is no doubt that a well designed company is better, however, as with any positive there are always the negatives, the reason why design isn’t considered important. Here’s the 3 most common reasons that design is often forgotten:
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Myth one - It’s too expensive The stumbling block for many is the thinking that it’s too expensive, that the costs to achieve a more creative approach outweighs the benefits. WRONG! It’s a question of balancing the pros and cons and the potential of more customers based on the initial cost. Go for a designer that charges per project and not per hour.
Myth two - My mates, friends daughters sons mate is a designer Technology has meant that every man and hIs dog knows or is a graphic designer. Time and time again we see people with the latest pirated copy of design software and because they have some fonts, it labels them a designer. A huge misconception. Design is about emotions, creativity and a thought process, and then there’s the technicality of producing a well designed piece that can be used in all media. As with any profession, it takes time, education and experience to become a designer.
Myth three - DIY The most common budget saving approach, what we would call the microsoft warrior, armed with word or publisher they design their own material, using clipart and downloaded illegal images from google.
Being a designer, we look at trends, we look at how a design piece is structured, choosing images based on ideas, theming and reasoning. Colours and aesthetics are also given consideration to any design piece. Basically, designing for your target audience and not for personal fulfilment.
Call to action So we have established that design consideration should be at the core of any business marketing. It can be cost
It can be cost effective, it can be professional and is very much accessible to all. effective, it can be professional and is very much accessible to all. So use this article as a call to action for owners and management to recognise this revolution and make the effort to transform even a mundane product or service into something more rewarding and more memorable. Assess each element of your marketing and better it. See design not just as a marketing thing or something that is only for the large corporates but as a genuine source of competitive advantage, customer and employee satisfaction and, lastly, a route to greater awareness and ultimately profit.
There is no box! We don’t do mediocre and believe the level of service and care you receive should be as exceptional as the work we produce. We’re down to earth, approachable, professional and dedicated to exceeding your expectations. We are Pure, a creative agency specialising in digital design, communications and holistic marketing programs. By combining the principles of creative design with the latest technology, we create solutions both relevant and effective for today’s marketplace. Simply put, other designers like to think out of the box, with Pure there is no box
m: 07917 667510 | hello@purevc.co.uk | www.purevc.co.uk
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
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WHITE ROOM
CONSORTIUM
excellencethroughinnovation
INTRODUCING THE NEW FORD ACCIDENT MANAGEMENT APP April sees the release of the new mi.FORD Accident Management App. Redesigned, recoded and with a host of new features. ASSISTANCE REQUEST
Ford users can use the ‘Had An Accident’ button to request assistance when they need it most, triggering an alert with live GPS map coordinates of their location, combined with their details and their repair centre of choice so that assistance can be provided efficiently and effectively.
ACCIDENT REPORTING
Take photos of the accident area and your vehicle with geo location tagging and time stamping, making the details tamper proof,
REPAIR TRACKER
See where your car is in the bodyshop using a simple one click process.
FIND YOUR NEAREST
Simply look for the nearest Ford Accident Repair Centre either by search or by the nearest in miles.
REGISTRATION SIMPLYFIED
Via Facebook or directly on the app, 2 new and effective ways of registering.
REMIND ME
Set reminders to key dates such as next service or MOT.
SPECIAL OFFERS
Comsumer led special offers right to the app and supporting website. In addition to this the mi.Ford site will also have its own CSI system, marketing advice and elements, a digital version of insight and a host of other features to really help you market your repair centre. For more details contact marcus@whiteroomconsortium.com
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
ASKJAMES
PROFIT GENERATION As engineers we understand the mechanics of technology in our repair shops, but as VDA’s we often fail to understand the anatomy of profit within the business. It’s easy to see how the complexity of the repair process can blind the unsuspecting. The perception that being busy, equates to being profitable is far too common and without doubt, the sheer volume of evidence can drown out the logic of simple arithmetic in the mind of the unwary. The vehicle damage assessor is often convinced that a crowded yard, a busy reception and a choked up workshop,
must be the disciples of profit. However, it is possible that when analysed carefully, the same volume of work can so easily be the outriders of financial doom. For this reason, the requirement to measure Productivity, Efficiency, Utilisation and the Recovery Rate within the repair process is a fundamental one for the professional manager, however for an uninformed VDA,
Average Repair Costs
these mathematical elements could appear to be irrelevant to his role within the process. For those who may not understand the formulas used to measure the above, I have provided a down loadable copy of them here for your convenience Let’s first put into perspective the outcomes of the sales process for a VDA over the period of a year. £1329
Completed Repairs required Weekly by the Repair Facility
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Weeks Worked by the VDA (Taking Holidays into Consideration)
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Amount of Sales that passes over the VDA’s desk in a year
If the repairer was making a 5% net profit from this volume of sales he could expect to see a retention of £91,701.00 which equates to £66.45 of net profit for each repair completed. This however, assumes that the
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value reached for the repair, is accurate, and accuracy can be best explained as a conformity to fact. The ability of a measurement to match the actual value of the target that being measured. In the reality of the repair process,
£1,834,020
this often fails to be the case and tasks that are chargeable to the work provider are often missed or not included in the repair specification and fail to be included in the final calculation, but are completed as part of the repair process in the workshop.
Q: So what might be the effect of missing labour sales from a repair specification? A: A dramatically negative effect on the desired outcome of the character of the business and the availability of its resources
To explain its effects, I have used industry averages from stats that are readily available. Here we have broken down the elements of the average costs into their primary components.
Labour
£488.70
37%
Parts
£561.30
42%
Paint
£279.00
21%
Total
£1329.00
100%
The figures used do not take into consideration any discounts or referral fees that the repairer may have to pay their respective work provider for the comfort of work being directed to the repairer.
Where a thorough and concise, repeatable approach to assessing the damaged vehicle and researching and applying the correct method of repair to the target vehicle is applied the results could look like this:
16.29 hrs @ £30 per hour
£488.70
Average Parts Sales
£561.30
Average Paint Sales
£297.00
Gross Profit (GP) Net Profit
£608.68
47%
£66.45
5%
James Clifford VDA ATA MIMI MD AT ARC SUPPORT SERVICES. MOTOR INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
Where the VDA or estimator has an assessment process that does not wholly support them in achieving an accurate assessment, and this could
include a poor or weak assessing and recording routine, poor or non-existent researching of published methods to ensure all core tasks and supporting
operations are included in generating an accurate repair specification, the resulting work specification will be wrong, with a lower than accurate result.
So let’s look at the effect of how missing, one hour has a far reaching effect on the business. 15.29 hrs @ £30 per hour
£ 458.70
Average Parts Sales
£ 561.30
Average Paint Sales
£ 297.00
Gross Profit (GP)
£ 578.68
Net Profit
33.23
Note: The Sales Fig drops by 1hr but your Cost of Sales remains the same. Your GP now drops by the 1hr that was missed and your net profit remains @5% less the hour missed. 47% 2.5%
The effect of a falling GP figure, spurred on by a poor assessing function that misses core and supporting tasks from the repair specification, has a huge and directly negative effect on the businesses cash flow, hastening the familiar scenarios of being “on stop” with suppliers, unhappy bank managers, cheques being returned and pressure on the business owners.
must be making money” and believing that the only answer is to work harder. However more unprofitable work, will only make you more unprofitable and without the tools needed to tell the difference, what might first sound as “the thundering hooves of the cavalry, riding to the rescue,” could actually be the audible destructive effect that accompanies “financial meltdown”
Its commonplace to make the mistake of “we’re busy, we
ARC Support Services provide specialist business support in
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However your net profit is now only 2.5 %, (half of what it could be) diluted by the missed hour
an area of the repair process that is truly the first definitive factor in the company’s fortune. Vehicle Damage Assessor Profitability Health Check has been developed to assist the professional Manager in ensuring that the strategy, structure, and management operations of the VDA focusses wholly on the facts of conformity, ensuring that the actual value of the target that is being measured is its true value, because those hours belong to you.
VDA AWAY? DON’T STRUGGLE...
ASK JAMES...
ARC Support Services is a Business 2 Business solutions provider. Delivering specialist and innovative answers to some of the more complex issues that restrict business performance or associated liability. Our independent team of associates and specialists have the ability to deliver a wide range of bespoke assistance that supports and mentors you, in achieving the best possible results. For more information call James on 01638 566461
ARC SUPPORT SERVICES
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
ARE YOU A BOSS OR A LEADER? The skills, styles and behaviours of successful leaders are crucial to effective management and performance of a business. A leader inspires, motivates and empowers people to success.
Dave Reece FORD COLLISION PROJECT MANAGER
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Courage
It isn't easy to be a fearless leader, nonetheless, that is what we should aspire to be. To lead from a place of strength, a leader must have courage. He or she has to have the conviction that the direction they are going in is the right one. It has been said that it is lonely at the top. There's a lot of truth to that. But you can be lonely at the top because you're arrogant or you can be lonely because few people understand the weight you carry. When we are faced with difficult decisions, the buck stops with you and courage kicks in. A decision has to be made and some we get right and some we get wrong
First of all, we need to be committed to our core values. Without a strong moral compass, little else will matter. If your team can't trust you, they won't follow you with loyalty. Secondly, we must be committed to change. We must continue to change and grow as leaders. Commitment to lifelong learning is a must. Have you made that commitment to change, learning and taking ownership of your own mistakes?
Consistency
Shoulder that responsibility with the integrity it desires.
You can't fool your team. So when you talk about leadership, it comes with performance. Leadership comes with consistency. Success doesn't come to those who aren't consistent.
Compassionate
Confidence
Compassion is needed when mistakes are made, when personal crisis affects performance, or when negative things happen outside of people's control. We all make mistakes but leaders need to have compassion and lead the individual or team through any crisis. When compassion is part of an organisation's culture, the company will be more profitable, employees happier and staff retention improved reducing the cost of recruitment.
Commitment
There are many areas of the business where we must be committed.
The skills, styles and behaviours of successful leaders are crucial to effective management and performance of a business.
Great leaders need to be confident not only in themselves but in their team and their product. Great leaders need to be confident not only in themselves but in their team and their product. Confidence should not be confused with arrogance which will be detrimental to businesses. Confidence will breed Confidence.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
Clear Vision & Communication The business roadmap
We need to know where we are going to enable us to successfully get there. Successful leaders are precise and clear on the vision and good communication of this enables everyone to buy into and embrace the requirements of the business. The vision can then be broken down into goals and targets, which is the roadmap of how we can plan to get there and achieve it. It is important everyone is aware of what is needed to be done; communicated with what is happening and the impact of every effort that was put into achieving it.
Time Management & Planning “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail”
Successful leaders don't just live in the moments of truth, they prepare for moments of truth and lead by example. Having a vision of issues and potential risks can mean steps are put in place to prevent them, keeping the business roadmap moving in the right direction. This includes all people focused areas and commercial business goals. Effective time management can enable the focus and value of the most important hours to be spent on the right things.
Integrity
One of the most crucial personal skills making sure you are doing
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exactly what you said you were going to. The impact of integrity leads to trust, respect, and credibility; and most importantly leads to all team members being in alignment. This is very closely related with accountability and taking responsibility for the ownership of issues compounding the trust gained both internally and externally. The benefit of this is that people buy into the management and vision of what the business is working to.
Positive Attitude
Attitudes are contagious and can have massive effects on the culture of the business. If you’re negative you’ll bring others down. If you’re positive, you’ll lift spirits and inspire others to be like you. Whatever situation comes your way, you have a choice about how you will respond. It is not always easy to have a positive attitude constantly as things are constantly challenging the
Take full responsibility for your attitude and teach yourself to banish negativity to the bin. roadmap. Take full responsibility for your attitude and teach yourself to banish negativity to the bin.
Positive change
It’s very important to recognise and support good ideas, whether the idea is from yourself or another member of the team.
eople are wary of change as it tends to bring them out of their comfort zones but if that change comes from within it has the propensity to work.
Learning
Continuous development is perhaps one of the most underrated skills in management. As the environment and people are ever changing, it is important to be aware of how you and your teams can improve and what you can work on make this happen.
Connecting & Empowerment
Connecting with people you are leading plays a big part in enabling you to manage each person depending upon their individual needs and behaviours. It starts with really knowing your team to connect on an emotional level, and then their abilities to support them on a progressional development path. As a result of this, management is effective as required for each person and can assist in motivation. All people are different with a variety of triggers in their personalities. In addition, this enables accurate performance management which is directly linked to the roadmap of the business. Successful leaders have a combination of all these skills which have to be self- managed in their own way. These skills enable them to adapt and energise others and to be great leaders of great businesses.
ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE Sunin Ford Seoul have become the first Ford dealer Bodyshop in South Korea to achieve the Ford Service Excellence Certification. The four key elements of great customer service rely on us Building Trust with the customers, Developing a good relationship, Treating customers with respect and Having them feel they are in control of the situation. By focusing on consistently treating our customers in this manner we will ensure that our customers have a great experience and return to the Ford dealership for their future body repair needs The Ford Service Excellence - Bodyshop programme is a unique customer satisfaction program created to improve the repair facility processes to deliver a unique experience and outstanding customer service by focusing on 10 key processes. The team at Sunin Motors have achieved a high level of customer service levels by implementing the Service Excellence Bodyshop processes and gained accreditation in December. Dave Reece the Ford Program Manager implemented the programme last year and was delighted to present the team with their certification.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
THE ALL-NEW FORD MUSTANG IS HERE! FORD OPENS ORDER BOOKS ACROSS EUROPE
Customers in Europe can now specify and order the all-new Ford Mustang, marking the first time in the iconic car’s 50-year history it has been available for sale across Europe. Equipped with a 314 PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine or a 418 PS 5.0-litre V8 engine, all-new Ford Mustang fastback and convertible models are available to order from FordStores. Smartphone and tablet users can see and share exactly how their chosen Mustang could look, using a new augmented reality app that places the car in the setting of their choice.
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Available for Apple and Android devices this week, the Virtual Mustang app enables customers to first select bodystyle, exterior colour, and alloy wheel options. They can then view the car in their chosen setting in real-time using the camera feature of their mobile device. Users can even hear realistic engine sounds, and also share photos of their virtual Mustang. An online configurator
will enable customers to specify their Mustang and review pricing. “There’s never been a better time to introduce this iconic car across Europe. All-new Ford Mustang is the most modern, technologically advanced and forward-looking Mustang in the amazing history of the marque,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales &
Service, Ford of Europe. “Being able to specify a Mustang that reflects your individual character has always been a key part of the model’s appeal. With our new app, customers will be able to see exactly how the all-new Mustang could look outside their house, and as a part of their life.” Available with six-speed manual or automatic transmission, all-new Ford Mustang features as standard: 19-inch wheels, a performance brake package, automatic HID headlamps, LED tail lamps, and a rear diffuser. Further standard equipment includes dual-zone climate
control, 9-speaker sound system, and SYNC 2 voice control connectivity with 8-inch colour touch screen.
across the region. Never before
Additional options include climate control seats and premium 19-inch alloy wheels with Luster Nickel finish. Ten exterior colour choices include exclusive Competition Orange and tri-coat Triple Yellow.
customers in more than 100
The all-new Ford Mustang is exclusively available to order in Europe at new FordStore locations. Located mostly in metropolitan areas, Ford is currently rolling out the stores
Champions League Final. More
has Mustang gone on sale worldwide and the all-new Mustang will be available to markets. First shipments are headed for Asia, with vehicles arriving in Europe midyear. Ford made the first 500 Ford Mustangs for Europe available to reserve during the 2014 UEFA than 9,300 people registered online for a chance to reserve one of the models during the match, the first 500 registrations placed in just 30 seconds.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
IN CONVERSATION WITH....
ALEX HUMPHRIES, FINIXA AND PAUL SCOTT,ELEVATION GROUP What’s the difference between the Elevation Group and any other companies in the current supply chain? Paul We only supply non-paint, therefore we are the elite in the distribution industry within this specific area, no-one else does this…
Alex Humphries FINIXA
Paul Scott ELEVATION GROUP
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Is the ‘Alchemy’ strap line just another gimmick? Paul Not at all. Our aspirations are to reward our network of customers with a genuine profit making proposition including training, process, personal development, software and other unique services. Taking overheads the bodyshops already have today (and can’t avoid) and turning these into profit or ‘Alchemy’ as we market it. We’ve made our business all about the customer first and our successful future will automatically follow…
The market place is saturated with products similar to the Finixa brand. Why choose yours? Alex This is true. Our polishing system sums our strategy up, we could have developed a three stage polishing system and launched this into the market years ago, instead we take our time to develop a one step that replaces three. So, I guess what is so different about us is we wish to reduce the amount of products the bodyshop uses not increase! Coupled with having the fastest processes in the world.
Image detailing. Isn’t this just another fad for top end prestige cars and the enthusiast? Paul Image detailing was targeted more towards the VM’s, insurance companies and work providers to offer reassurance that their clients would have the
best finished cars in the market if their bodyshop was an ‘Image Approved’ centre and that’s precisely where we are taking this proposition. The bodyshop benefits from becoming approved by decreasing polishing times by up to 50% and can offer this service as an upsell. Everyone wins!
How long has the Finixa brand been around and where else is it distributed? Alex Chemicar Europe the holding company has been a respected supplier to the global market for 30 years. ‘Finixa’ was a re-branding strategy that started 6 years ago. Mainly it was a face lift the company needed to enhance our credibility and market share.
forward with a proposition to support us. Therefore we have pretty much put all other potential clients in the fridge for now to solely concentrate on your network. That’s how we operate. You can only truly support one client at any one time if you are both to get the best outcome. The conference was the starting point of meeting the members from both Ford and Vizion.
What did you think of the event? Alex The best exhibition of the year within our industry sector. Well organised, great conference material and well supported by the members. As a manufacturer you can’t ask for much more so well done on the execution!
Can a small company like The Elevation ever compete with the large suppliers and distributors?
Will you be back next year?
Paul Absolutely. Of course there will be many competitors that will beat us on ‘Price’ but we believe no-one in the market today can compete with us on ‘Cost’! Our proposition is clear, direct, aligned and the structure is streamlined without any red tape to offer our clients the most advanced supply route in the market. The large companies cannot offer what we can therefore we will create our unique market space – or, Blue Ocean Strategy!
Paul Image will take care of 2015 for us as the uptake and interest has been significant. Also, watch this space for a very interesting Guncleaner and Curing proposition to hit the market early 2015 that will be the most competitive and unique in the market…
The best exhibition of the year within our industry sector. Well organised, great conference material and well supported by the members. As a manufacturer you can’t ask for much more so well done on the execution! Alex Humphries FINIXA
Alex Already signed up!
What’s next for the Elevation Group?
What made you decide to support the Ford Impact Conference in October? Alex As you know we were in advanced stages of negotiation with other Vehicle brands however Ford really stepped
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
I think it’s fair to say that we will be fielding what is one of the most exciting driver pairings in the FIA World Rally Championship next year. Malcolm Wilson TEAM PRINCIPAL
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M-SPORT ANNOUNCES DRIVER LINE-UP M-Sport will field a new-look driver line-up when the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship kicks off in Monte Carlo in January. Promising Estonian Ott Tänak has signed for the M-Sport team and he’ll join Welshman Elfyn Evans behind the wheel of an updated Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Tänak and co-driver Raigo Mõlder will tackle all 13 rounds of the championship. This year they rallied a Fiesta RS WRC in Sweden and Portugal where they ran as high as second overall. Evans, who is partnered by fellow Brit Daniel Barritt, will look to build on an encouraging 2014 which saw him secure two career-best fourth place finishes in Mexico and Germany. Development on an upgraded version of the Fiesta RS WRC began in earnest in the midst of 2014 and the team will embark on a comprehensive test schedule before the end of the year. A series of evolutions will be launched throughout the course of the 2015 season. Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said: “I think it’s fair to say that
we will be fielding what is one of the most exciting driver pairings in the FIA World Rally Championship next year. There is no doubting the potential of Elfyn [Evans] and Ott [Tänak] and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do. “Both drivers have a full season of world rally car experience and the whole team is motivated by the possibility of some breakthrough performances. I fully believe that both drivers are capable of challenging for the podium on a number of events and we are all looking forward to what looks set to be another thrilling year of rallying. “We have some exciting developments for the Fiesta RS WRC on the horizon and we plan to implement these upgrades as the season progresses. The signing of Elfyn and Ott has brought a real enthusiasm to the team and we’re all looking forward to fulfilling their potential next year.”
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
ARE WORKSHOP CONSUMABLES CONSUMING YOUR CASH? Well, Quest Consumables may be able to provide a solution. Quest Consumables has had a valued supplier relationship with Ford dealers for almost 10 years. During that time the business between Ford and Quest has grown dramatically, particularly through the larger Ford dealer groups where Quest Consumables support the Consumables aftersales programme.
Quest supply a comprehensive range of workshop consumables for everyday use within any workshop environment. This includes a sizeable tools offering, janitorial and cleaning products, signage, health & safety products, as well as lighting, chemicals and in excess of 2,000 fasteners. This huge and comprehensive range of low-cost, high-volume lines is available to all Ford dealers and
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Body-shops through the Ford central billing programme.
reduction on these frequently sourced parts.
Not only will the consumables programme reduce the number of suppliers and invoices into your business but will also provide you with visibility of usage and with the control of a host of products which can often cost your business time and money. As importantly, the programme has the potential to provide you with an overall cost-
The Quest product line-up includes a number of prominent own-brands including FIXT, FIXTPRO, Force, OnHand, ACE and UNIOR. This is in addition to the well-known high profile brands such as Dormer, Loctite, Deb and Jubilee. Purchases count towards parts dealer purchase targets Ian Russell, Quest sales director,
Being an approved supplier to Ford through the central billing programme means that Ford dealers and body-shops receive this same high quality service, together with a guaranteed and consistent quality of product at the right price Ian Russell
QUEST SALES DIRECTOR,
explains: “Covering numerous industries and product sectors, we work with many trading platforms to ensure our service is as efficient as possible. Being an approved supplier to Ford through the central billing programme means that Ford dealers and body-shops receive this same high quality service, together with a guaranteed and consistent quality of product at the right price�
If you are interested in finding out more, place an order or to request a copy of the Ford Workshop Consumables Catalogue then please contact the Quest Sales Team on 02476 322126, or by email enquiries@questconsumables. com.
Key points
You can also visit www.questconsumables.co.uk to find out more or view the fully detailed product ecat.
>> Low carriage-paid terms
>> Programme included on the Ford central billing programme >> Over 7,000 part numbers, in stock >> Late order cut-off for nextday delivery
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
FORD STARTS PRODUCTION OF NEW ALUMINUM F-150 It’s Ford Motor Co.’s biggest bet in decades: an aluminumsided F-150 that could set a new industry standard — or cost the company its pickup truck crown.
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Ford was scheduled to start production of the 2015 F-150 Tuesday at its Dearborn Truck Plant, four miles from the company’s headquarters. It will arrive at U.S. dealerships next month. Ford thinks a truck that is lighter and more fuel efficient, but even more capable, will win buyers while its competitors struggle to catch up. Aluminum — which is lighter than steel but just as strong — isn't new to the auto industry, but this is the first time it will cover the entire body of such a high-volume vehicle. Ford made 647,697 F-150 pickups at its two U.S. plants last year; that's one every 49 seconds. There are big risks. F-Series trucks have been the bestselling vehicles in the U.S. for 37 straight years; last year, Ford sold nearly 100,000 more full-size pickups than General Motors. Any
quality problems, production hiccups or customer doubts about aluminum could slow sales and hurt Ford's bottom line. Morgan Stanley estimates F-Series trucks account for 90% of Ford's global automotive profit. CEO Mark Fields told the AP he is confident Ford made the right decision. The new truck has been through 10 million miles of testing, which is more than any other vehicle in Ford's history, he says. Top managers agreed unanimously to switch to aluminum at a meeting in 2012. "Were we recognizing that it was a risk? Sure," Fields says. "But it was a very calculated and informed risk that gave us the confidence that we were going to get this done." If Ford's bet pays off, it could gain an even more commanding lead in the lucrative truck market. More importantly, aluminum "future proofs" the truck —
and the company — in an era of rising fuel economy standards, says Karl Brauer, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book. "If Ford masters the art of delivering an aluminum vehicle at the level the F-150 sells, they are going to be able to expand that to Mustangs, Edges and Lincolns," Brauer says. Truck buyers are among the most loyal in the auto market, and Ford can count on many of them. The company says more than 224,600 potential buyers have already asked for more details about the truck. But even some Ford loyalists have their doubts. Ginny Pruet, who runs a wedding rental business in Rockwall, Texas, recently traded her 2012 F-150 for the 2014 version because she wanted a backup camera. Pruet, 54, has checked out the 2015 version at auto shows. She is impressed by the new truck’s bells and whistles, like the movable LED spotlights on the side mirrors. But she’s concerned that aluminum is untested and not worth the extra cost. Ford has raised the price of the base model by $395 to $26,615, including destination fees. A fancier King Ranch version costs $3,615 more. Ford’s promise of better fuel economy also failed to sway Pruet, who is paying less than $3 a gallon for gasoline in her area. Fuel economy numbers won’t be released until later this month, but Ford has said the 2015 truck
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4 will have up to 20 percent better fuel economy than the outgoing model, which gets up to 23 mpg on the highway. Ford has the disadvantage of introducing the truck as gas prices are hitting a four-year low. But Fields says even when gas prices were $1.25, truck buyers still asked for better fuel economy. “These vehicles are not just vehicles to our customers. They’re tools to help them do their job,” Fields says. “This thing has to deliver.” John Krafcik, the president of the car buying site TrueCar.com, says pickup drivers will be drawn by the truck’s capability. The F-150 sits on a high-strength steel frame that’s carrying less weight from the truck, so it can carry more cargo and haul heavier trailers. The new F-150 can tow up to 12,200 pounds compared with 12,000 for the Silverado and 10,500 for the Ram. Ford is spending more than $1 billion to retrofit its plants in Dearborn and Claycomo,
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Missouri, where the trucks are assembled, as well as the metal stamping plants that make the parts, says Bruce Hettle, Ford’s vice president of manufacturing, who spent three years planning the changeover. Sparks used to fly from the noisy robots welding steel in the Dearborn body shop. Now, 500 new robots quietly rivet aluminum parts together. At Ford’s Buffalo, New York, stamping plant, new machines collect and sort aluminum for recycling, which couldn’t be done with steel. Ford also helped dealers with the $30,000 to $50,000 cost to retrofit their repair shops, says spokeswoman Elizabeth Weigandt. Around 700 of the company’s 1,500 dealers who do collision repairs have gone through company training on aluminum, along with 700 independent repair shops. Weigandt says Ford took steps to minimize repair costs. Because of the way the aluminum is sectioned, for example, the roof doesn’t have to be removed to repair to the
B-pillar, which sits just behind the front doors. Russell Barnett updated the repair shop at his Ford dealership in Winchester, Tennessee. Barnett figures that in three to four years other brands will be adopting the same technology, so the investment will pay for itself. Jason Cannon doesn’t haul much more than an occasional Christmas tree in his 2006 F-150. But Cannon, 34, a writer who lives in Demopolis, Alabama, says he wouldn’t drive anything else. Cannon’s only wish is that he got better fuel economy than the 15 to 16 mpg he averages around town. That’s why he’s eyeing the 2015 F-150 with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, a V6 that could give him similar horsepower to his current V8. Cannon says he wouldn’t hesitate to buy aluminum. “This is an F-150. The technology is proven,” he says. “This is the same song, just a different verse.”
IN DE MA CE AN FR
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Tel: 01926 459301 Email: uk@gys.fr Web: www.gys-welding.com
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
SOME THINGS ARE JUST RIGHT.
Roast beef, Port from the fridge door (not tried it? Go on, it’s amazing), chips in newspaper, and “The Italian job” on Boxing Day. You smile to yourself and think “yeah, that’s how it should be”. That’s the feeling I got recently, being introduced to the new Mustang.
It’s big, shaped like you always used to want cars to look when you grew up, and has a wing emblem that says “5.0”. What, no 3-cylinder EcoBoost? Of course not; successful though that engine is proving to be. And the nice chap from Ford USA started the engine just in case I wasn’t sure that the 5.0 emblem was right. I wish I could play you that sound; the sort of noise and the car you’d associate with Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck and, of course, Steve McQueen who at least look like they’d still strip a carburettor on the kitchen table. If you were making an action
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movie I’m sure it’d be your first choice as a believable getaway car for the bank heist scene. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of seeing it, I hope you do soon, a great looking car and a worthy successor to that 50 year history of Mustang models. A future classic!? What makes a classic car? Acceleration? Brake Horse Power? Lots of bright chrome? Being associated with Roger Moore in a successful 1970’s TV series? I’d argue that there are two things that make a classic, the first of those being that
it brings out the ‘petrol head’ in otherwise normal rational people. It’s the roast beef of the car world. You must want to be seen in it, with it, and want to tell your mates you have one. You won’t mind being seen cleaning it on the driveway on a Sunday morning. And of course you must want to drive it, and enjoy driving it, so much so that you take an hour long round trip to the supermarket when you’re just “nipping out to get some milk”. Many, possibly most, cars lack that connection. I remember one model at the Geneva Motor
Show last year that whilst technically fine did not appear to be enticing anyone to sit in it. Even the brand staff on the stand appeared to ignore it. (I won’t name it, but don’t worry, it wasn’t a Ford). To be a classic a car needs to make us weigh up the purchasing costs and running costs, depreciation, the load space etc, compare that with the rival models, and then make us take an emotional decision to ignore all that and to buy it just because we want one. Plus of course, to be a classic, it
has to last! That naturally must include the fact that it must be repairable as there are few vehicles that last long enough to be a classic that won’t have suffered some damage, even if it’s just the annoying shopping trolley scrape in a supermarket car park. That’s kind of where I lose the will to agree with motoring journalists who use the ‘future classic’ tag for many a new car. Because I know in many cases they’re just not going to last. When it has damage at a few years old that requires
ANDREW HOOKER FUTURE VEHICLE ENGINEER THATCHAM
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4 a section of a chassis leg, and that 8 inch section is only supplied as part of a complete pair of chassis legs together with cross-members at several hundred pounds and will only be available after a few weeks anyway, we know that car has reached the end of its life. Or an excessive level of intrusion into the structure is required to replace a panel with adjoining panels needing removal and replacement just to access the joints. Maybe even a new welding technique such as multi-tip spot welding, or Adaptive Close Pitch welding, or single sided welding that a bodyshop cannot easily nor safely reproduce. I know perhaps better than most how tough it is to engineer a modern car for a global market, to meet or exceed the various regional emissions and crash performance requirements, and of course for the car to be dynamically more attractive than the competition. That’s the bit we all see, but we cannot ignore the requirement to produce a car that can be consistently built to a defined quality standard, in volume
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and economically enough for the manufacturer to remain competitive. Repairability often takes a back seat as it’s not driven as hard as emissions and safety statutes. But I’d argue that this shouldn’t be the case and that there could be a competitive advantage for the vehicle manufacturer in maintaining a greater level of repairability. Let me explain. I’m sure most of us can recall many occasions when customers have queried the repair assessment cost or predicted key to key time with “but it was only a little knock”, “I was barely moving when I hit the other car”, or “can’t you just bang it out?”. For us in this industry it’s often difficult to remember that for many consumers a car is just transport, and the customer typically only becomes part of the repair process every few years or so. So when they see a complex assessment it can be bewildering and hard for us to justify the cost. Quite often they lose faith in the car too. Certainly if the car is written off as a total loss there’s no guarantee the customer will buy another model from that brand.
Naturally the insurance companies are aware of repair costs, and the frequency and models of cars that are Beyond Economical Repair, as are the fleet companies. I’d be surprised if any did not have a statistical database of repair and total loss costs for UK models. Perhaps of most importance, for you as a repairer is that the ability to repair that vehicle efficiently gives you a good chance of a satisfied customer who may return for mechanical service work, or to buy another Ford as they were so impressed by the car and the repair service. Oh, and the labour and panel sales are good news whereas a total loss is not. Here at Thatcham we work with many car manufacturers to assist with repairability. Quite often it’s just a matter of changing a panel to move a join a couple of inches, or to change a supplied service condition of a panel. Our engineers often work with production engineers at the pre-production stages to assist with ways to ensure cost effective repairs can be carried out to maintain the good reputation of that
brand. Even at a later stage we refer suggestions back to the manufacturer for their guidance for future models as much as for their approval (which we invariably receive). But I’d love to see more manufacturers having strategies for repair as well developed as they do for so many other aspects of production. A strategy to perhaps ensure that the sill reinforcement can always be removed without removing the A and B post reinforcements would extend the life of many cars, as would engineering in a repair process for roof panels joined by laser
to avoid the gutter that all car designer’s hate. It’d be great to see innovative ideas for repairability being introduced across an entire model range, perhaps integrating feedback from their own repairer network. I’m sure this would benefit the brand, the dealer and repair network, and the private and business customers for that brand, possibly giving that brand a competitive advantage. At Thatcham we’re always willing to lend our expertise and experience. So come on Ford, lead the way. Ford is one of the best we see at engineering in repairability and
could set the example for other manufacturers. Keep a focus on the level of repairability and see if that further endears the big Blue Oval to your customers. “My Ford xxxx has been a superb car, can you please sell me another?” The new Mustang deserves to have a long life that so many of the earlier versions have enjoyed. I’d love to be able to spend a large chunk of my retirement fund on a well maintained classic from 2015 “when they knew how to build a damn fine car”. Though I’ll probably get thrown out of my retirement home for gunning that fantastic 5.0 engine!
Why not have your own insight? We can reduce the size and create a more consumer led solution with news and special offers that are unique to you. We can even add your company name, making a simple personalised digital magazine that can be emailed to your customers. If you’re a Ford Approved Repair Centre or Dealership then get in touch for more details and see how easy it is to ‘go digital’.
m: 07917 667510 | hello@purevc.co.uk | www.purevc.co.uk
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
FORD SHELBY GT350 MUSTANG BROUGHT BACK WITH MORE THAN 500 HP The original Shelby GT350s from 1965 were Ford Mustangs tuned by thennewcomer Carroll Shelby from everyday pony cars into track-ready rides, ones that proved their capabilities by beating Corvettes and Ferraris on circuits across America. Today, after a 43-year hiatus, Ford resurrected the name with the 2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang — and by its reckoning, the mission hasn’t changed much. Based on the new Mustang chassis, Ford says the GT350 will boast not just ample power — more than 500 hp — but better handling than any Mustang the company has produced in the past 50 years, with technology far beyond what Shelby could have envisioned in 1965. The biggest news lies in the engine bay, where the GT350 brings the term “flat-plane crankshaft”
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into the limelight for the first time in decades. If you imagine a see-through version of a typical V-8 engine, the pistons move in a stair-step fashion — alternating power strokes in a way that maximizes the engine’s smoothness. It’s the reason a Corvette, Mustang or Challenger sounds the way it does; the traditional V-8 burble comes from exhaust pulses created by so-called cross-plane crankshafts.
Cross-plane crankshafts have been the standard for V-8s since the 1920s. If that see-through V-8 had a flat-plane crankshaft, a pair of pistons would always raise and lower in concert, like two four-cylinder engine banks bolted together. It’s called a flat plane because the connecting rods of the pistons lie 180 degrees from each other, rather than being offset 90 degrees as in a cross-plane. The first V-8s were built with flat-plane cranks, but fell out of favor because the firing order creates harsh vibrations that have to be dulled with special weights or more expensive engine parts. Yet a flat-plane V-8 can rev higher and produce more power pound-for-pound, which is why it’s usually chosen for racing machines and modern supercars; every Ferrari V-8 is a flat-plane design.
Ford says the new 5.2-liter V-8 unveiled in the GT350 will be the most powerful naturally aspirated production engine its ever built, with an unspecified power of more than 500 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, all of which routes through a sixspeed manual and limited-slip differential. And it’s not just the engine. For the first time, a Mustang will leave the factory with magnetic shocks, which allow for millisecond-level adjustments. The bodywork from the windshield forward is unique to the GT350, as are the 15.5inch brake rotors with six-piston Brembos on the lightweight 19-inch front wheels. Inside, the GT350 has five driver modes for street-to-track work, and Ford even ripped out brightwork trim to lower glare.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF FORD: DAVID WOODHOUSE Henry Ford was a forward thinker. "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have asked for faster horses," Ford often said of his initiative to develop the automobile. This line speaks volumes to the importance of innovation and the outside-the-box thinking that was needed to kick-start the automobile industry. The same ambitious outlook is even more important today as Ford engineers and designers are charged with building excitement and momentum for each new generation of Ford products.
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The ability to predict future needs of customers before they are aware of those needs existing is exactly what Ford design teams excel at and why Ford’s current global design leadership team has been so carefully selected. While the global design team works closely together throughout the world to ensure every product is unmistakably
Ford, regardless of the studio it is designed in, the leadership team physically meets in one place only a handful of times during the year to discuss the future of design.
Sherrice Gilsbach @FORD ONLINE
D8199 DELTRON® VIVID RED PPG are pleased to announce it has launched D8199 DELTRON® Vivid Red Special Concentrate to enable Ford Accident Repair Centres to produce an accurate match to the newly introduced Ford ‘Ruby Red’ Special Metallic Body Colour. This new concentrate from PPG has been manufactured using the latest developments in colour technology and contains a special pigment that gives the best possible refinish match to the very clean candy apple red colour from Ford. The Ruby Red colour which has recently launched on the new Ford Mondeo was jointly developed by PPG Industries Automotive Business and Ford Motor Company. Through maximising synergies and utilising expertise from it’s OEM business the PPG Automotive Refinish business is pleased to
have launched D8199 Deltron Vivid Red Special Concentrate which gives bodyshops an accurate match to the OEM standard Ruby Red (RR). The new Ruby Red Special Metallic Body Colour now appears in the latest Ford UK television advertisements; and PPG Refinish expect bodyshops to see repairs for this colour during 2015. The Vivid Red Special Concentrate from PPG is suitable for use over both our ENVIROBASE® High Performance and Deltron basecoat ranges.
This is another example of how PPG maximises the synergies of its Automotive and Refinish businesses to ensure PPG bodyshops customers are able to match any car that enters their bodyshop. For more information about the new D8199 DELTRON® Vivid Red – Special Midcoat Concentrate please contact your local PPG Representative. To obtain the colour formula for Ruby Red (RR) please refer to PPG Online Color or the January PAINTMANAGER® software internet update.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
FORD PLANS TO BUILD THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL TEST FACILITY IN GERMANY Germany will soon be home to some of the hottest and coldest temperatures, most arid and humid conditions, hurricane force wind speeds, and highest altitudes to be found anywhere on the planet courtesy of a new climatic wind tunnel test centre being built by Ford at its engineering centre in Merkenich, Cologne. The all-new, multi-million US$ facility – which is planned to be the most advanced wind tunnel test centre in the global auto industry when it is opened in the next few years – will feature two climatic wind tunnels capable of operating at wind speeds of up to 250 kph – almost at the Category 5 rating for hurricane wind speeds. The test centre also will house an altitude laboratory capable of emulating heights from sea level to 5,200 metres high – higher than the average height of the Tibetan Plateau, often described as “The Roof of the World.” “Around 50 percent of the vehicles we sell around the
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world are sold in areas that are more than 1,000 metres above sea level, including regions like the Alps and Pyrenees here in Europe,” said Barb Samardzich, Chief Operating Officer, Ford of Europe, at today’s groundbreaking ceremony. “This new, world-leading climatic wind tunnel test centre underlines Ford’s continuing commitment to investing in the most advanced vehicle testing technologies to provide our customers with the highest quality, world-class vehicles.” The climatic wind tunnel test centre also will feature four separate cells where cars can be cooled to temperatures of minus
40 Celsius Arctic conditions, to plus 55 Celsius, just 2.8 Celsius below the highest-ever air temperature globally recorded in the Sahara Desert. In addition, humidity in the centre will be capable of being adjusted from the driest desert conditions of just 10 percent humidity, to the most humid of rainforests at 95 percent. The new test centre – which will measure 5,500 square metres in size, equivalent to a football field – also underlines the continuing importance of Ford’s engineering centre in Merkenich, Cologne which has the global lead for the design and the development of all Ford global
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insight is fast becoming the essential resource for the repairer industry across the globe. Digital only, it keeps readers connected to the best, is the only magazine relevant to the suppliers and repairers of FORD and as it’s digital, we have reduced overheads meaning we can pass on that saving to our advertisers. If you have a press release, an advertisement or news story, please email dreece6@ford.com for more details.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
NEW S-MAX VOTED “BEST PEOPLE MOVER” New Ford S-MAX has picked up a prestigious award - even though it’s yet to go on sale. The new model won the “Best People Mover” category at this year’s Auto Trophy award, capturing 18.9 percent of all votes cast. For this 27th edition of the Auto Trophy, readers of German motoring magazine Autozeitung, and its international sister publications were asked to choose their favourite cars from a total of 205 models in 12 categories. It was the first time, the poll was conducted internationally, with readers from Europe, the US, South Africa and Australia participating. The award for S-MAX was handed over to Wolfgang Kopplin, Managing Director,
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Marketing and Sales, Ford of Germany, at a ceremony in Hamburg on Tuesday. The all-new Ford S-MAX reimagines Ford’s unique sports activity vehicle with cuttingedge design, technology and driving dynamics. Seating up to seven adults in a calming “dynamic sanctuary” interior and offering enhanced versatility, the all-new S-MAX retains an instantly recognisable silhouette while incorporating Ford’s latest global design language.
Advanced technology includes Multi-Contour Seats with Active Motion massage function, the first use of Ford Glare-Free Highbeam lighting, and PreCollision Assist for avoiding accidents at motorway speeds. The latest Ford EcoBoost and TDCi engines deliver optimised fuel efficiency, alongside a chassis tuned for a class-leading driving experience with Ford Adaptive Steering and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive.
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
STANDOX WINS PAINT BRAND OF THE YEAR AWARD Standox, the global refinish paint brand from Wuppertal, Germany, has been voted Paint Brand of the Year at the inaugural Irish Auto Trade Awards, held in Dublin, Ireland on 9 November 2014. The awards ceremony was the conclusion to the two-day Auto Trade Expo held at Dublin’s Citywest Hotel and Exhibition Centre. The first of its kind to be held in Ireland, this trade-only Expo was host to nearly 130 exhibitors from all sectors of the Irish automotive aftermarket, and welcomed over 3,300 visitors through its doors. Automotive Publications organised the event, and the
award winners were voted for by readers of its key publication, Auto Trade Journal. Anthony Cashel, Marketing Manager for Axalta Coating Systems in the UK and Ireland, says, “This is a great win for Standox. We were up against the major paint brands. To have been voted number one by the readers of Auto Trade Journal – the end-users of our products is a wonderful testament to the
reliable quality of the products and the service Standox offers.” David Dempsey, Vehicle Refinish Sales Manager for Crown Paints in Ireland, accepted the award on behalf of Standox. Crown Paints, based in Dublin, is the sole authorised importer for Standox in Ireland.
From left to right: Model, Jessica McCarthy; David Dempsey, Vehicle Refinish Sales Manager, Crown Paints Ireland; Padraic Deane, Managing Director, Auto Trade Journal; Sean Gallagher, Master of Ceremonies.
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Stanners i4 This 3.7kW Induction heater is a fully portable induction heater, ideal for mobile maintenance vehicles, and factory maintenance and mechanical car workshops. Due to its light-weight design, it can be carried to and from jobs. It has simple to use controls with 5 power settings. The i4 is water cooled to give excellent duty-cycle. Key Attributes? •Works on a 240 Volt mains supply •Can be run from a portable generator for off-site work •Works on all steels & Aluminium •Non-contact heat source, penetrates heat only where heat is required & therefore does not damage any surrounding parts i.e. plastics or rubbers Stanners 3T Expert • Latest 200AMP Synergic unit • 10 Voltage Settings • Automatic Wire Speed Regulation to fine tune the welding process • Holds 2 gas bottles to the back of the unit (Pure Argon for Brass & Aluminium, and Argo shield for Steel Mig) therefore there is no requirement to swap gas bottles. • No need to swap torches or liners • An Aluminium Spool Gun allows the thinnest of materials to be welded e.g. Splits on wings • Steel, Brass & Aluminium This one machine has 3 welding processes – you simply have to pick up the torch and weld!
Multispot MI-100 Control T • Regulation of welding parameters (compensation for glue, EPD & contaminants) • Full Automatic mode • Full Traceability via Flash Card • Intelligent process control for spot welds from start to finish • 5m Welding cable for increased reach • Lightest Transformer Guns with a choice of C or X pliers Technical Information • 14’000 AMPs • 600 Dan Tip Pressure @ 8 bar • Water Cooled
MTX 4900 Pliers
MTC 6000 Pliers
Stanners Equipment Ltd, Coopies Lane Industrial Estate, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 6JN T: 01670 514133 F: 01670 515492 E: stanners@stanners-equipment.co.uk W: www.stanners-equipment.co.uk
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
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MONDEO WINS UK ‘GREEN’ AWARD The Ford Mondeo 2.0 Hybrid has won an award for being the ‘greenest’ large family car in the UK. The new Ford model triumphed in the Next Green Car Awards 2014, organised by the Next Green Car website. Announcing the award, Next Green Car commented: "Well done to Ford for bringing its hybrid know-how to the UK market. Helped by its EcoBoost engine, the Mondeo Hybrid delivers emissions just under the 100g CO2/km threshold." Next Green Car made awards across eleven vehicle categories including Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) and Light Commercial Vans (LCV). The eleven winners were selected from shortlists of thirty-six of the UK's greenest new cars of 2014, all selected for their environmental performance, level of innovation, value, drive experience and design. Dr. Ben Lane, managing editor of Next Green Car said: "The
2014 winners reflect three key green car developments: the electrification of the drive-train (including fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids), the continuing improvements in fuel efficiency (for all fuels), and the realisation that petrols may have the environmental edge over diesels for urban use. "While all the winners and commended entries are highly innovative in the power-train technologies they employ, they also share the objective of wanting to improve the driver experience. In the coming years, ergonomics is set to become as important as engineering in the drive to design green and efficient vehicles." There was a second awards success for Ford, with the Transit Courier Kombi being ‘Recommended’ in the LCV category, with CO2 emissions of just 103 g/km.
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INNOVATION IN CONNECTIVITY, MOBILITY AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES Ford today opens the Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto, growing its global research team and accelerating the company’s innovation in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience and big data. “At Ford, we view ourselves as both a mobility and an auto company, as we drive innovation in every part of our business,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company president and CEO. “This new research center shows Ford’s commitment to be part of the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem – anticipating customers’ wants and needs, especially on connectivity, mobility and autonomous vehicles. We are working to make these new technologies accessible to everyone, not just luxury customers.” The all-new Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto joins Ford’s global network of research and innovation centers, including its location
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in Dearborn, Michigan, which focuses on advanced electronics, human-machine interface, materials science, big data and analytics; and Aachen, Germany, which focuses on next-generation powertrain research, driver-assist technologies and active safety systems. With the new facility, Ford expects to have one of the largest automotive manufacturer research centers in Silicon Valley by the end of the year, with 125 researchers, engineers and scientists. Located in Stanford Research Park, the facility also expands Ford’s physical footprint – with further expansion planned in the near future. Ford opened its first
Silicon Valley office in 2012. Leading the new research center is Dragos Maciuca, an engineer who joins Ford from Apple with a background in consumer electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace and automotive. As senior technical leader for innovation, Maciuca brings extensive Silicon Valley experience advising startups, developing and commercializing products, collaborating with universities and leading crossfunctional teams. Maciuca holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from its Haas School of Business.
Quality from start to finish
Dependable Products you can rely on Our products are built to last. We are driven by quality every step of the way. This is matched by our skilled and knowledgeable team who are there to support you whenever and wherever it’s needed, and that commitment extends right across the full spectrum of Mirka’s operations. This is the Mirka way.
Discover: www.mirka.co.uk
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
GLASURIT 90 LINE PIONEERING WATERBORNE TECHNOLOGY. Glasurit pioneered the development of advanced technology waterborne basecoats with the launch of 90 Line more then a decade ago. In that time the system has undergone continuous development establishing itself as the industry standard waterborne basecoat system among professional bodyshops throughout the UK. The key to 90 Line’s success is its extraordinary hiding power, which results in material consumption savings of between 20% and 40% over older technology waterborne basecoat systems. Whether you are applying solid, metallic or special-effect colours, the incredible covering power of 90 Line also results faster process times and flash-off times and resulting in reduced booth times help reduce energy consumption increase its contribution to environmental conservation. But 90 Line doesn’t just perform on the car’s exterior, open the
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bonnet or boot of any modern car and in the majority of cases you’ll find that beyond the sound proofing and sundry trim, the interior panels and engine bay are painted in body colour and usually in a satin or semi-matt finish and 90 Line Interior is the perfect solution. Returning the vehicle to its pre-accident condition means restoring the interior panels to factory spec, which has, in the past meant sanding, priming, basecoating and applying a clearcoat with a matting agent, in order to maintain the durability of the original finish, involving considerable time, particularly when drying the
interior finishes, so the exterior panels can then be masked and painted. The key feature with Glasurit 90 Line Interior is that it maintains the standard refinishing system and completely eliminates the need for clear coating. Using the Glasurit interior process provides the durability and thermal resistance required in engine bays and luggage areas, yet is fast drying at room temperature (20°C), and is tape resistant in 10 to 15 minutes, so the whole process is fast and simple, while the result is identical to the factory finish and eminently durable.
Supplying the Automotive Refinish Market for 60 years Movac are one of the largest independent Automotive Refinish Distributors in the UK, supplying innovative, high technology coatings and equipment. As the Automotive Market evolves, Movac continuosly adapts to meet your business needs and provide you with unbeatable performance, longevity and value.
We have 8 branches based in: Cambridge | Coventry | Ipswich Norwich | Nottingham | Peterborough | Reading | Romford
Head Office: Movac Group Ltd, 11 Portman Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2BP T: 0844 561 0070 | E: info@movac.com | W: www.movac.com
2 month FOC trial to all FARC repairers
The Ultimate Production Managers Tool. With highly visible ‘Front of House’ business pre-loading and simple ‘Drag ‘n’ Drop’ planning, this easy to use cloud based product can dramatically increase throughput and reduce key to key times when following our ‘plan the work, work the plan’ guidelines. Stand alone or used in conjunction with other industry software, ScheduleBoss will complement any existing process or system without double keying or the handwriting of ‘T’ cards. ScheduleBoss is proud to be the Bodyshop planning system of choice to Pertwee and Back, multi-award winning Bodyshop at the Ford Impact Event 2014.
Don’t just take our word for it, see what has already been said about ScheduleBoss; For me, it is a very simple production managers tool that is easy to use and understand. It also gives a full visual view to the advisor for pre-loading the business at the front end’.
Dave Reece Ford Collision Project Manager ‘Since installing ScheduleBoss, month on month for the last 4 months our notification to complete and on site to off site times have steadily fallen. Whilst this cannot be entirely attributed to ScheduleBoss, there is absolutely no doubt that ScheduleBoss is having a positive effect on our business’.
Chris Browne Bodyshop Manager, Pertwee & Back ARC Gorleston.
Scheduleboss can be installed and running in your business for less than a pint of Guinness per week so the only sensible question left to ask yourself is: 'WHY NOT ?' For more details please call Colin Townsend on 07920 281 028
www.scheduleboss.co.uk design:Pure
FORD TOPS POPULAR VOTE New figures from Motorpoint showFord was the most popular car manufacturer of 2014 New figures from Motorpoint, which sold 40,000 cars last year, show the perennial appeal of Ford, accounting for three out of the top five best-selling low mileage new and nearly new models over the last 12 months. The Ford Fiesta was the most popular model by far followed by the Ford Focus and the Vauxhall Corsa. The Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Astra rounded off the top five of cars bought by Motorpoint customers across the company’s eight sites – Birmingham, Burnley, Chingford,
Derby, Glasgow, Newport, Peterborough and Widnes. ‘Ford is definitely the manufacturer of choice with our customers,’ explained Mark Carpenter, managing director of Motorpoint, ‘followed by Vauxhall, Hyundai, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen. Ford leads the field when it comes to build quality, handling, performance and overall value for money and, based on predictions for 2015, we don’t see that changing in the immediate future based on its current model range.’
Ford is definitely the manufacturer of choice with our customers Mark Carpenter MANAGING DIRECTOR MOTORPOINT
mi.insight online news resource
Hear the latest from Ford and Industry experts - including new products and innovations. Coming in April on miford.co.uk
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
FORD OF BRITAIN BACKS NEW DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME Ford will be among the first UK employers to develop and offer a new Government-backed degree apprentice programme to A-level school leavers seeking an alternative to the traditional university route. Ford is continuing its longstanding commitment to providing apprenticeships through the development of this new degree programme, which provides theoretical and practical education in the digital and software field. Ford has introduced its own Higher Apprenticeship programmes over the last two years, designed to encourage a new generation of engineers and professionals into the automotive industry, providing a full degree-level qualification with high-quality training in a range of engineering skills. Ford introduced its own Higher Apprenticeship in IT in September 2014.
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This programme provides a path towards a Batchelor of Science (BSc Hons.) degree in IT Management for Business (ITMB), and is delivered with the University of Greenwich. The new programme will be developed by Ford, along with other leading technology employers and top universities. The Government will subsidise some tuition costs and fees, while employers taking part in the scheme will provide undergraduates with an opportunity to ‘earn and learn’ through a paid apprentice role with practical training. These new IT degree apprenticeships will be available at a number of universities
across the UK, including Loughborough, one of the original universities selected by Ford to participate in the Blue Oval Scholarship programme.* In recognition of its commitment to apprenticeship programmes, Ford has been listed among the City & Guilds Top 100 Apprentice Employers for 2014 – the fourth successive year that Ford has made the list. This follows earlier success in 2014, having been named as the South East regional winners of the Macro Employer of the year in the 2014 National Apprenticeship Awards. Tessa Hougham, Ford Apprenticeship Manager, said: “Ford’s Advanced and Higher apprenticeship programmes
*The Ford Blue Oval Scholarship programme was established in 2011, Ford of Britain’s Centenary year, awarding 100 student scholarships to undergraduates at top universities across the UK, encouraging a new generation of engineers, scientists and innovators. The Blue Oval Scholarship programme has subsequently continued supporting a number of new undergraduates each year since then.
INSPIRIUK designs and delivers solutions that maximise the true marketing and functional potential of our customers 'brands'.
@inspiriuk
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design:pure
have produced some of the UK’s best engineers and innovators, and we’re proud to be among the first to support these new Government-backed apprenticeships in the digital sector.”
INSPIRIUK was established on the vision of providing the automotive and transportation sector globally with innovative business solutions.
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
SKILLS ASSESSMENT WINNER In 2013 Northern Accident Repair Centre (NARC), and its partner, Ford dealership OMC Ford, approached Standox to help them get an accurate overview of their refinishers’ skills. The result was a skills assessment competition. The competition started in November 2013 with NARC, a member of the Standox international independent bodyshop network Repanet, carrying out an assessment of 20 refinishers from its four sites and from OMC Ford’s two sites. A Standox technical specialist carried out this assessment and monitored each entrant closely throughout a full working day. Every aspect of their work was judged, from a new panel being fitted, to the final polish. The Standox assessor then prepared an in-depth analysis for NARC and OMC Ford outlining the specific training gaps that had been identified. In June 2014, the four semifinalists - Mike Higgins, Mick Holland, Tony Shannon and Matt Taylor - were invited to the new Standox Training Academy in Welwyn Garden City for the second part of the competition. Anthony Cashel, Marketing Manager for Axalta Coating
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Systems in the UK and Ireland, says, “It was a very full day. With the complete range of Standox colour tools at their disposal, the contestants were asked to assess a white three-stage pearl and find the right shade to repair it using the correct process. They then completed a standard product build-up on a new OEM e-coated part. The new part had to be refinished and successfully blended in. They all chose to use Standox Etching Adhesion Primer, followed by Standohyd VOC Nonstop Primer in white and finally Standohyd VOC 2K Clearcoat. It was a very hot day, so they needed to choose the right products to slow down the hardening process, which could have been affected by the heat. They all did exceedingly well and the scores were very close.” The final part of the competition took the form of a 15-part questionnaire. Once all the results were tallied, the winner was announced. Matt Taylor, 41, has been working at the
Oldham branch of OMC Ford for 12 years. Taylor says, “It was a bit unsettling having someone watching you so closely while you work. I really didn’t think I was going to win – I was very surprised.” In August, a prize giving ceremony took place at his bodyshop, where Taylor was awarded £500 prize money and a Standox goodie bag. Andy Beswick, Managing Director of NARC, says, “After the competition was over, we really had a look at the skills gaps the initial assessment flagged up.” Cashel explains, “Thanks to the in-depth analysis, a twelvemonth training plan is being implemented in the NARC and OMC sites. As well as regular visits by Standox technicians, who will run refresher courses, NARC and OMC have also signed up to the new Standox eLearning software, MiKey to Learning. It is an online training software that has been specifically designed
for refinishers, which can be carried out in the bodyshop. It covers every aspect of their work, from identifying, rectifying and removing defects, to health and safety in the workplace. Once each of the MiKey modules has been completed successfully, refinishers are invited to the Standox Training Academy for a practical exam. If they pass this, they become a Certified Standox Master Painter.” Beswick concludes, “We would like to thank Standox for coordinating the competition. We received excellent support throughout the assessment both onsite and at the Training Academy. We will certainly be looking to carry out a similar exercise again in the future.”
PROJECT OPUS SPRING 2015
For access to the MiKey to Learning software visit www.standoshop.co.uk or contact the local Standox sales representative.
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SYMACH, NEW
FORMULA FOR BODY SHOP Symach is at the forefront of fast drying equipment, totally unique in its kind and a supplier to the new automotive body shops, delivering the new formula FixLine which includes the very latest in new technology and repair processes. These provide significant savings in labour time and huge reductions in Key to Key times. Symach has developed a new innovative product which is creating massive interest all around the globe, its name is FixStation. This is again a unique product for dealer groups, independent franchises, and body shops all around the world. Undoubtedly the fastest smart repair concept ever invented. The Fixstation design is a single bay cabin where all the activity takes place so one technician can: disassemble, repair panels, apply and sand body filler and primer, spray waterborne and clear, reassemble and polish. It is a unique product that includes: • Spray booth complete and specific. • Paint mixing room incorporated. • Drying robot Flydry (it dries one door length in less than 2 minutes every paint product). • BoxMultiservice; vacuum sanding machine, retractable air compressed and electricity and spotter. The FixStation makes it possible for a technician to repair no less than 4 - 6 repairs of one or two panels per day, without moving the car, or even more panels per repair with a daily production proportionally lower.
The FixStation perfectly meets the needs of the fast repair market for small and medium size damage which is 27% of the vehicles on the road. In fact, this makes it possible to program the activity of booking and loading the repair in the exact time of day, so that the customer within two hours can drop off and then collect their vehicle with the repair completed. This new product offers the possibility and the opportunity to a car dealer or repairer to install in their workshop, without taking up much space. The FixStation creates new services to be offered to the customer, promoting the offering on a same day repair whilst the car is in the workshop for vehicle maintenance. Optimizing all the benefits to create full customer satisfaction. Building a real business plan, using FixStation and the Symach process, the cost of repairing damage would cost between £50 - £60 all inclusive: labour, consumables and paint products, energy consumption and the depreciation of the investment. It is easy to believe, that for this type of operation and service the customer would expect to pay much more to have the vehicle turned round so quickly and returned in perfect condition. We are offering the FixStation solution to car dealers at a very attractive price, including total assistance for installation, as well as training the technician by using the Symach repair process. Our consultants can answer to all your questions.
MSO References
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
AXALTA LAUNCHES A NEW APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME Axalta Coating Systems has created the Axalta Paint and Refinish Apprenticeship Programme for the UK refinish market. It is designed to attract new blood to the industry and get bodyshops interested in working with apprentices. Anthony Cashel, Marketing Manager for Axalta Coating Systems in the UK and Ireland, explains, “There are many key attributes that are important for a skilled refinisher. A good eye for colour, reliable, practical problem solving abilities, and the expertise to use highly technical equipment and products safely and precisely, to name but a few. But these skills don’t always come naturally, which is why training is so important. Developing,
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maintaining and improving refinishers’ skill levels helps bodyshops to provide vehicle owners with a high standard of repair work. “Axalta Coating Systems is committed to the refinish industry and its future. Training a new generation of refinishers is an important part of that commitment. While there are many skilled and competent refinishers currently working in bodyshops all over the country, we’ve seen very few
young people coming into the profession, and those who are, often haven’t been trained with the latest methods or may have little experience of new products. This is why we have created a programme that offers new and existing apprentices the chance to combine practical work at a bodyshop with quality training at a state-of-the-art facility.” The nationwide programme complies with the current apprenticeship standards set
by the UK government. It offers apprentices the opportunity to train with some of the very latest products, techniques and equipment in order to help develop skills and to learn industry essentials and best practice. “Bodyshops could benefit from the greater proficiency, increased competence and up-to-date knowledge that apprentices enrolled in the Axalta Paint and Refinish Apprenticeship Programme can offer,” continues Cashel. “Everything has been designed for apprentices to get the very best training experience, which should make them a real asset to any bodyshop. They can also gain skills and recognised qualifications which should stand them in good stead for their future career in the industry.” The three-year programme gives apprentices the opportunity to achieve Level 2 and 3 full framework qualifications. They are trained and assessed for these levels consecutively over 32 months. In the third year, they are also assessed for ATA at Senior Paint Technician Level. Over the three years, apprentices will spend a total of 54 days at the Axalta Training Academy in Welwyn Garden City,
Hertfordshire. The training takes place in blocks of five days: 20 days each in years one and two, and 14 days in year three. Axalta will instruct apprentices in the latest refinish techniques and technology, as well as best practice use of tools, equipment and paint materials. Throughout the course Apprentice Development Coaches will mentor, monitor and assess apprentices at their place of work, to guide and to evaluate them in their own work environment. This way, Axalta works to ensure the apprentices are obtaining the required level of learning needed to qualify to current government standards. Cashel concludes, “our apprenticeship programme is aimed at teaching paint technicians more than basic industry knowledge. It’s designed to develop new skills, techniques and technology expertise. The apprentices who successfully complete the training programme will have been taught how to work quickly and productively. They should then be able to fill any potential skills gaps in the workforce and to introduce new techniques and technologies which have been designed to increase productivity.
Apprentices for the 2014/15 programme are currently being recruited. Any bodyshop interested in taking on an apprentice should call Charlotte Coombes, Administration Assistant for Axalta Coating Systems in the UK, on 01707 518009, or email her at charlotte.coombes@axaltacs.com. A free information pack about the programme is available on request.
Everything has been designed for apprentices to get the very best training experience, which should make them a real asset to any bodyshop. Anthony Cashel MARKETING MANAGER AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS IN THE UK AND IRELAND
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
STANDOTHEK GUIDES NOW AVAILABLE FROM STANDOSHOP Standox, the global refinish paint brand from Wuppertal, Germany, knows that premium quality products require a good level of technical know-how to get the best results. This is why the brand created its Standothek guides - a series of technical information booklets offering invaluable knowledge and advice for refinishers at any stage of their careers. To make the guides more accessible to bodyshops they are now available to order free of charge from Standoshop. Anthony Cashel, Marketing Manager for Axalta Coating Systems in the UK and Ireland, says, “Standothek guides are designed to be an invaluable source of information for refinishers. They cover a whole host of topics from colour matching and identifying and eliminating paint defects, to health and safety in the workplace. They have always been very popular with bodyshops as they offer helpful tips and advice with clear instructions and illustrations. We are delighted that they can now be ordered from Standoshop.�
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The guides are in A4 brochure format and there are eight topics to choose from: >> The quick way to a superior colour match >> Prestige and classic cars >> Substrate preparation for brilliant results >> Winning customers; retaining customers >> How to refinish plastics >> Identifying and eliminating paint defects >> Helpful tips for health and safety >> Micro Repair To order any of the Standothek guides, visit www.standoshop.co.uk/marketing-tools/ literature/standothek.
By Bluegrasscoms
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
STANDOX CLEARCOAT ADDITIVE NOW IN AVAILABLE IN 100ML Matching special effect colours is a challenge for every refinisher. With these spectacular, eye-catching paint colours, gloss and depth deviations are particularly noticeable. And customers are likely to be especially critical when inspecting repairs to these vividly coloured finishes. In order to ensure that these trend colours are repaired perfectly, the industry often uses clearcoats that have been tinted with special additives. But however important the additives may be, they are rarely used in day-to-day bodyshop work, and when they are, it is generally only in small quantities. For this reason Standox is now offering bodyshops 100ml of seven clearcoat additives – KA670 Magenta, KA671 Red, KA672 Maron, KA673 Pale Red, KA674 Transparent Red, KA675 Blue and KA676 Glossy Red – instead of the usual 500ml. It’s a smart solution, as the smaller containers reduce material investment costs and are very easy to use. They simply need to be shaken by hand, briefly, before application. These smaller containers also cut down on leftover paint wastage which benefits the environment. For further information, please contact your local Standox technical advisor.
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AutoFlow Innovative IT Solutions for the Auto Repair Industry
for more information or to book yourself on a course please contact sales@autoflow.ltd.uk or call 01625 860 545
t: 01625 860 545 | e: sales@autoflow.ltd.uk
www.autoflow.ltd.uk design:purevc
AutoFlow’s agship Bodyshop management system 4:G entered the market in 2000. In 2015 we now have systems in place in over 650 bodyshops across the UK, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
New Group System Features Improved Database Performance New Workshop Control Features Real Time Web Updates New Customer Tracker Enhanced KPI Functionality Improved DMS Links Conngurable Dashboard Panels
FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
AKZONOBEL EXPANDS ITS MIXIT PRO COLOUR DATABASE Ensuring bodyshops keep pace with colour development in real time Impressive colour matching clearly gives bodyshops an important competitive advantage. However, successful colour management still remains an everyday challenge due to the constantly increasing number of variants. “This is partly caused by the growth in consumer demand for vehicle differentiation through colour and effects, and partly due to the number of colour variations used in the vast array of models and their different production locations,” explains George Sneddon, AkzoNobel Technical Manager for the UK market. As a result, advanced digital colour tools and access to the latest colour formulations are playing a vital role in ensuring bodyshops deliver an accurate colour match every time. Investment in new technology is enabling vehicle refinishers to out-perform their competitors
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by accessing the growing colour base both quickly and easily. This explains why AkzoNobel, one of the world leaders in the research and development of colour, has once more raised the level of support to its customers by enhancing its Sikkens Colour Manager software ‘Mixit Pro’ – ensuring that all of the latest colours are available to bodyshops in real time.
colour specialists to reflect the current market. This latest enhancement to the colour database is invaluable for bodyshops as it increases the hit rate in the colour process. As new colours and variants emerge, access is made easy through monthly updates to the colour palette via the internet, ensuring the process is fast, easy and accurate.”
Additional formulations for easy matching
Digital tools for spot-on colour
“Using the combined resources of our colour laboratories around the world, AkzoNobel has expanded the database of colours accessible by its Sikkens customers to include a further 700 new service and PDI (pre-delivery inspection) formulations,” George emphasises. “In addition, new service formulas have been developed by our
George continues, “While rapid access to formulas is essential, we must not forget that it needs to be supported with colour matching tools that help painters quickly identify the correct shade and variant. We were first in the market with digital colour measuring devices like our spectrophotometer, ‘Automatchic’, and have longterm experience and expertise in
driving forward the boundaries of digital colour technology. For example, to meet today’s colour matching needs we have also introduced two new digital tools: Colour on Display (CoD), which gives you a digital representation of standard and variant colours, and Colour Variant Descriptor (CVD), which increases the precision by assessing new variants according to lightness, saturation, colour direction and texture in both the face and the flop.” He concludes, “Colour confidence is fundamental, which is why we will continue to invest in digital colour identification and develop the very latest formulations to help strengthen our customers’ businesses, today and into the future.”
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
BS 10125 BSI attended the Ford Impact Conference at the Ricoh Stadium in October last year to provide an update on the publication of the new British Standard for Vehicle Damage Repair BS 10125 and the implications to the vehicle repair industry. Rob Hine, Commercial Engagement Manager for BSI said, “we were delighted to be invited to this event to explain the likely impact of this standard. BSI are committed to supporting BSI Kitemark certified repair centres and this was an excellent forum for us to speak to them directly.” BS 10125 is based on the foundations of its predecessor, known to the industry as PAS 125 (a publicly available specification) the change from a PAS to a BS or British Standard, is a natural progression that always happens if the standard is good enough and well received by those who use or specify its use. Rob added “Our aim was to reassure bodyshops about the transition period. We’re keen to keep things as simple and cost effective as possible so that we can migrate bodyshops from the PAS to the BS with the least disruption. In addition we wanted to explain how we intend to promote the BSI Kitemark to work providers and
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consumers and ensure that the BSI Kitemark offered real value.”
the repairers are starting to see value for themselves.
“By listening to our clients who have implemented the standard and achieved the BSI Kitemark we can better understand the challenges they face and offer support where it is most needed. Many of the comments we received at the event were focussing on benefits of the BSI Kitemark process.”
Improved processes, clearer requirements, qualified personnel and the correct handling of parts and materials have led to savings in time and money that have come as a welcome surprise. In addition the BSI Kitemark may give them access to more work as consumers and work providers know and trust the mark and are using it as a selection tool.
The standard which was developed for the industry, by the industry was designed to make sure that the vehicles are repaired to the level of safety performance they would have achieved before the incident that caused the damage. It achieves this through the monitoring of people, processes, materials and equipment with checks and measures to ensure compliance. The end result of the implementation of BS 10125 in a repair centre is that the vehicles repaired will be as safe as they originally were. However the natural knock on effect of this process driven approach is that
Rob concluded “BSI is committed to supporting this standard and the BSI Kitemark and we are planning to attend next year’s Ford impact conference to give an update on how the transition is going.”
For more information on the standard or BSI Kitemark please contact
Rob Hine COMMERCIAL ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, BSI robert.hine@bsigroup.com
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FORD INSIGHT | ISSUE 4
FIRST YEAR REPORT FOLLOWING THE UK LAUNCH IN 2014.
In January 2014, just 1 year ago, GYS launched their Car Body range in the UK through its UK subsidiary in Warwick. Prior to this point some of the range had been sold in the UK via importers and though many bodyshops will have seen and purchased GYS equipment in general GYS is much less well known in the UK than it is in the major European markets such as Germany and France. Building on its industrial welding product range and its automotive battery charging products GYS started manufacturing specific bodyshop equipment in 2001. After consistent investment in research and development and in manufacturing by, 2010 GYS had become the market leader in the bodyshop welding segment across Europe. Key products include Spot
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Welding, Dent Pulling, MIG Welding, Plasma Cutting, Riveting and Induction heating. As well as the factory and headquarters in France, GYS operates through European sales subsidiaries in Germany and the UK. In addition to support the global car manufacturers GYS also has sales operations in China and India.
Product development
Continued development and expansion of the GYS range has now resulted in a Car Body equipment catalogue of some 64 pages. Recent product developments include the innovative automatic
mode for spot welding. Available on 4 different spot welders, this truly automatic function requires no user input at all and takes into account metal type, thickness and the presence of bonding materials. Though historically GYS has concentrated on welding, with the growing relevance of riveting GYS have now launched the GYSPress 8T, a riveting system which as the name suggest operates at up to 8 Tonnes. It comes with a rotating C-Arm and quick arm change design. Also new from GYS in 2014 is the GYSDuction, a powerful heat induction system with a collection of accessories designed specifically for bodyshop applications. The
powerful 2400W generator opens up a wide range of possible uses.
GYS Training Academy France Speaking about the launch of GYS bodyshop range, Neil Pulsford, UK Commercial Director said ‘We have just completed our first year bringing the GYS Car Body Range to the UK market, despite the market presence of GYS in Europe few people in the industry in the UK are aware of the scale of GYS and the extent of the product range.
their existing trusted supplier that they deal with on a daily basis and to talk directly with the manufacturer. GYS has a team of field based Technical Sales Engineers which we are now looking to add to again this year. Introducing our product range and meeting distributors and bodyshops has been a very positive experience.
UK distributing our Industrial
GYS has been present in the
industry for many years to come’.
Welding range and our Automotive Battery charger products and now with the growth of the Car Body program at the time of speaking we are in the process of relocation to our new much larger UK Headquarters, in Rugby, from which we look forward to being of service to the UK Repair
By working with existing paint and parts distributors in the industry bodyshops have the benefit of working with often
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