QAP STRAIGHT TALK
Documented Weight Analysis Explained— A Deep Dive by Chuck Hardy NMEDA DIRECTOR OF QUALITY ASSURANCE & COMPLIANCE
I
n this article we are going to
traveling in the vehicle are vitally
post-modification weight analysis is
take a deep dive into the weight
important to knowing the vehicle you
required to be documented when the
analysis process. I will share with
are about to modify will be able to
lesser of 100 lbs (or 1.5% of GVWR)
you two newly created and released
be delivered. There is nothing worse
net weight has been added to the
documents for weight analysis. One
that bringing in an order, investing a
vehicle as a result of all modifications.
is a visual process flow, and the other
huge amount of time, material and
contains detailed process instruction
labor costs, only to find out that
steps for completing weight analysis.
the completed vehicle cannot be
I am writing this article is because
delivered. Not only will this upset
the NMEDA Guidelines has very little
the customer, but it can cost your
detail for this important process and
dealership a ton of money. Everyone
I hope to help answer questions our
from the sales person, to the general
dealers may have on what they should
or service manager, to the installation
be doing to have a consistent and
technician need to be knowledgeable
capable weight analysis process in
of their key roles in this process. In
their shop.
this instruction we will identify the responsibilities for a typical dealer
Reference: the Weight Analysis Process Flow sheet (QAP-F30) and the Weight Analysis Process Instruction Sheet (QAP-117) can both be found and downloaded from the NMEDA website document center (www.nmeda.com/documentcenter).
Overview and Purpose The following instruction steps (used along with the companion weight analysis process flow sheet QAP-F30) detail the general sequence of operations QAP dealers conduct when evaluating if a proposed vehicle and mobility equipment modifications are appropriate for the client’s needs. Understanding how the vehicle will be used and who will routinely be
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organization, but we recognize that every dealer may operate differently and that is fine, as long as someone has the assigned responsibility.
Instruction Steps The instructions are divided into two parts, the first Part A (steps 1-7)
Note that in these instruction steps, we are going to follow a straightforward process. What we mean is there can be many deviations and additional questions and decisions to be made by the client and the dealer throughout this process and these deviations can sprout out to many alternate instructions that would make this instruction sheet very complex and time consuming, so for the purposes of this aide, we are going to stick with a typical installation that will require a documented weight analysis to be completed.
Part A - Pre-sale Weight Analysis Activities (steps 1-7) 1. Assessing the client’s needs– Before we can get started in
describes the efforts QAP dealers
earnest with weight analysis, we
take on the front-end (sales) and the
need to understand what the
second Part B (steps 9-14) describes
client wants when they come in
efforts that are typically conducted in-
the store. For example, are they
process and post-modification by the
buying a vehicle from you or do
dealer’s general or service manager
they wish to have a vehicle they
and the technician. The NMEDA
already own to be modified? If you
Guidelines require both pre-sale and
are modifying the client’s vehicle,
post-modification weight analysis
is their vehicle already converted?
to be completed, however only the
What equipment does the client
