Aftermarket February 2023

FEBRUARY 2023 AFTERMARKET 33 the test. Then, upon completion of the test, the equipment automatically sends the test result back to the DVSA server. This process removes the potential for human error in the transfer of data and as an added bonus in many cases reduces the time to complete a test, making it a win-win.” Julian continued: “I mentioned earlier about the expected introduction of connected headlight aim tools. Apart from the obvious advantages offered by its connected status, it will also actually tell the tester if the headlight is a pass or fail, as opposed to the need for a judgment call required by the current MOT headlight aim equipment. As headlight design and headlight bulb technology moves forward, it does make the manual assessment of the light pattern generated more complex for the human eye to process. Another development being looked at that I have already mentioned is connected numberplate recognition cameras. These have already been trialled in a few sites during 2022, and those in the trial loved it. The connected version of the equipment made the registration of the vehicle for the MOT test much quicker and simpler. It did this by pulling all the required vehicle information such as colour, VIN etc. directly from the DVSA server. The MOT Tester just needed to confirm the information as being correct to start the MOT test. Why delay? join the technology revolution, join now, and enjoy the benefits straight away.” For a list of MOT equipment suppliers/maintainer’s and the DVSA approved MOT equipment lists including connected equipment, visit: www.gea.co.uk Investment According to IGA Head of Member Services Frank Harvey, it is vital that the MOT remains in its current form: “While the motorist often views the MOT as a necessary evil, for many independent Testing Stations it is a vital source of work. Meanwhile, for the legislators, it gives Great Britain one of the best road safety records in the world, and a means to be seen doing the right thing from an environmental point of view. So why, on so many occasions, do we keep hearing that the frequency of the MOT is ‘being reviewed’, especially when around 30% of vehicles fail their MOT on first presentation? As if that is not enough, we have also seen some of the horror stories of unsafe vehicles being presented for their MOT following the much-maligned MOT exemption from 2020. “Our industry is still very much feeling the effects of the previously mentioned COVID-19 MOT exemption, meaning that Q2 can be a very stressful time for Test Station businesses, but as with any threat this also presented many with an opportunity. With the right sort of marketing and customer engagement there are a host of opportunities to expand your customer base. With the DVSA continually seeking to reduce manual inputs for the MOT in an effort to reduce errors, many testing stations are already using connected equipment.” The application of tech is not just being applied for the sake of it either, as Frank observed: “The increasing connectivity of MOT equipment is not just good news for the DVSA; Correcting errors costs time and time is money, but as well as the cost, there is the effect on the customer. With the customer ‘experience’ being more important than ever, anything that smooths the customer journey has to be good for the business long term.” That is not the only factor though: “For all this to happen, you need to have suitably trained and qualified staff and therein lies a challenge. Not only are they thin on the ground, but the investment in training and upskilling is a long-term payback and may need some protection. More and more employers are putting training agreements in place to safeguard their investment, ensuring the employee into whom you have invested time and money doesn’t disappear off to the highest bidder once they have had their skills enhanced.” Frank added: “The yearly MOT Annual Assessment is now well established as a way of ensuring your testers are conversant with the MOT manual. However, when we spoke to Aftermarket in December, 50,000 testers still had not completed their Annual Training. Time is running out if they don’t want to be suspended from testing come 31 March.” Thinking ahead Also looking towards the importance of making sure this year’s MOT Annual Training has been completed was Colin Cottrell, Marketing Director at LKQ Euro Car Parts, who said: “When the pandemic hit in early 2020, the ensuing lockdown meant nearly three quarters of MOTs in the UK were deferred until the autumn of that year. This has turned the MOT demand curve on its head. With this year’s season now over, technicians could be forgiven for pushing MOTs to the back of their minds. But although the autumn wave is behind us, it’s time to think ahead to next year – and this means being on top of your MOT CPD. “The DVSA publishes an Annual Training course outline each year, based on the latest MOT test error rates, to determine the subject areas where it is clear testers need to pay more attention, and those that will make the biggest contribution to road safety. These form the basis of the Annual CPD Training. It is important technicians stay up to date, not just to look after their customers, but to ensure they can continue to trade. Technicians who have not completed a course since 1 April 2022 must do so by 31 March 2023, meaning that the deadline is rapidly approaching. Those who fail to do so will be unable to test in 2023.” Colin added: “While it is absolutely right that driver safety has to be the number one priority, recent figures show that garages that lose just one MOT Tester could be missing out on around £670 in revenue per day. In the current economic climate, it is more important than ever that technicians are taking advantage of every revenue stream available to them. Driver safety should always be a number one priority, and with a reported 700 MOT testers disqualified in the last year, it’s clear that technicians should be more thorough than ever when testing vehicles. At LKQ Euro Car Parts, we are committed to helping technicians maintain outstanding levels of service with the IMI-approved MOT training, offered through the LKQ Academy.” For more information, visit: https://omnipart.eurocarparts.com Upgrade Commenting on the impact on businesses being wrought by recent changes to the MOT, ISN Europe MOT Specialist Chris Pleass observed: “Many companies have bought MOT Stations without realising they’re going to need to upgrade Garages that lose just one MOT Tester could be missing out on around £670 in revenue per day ”