Technical 22 www.aftermarketonline.net NOVEMBER 2024 Greater reliance on more efficient, technology-driven solutions can ease the burden on MOT testing stations and managers, says MOT Juice Putting technology to the test Most MOT experts would support calibration companies being able to upload certificates into the DVSA’s MOT testing service (MTS) on their behalf, according to a survey by MOT Juice. This comes at a time when MOT providers are facing mounting administrative tasks, including a new mandate for testers to manually record their annual training within the MTS. According to the poll of over 5,000 MOT testers & managers, 61% would support calibration companies uploading their certificates into the MTS for them, with 23% opposing and 16% indifferent. These results highlight a clear desire for trusted suppliers to help MOT stations meet their increasing regulatory requirements, MOT Juice said. While it remains uncertain whether the DVSA will mandate the uploading of calibration certificates, such a move would reflect a broader shift towards increased data input and compliance monitoring within the MTS. As outlined in DVSA special notice 02-24, published last April, MOT testers are now required to manually input details of all annual training in their MTS accounts. For almost a decade, MOT testers have needed to maintain comprehensive, DVSA-compliant training logs outside of the MTS, with training providers often managing these records on their behalf. The new requirement for manual data input creates additional workload without clear benefits. This has led many in the industry to advocate for application programming interface (API) integration that would allow automated data transfer between training providers and the MTS throughout the year, eliminating the need for repetitive manual input and reducing the risk of errors. In response to April’s Special Notice, MOT Juice is calling for the DVSA to consider extending the same technological capabilities used for exam result submissions to training records. Such integration would align with the DVSA’s objective of modernising the MOT testing process, enhance transparency, and ensure compliance without overburdening MOT testers with excessive administrative tasks. MOT Juice MD Barry Babister said: “The technology is already there. Automating the submission of exam results has proven successful in recent years. Extending this functionality to include training providers and calibration companies would be a logical next step, especially given the growing volume of data required to maintain accurate records.” Babister said that both the results of the poll and the support for training record API integration send a clear message to the DVSA — MOT providers are eager for trusted suppliers to be able to assist them with administrative tasks, like certificate uploads and training record management. The growing frustration within the industry reflects a desire for more efficient, technology-driven solutions to alleviate the burden on testers and managers. The industry is not asking for less accountability, but rather for a smarter, technology-driven approach to data management. Allowing suppliers to assist with uploading relevant documentation into the MTS would streamline processes, reduce the risk of non-compliance due to administrative errors, and free up MOT testers and managers to focus on their most important responsibility — helping to keep Britain’s roads safe. Barry Babister has been in the motor trade since 1993 and immersed in MOT testing since 1999, as a partner in the Surrey and Sussex based CCM Garages business. In 2014 we launched MOT Juice as a webbased service to help ourselves at CCM and then a few hundred other garages to use our web-based product to attract new MOT test customers. Two years later the DVSA announced that training and exams would move into the sector. As a practical solution, we evolved the back office of MOT Juice to provide training and compliance for MOT test stations. This was the catalyst for MOT Juice. From a small team of three in 2014, we are now a thriving training and compliance provider across the UK.
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