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By Bob Chabot, Contributing Editor
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| Charlie Gorman, NASTF chairman |
LAS VEGAS — The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) held its annual general meeting Nov. 4at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, just prior to the beginning of Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW). Highlights of the meeting included:
- The presentation of several service awards.
- Upgrades pertaining to accessing service, tool and training information.
- The establishment of automotive service information standards that incorporate a formal arbitration process.
- An OEM training panel that challenged conventional approaches and thinking regarding training in the automotive aftermarket.
Herding cats
For the first time in its history, NASTF recognized the years of dedicated service contributed to NASTF and the industry by several of its members – Communications Director John Cabanis and Vehicle Security Committee Co-Chairs Mark Saxonberg and Dave Lanspeary. Charlie Gorman, NASTF chairman, summarized the leadership and impact that each has given selflessly and presented each with an honorary plaque.
Committees expand an open OEM-repairer dialogue
Several improvements to facilitate and improve access for technicians seeking service and repair information at the NASTF Web site, www.nastf.org, were announced.
“All automakers have or are currently considering the NASTF Automotive Service Information Standards agreement. Importantly, none of the OEMs have rejected the agreement, and 12 automakers have already signed it.”
— Charlie Gorman,
NASTF chairman |
Mary Hutchinson, NASTF's administrative director, and Dave Zwanlina, Service Information Committee co-chairman, advise that even though only 36 Service Information Requests (SIRs) have been submitted to NASTF year-to-date, the organization continues to improve service information access and to refine the SIR process.
Of note, repairers seeking service information can now use new search functionality on the NASTF Web site, which will enable repairers to search for service information by OEM, model and other tags to shorten time and focus results. In addition, SIRs that were previously hosted on iATN’s Web site will now be initiated by repairers directly on the NASTF Web site to further improve response time.
Gorman, the Equipment and Tool Committee (ETC) chair, reports that the committee continues to simplify procedures. Matrices continue to be updated by most OEMs. The ETC also is working to resolve concerns pertaining to two SAE standards. The committee is seeking to ensure that aftermarket scan tool makers have means to test their tools in accordance with SAE J1699-2. The committee is also working to resolve any repairability issues regarding SAE J2534..
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| Mark Saxonberg (right) and Dave Lanspeary, NASTF Vehicle Security committe co-chairs and recipients of the group's first recognition awards. |
Saxonberg, Vehicle Security Committee (VSC) co-chair, said 17 OEMs are now participating with the Secure Data Release Model (SDRM), up from 12 automakers at the Spring 2008 meeting. In addition, there are now 172 Licensed Security ID holders who have successfully conducted more than 16,000 vehicle security transactions to rekey, reset immobilizers or reset controls.
“We want automotive aftermarket businesses to be able to review the information and processes available to them so they can make a business decision to become registered,” Saxonberg said. To that end, the VSC has developed a new SDRM tutorial that is now available on the NASTF Web site. In addition, the VSC is vigorously working to update and expand the depth and breadth of vehicle security matrix coverage, with a view to building a 50-state, 10-year, all-model base of vehicle security information.
Cabanis, Communications Committee chair, says the committee’s focus over the next year will be to increase repairer awareness of the new SDRM tutorial. The tutorial introduces the model, outlines the application and registration processes, and provides an example of working with an automaker. In the public sector, the committee is working directly with organizations such as AAA to get the word out.
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| John Cabanis, NASTF Communications Committee chair and the third recipient of the group's first recognition awards. |
Service information standards with arbitration teeth
Gorman told meeting attendees that NASTF has established formal Automotive Service Information Standards, which included a binding arbitration backstop in the NASTF Dispute Resolution Process. He added NASTF had informed all OEMs of the new standards and requested that each automaker renew its commitment to NASTF by signing an agreement with NASTF to abide by these standards and continue to make service and training information, as well as tools, accessible and available to all repairers on an equal basis.
“All automakers have or are currently considering the NASTF Automotive Service Information Standards agreement. Importantly, none of the OEMs have rejected the agreement and 12 automakers have already signed it,” said Gorman. “To date, 12 OEMs have signed the agreement, while the remaining manufacturers have the agreement in various stages of review and approval.” Those OEMs that have signed the agreement include BMW, Ford Motor Co., Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota USA, Subaru, Suzuki, VW/Audi and Volvo.
While the new standards embody many of the practices that have been in place for more than six years, Gorman emphasized one key element in the new standards – the NASTF Dispute Resolution Process – would ensure a binding arbitration backstop for both repairers and automakers. Further details pertaining to the new standards, the arbitration process and other announcements at the meeting will posted on the NASTF Web site, www.nastf.org, following ASRW.
“I see training as the single most important growing gap in the aftermarket.”
— Mark Saxonberg, Toyota |
“We have now met one of our major goals for both our organization and the industry at large,” Gorman said. “We have clearly defined how NASTF will work in the future and empowered its diverse membership to solve problems. This also addresses several questions about putting teeth into the NASTF process. We believe the time has come for everyone in the industry to support what really works – a unified, progressive and effective NASTF.
Poking the training paradigm
Training needs to come of age. At the 2007 general meeting, an OEM panel discussion centered on the various training and tool information resources available to the aftermarket. This year’s panel went one step further, challenging the aftermarket industry to work in partnership with the OEMs to develop training programs that bring the industry stakeholders, from OEMs to repairers, together. Rod Boyes, president, Melior Inc., moderated the dialogue, which included representatives from Ford, Honda and Toyota.
Each representative gave an overview of the training paths and courses available to dealer and independent technicians. Training is migrating; it is becoming more Web-based, rather than print-based, as online training allows information to remain current, be continually updated and conveyed to technicians on a “just-in-time,” rather than a “too late” basis. In addition to richer text and graphic capability, Web-based training incorporates flash technology, which doesn’t require much bandwidth and can be employed to provide descriptive and valuable audio-video material.
Overcoming the training gap
The representatives noted that while ample training programs exist in the automotive aftermarket, there are a number of issues that need to be addressed at both a cognitive and skill level. While vehicle complexity continues to increase, aftermarket training is lagging. A widening training gap is developing, the OEM representatives noted, where dealership technicians are following guided paths that, while open to aftermarket technicians and shops, don’t have the participation from independents that will be needed to effectively service and repair vehicles going forward.
Echoing the concerns of other OEM representatives, Saxonberg said, “I see training as the single most important growing gap in the aftermarket.” The representatives agreed that industry stakeholders have the opportunity to work together to resolve and coordinate training issues, along a guided path that integrates OEM brand-specific procedures. But the OEM representatives caution that there’s no quick, easy fix. Just as it’s naïve to expect one scan tool to be usable on all vehicle makes and models, training too cannot be simplified to one path meeting the needs of all repairers and OEM brands.
Saxonberg cited I-CAR, on the collision side of the service and repair industry, as an example of a training organization that delivers guided training with OEM brand-specific procedures. The quality of training offered on the mechanical side of the industry is often superb. But the lack of a training organization on the mechanical side similar to I-CAR is glaring.
“This is going to continue to be a tough industry,” said Dave Zwalina, owner, Automotive One, and co-chair of the Service Information committee. “Owners of automotive facilities need to step up and make training a priority through focused action, not just words.”
NASTF says it is rededicating itself to addressing the need for effective and coordinated training in the industry. Given the organization’s success in bridging service information access gaps, its attention to building an effective training paradigm, with input and buy-in from industry members, is timely and warranted.
Are you up for the challenge? |
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Nov. 5-8, 2008
