The S.16 Service Provider Study Group of the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) develops recommended guidelines for service provider business practices. One such recommended practice (RP) has been developed to provide a formal, structured and repeatable framework for establishing a quality assurance program within a service provider repair facility: RP 1609, Quality Control Guidelines.
Quality control reassures the customer that their vehicle is taken care of – from the minute it enters the shop to the second it leaves the yard.
To implement a quality assurance program, TMC recommends using RP 1609 along with its Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards (VMRS). In addition to being the industry standard building block for equipment and maintenance reporting, VMRS is the industry recognized tool to leverage the power of warranty versus non-warranty work for ease of fleet/service provider communication.
Poor repair quality and repair “comebacks” cost both the vehicle owner and the repairing facility time and money. Processes should be in place to reduce or eliminate issues created by human factors.
Program Components
There are eight critical components to a quality control program:
1. Point of interface visual assurance. The service provider should clearly communicate its commitment to providing quality service.
2. Process. This is the “who, what, when, where and how” of the actual inspection. A process map is typically used to help ensure the repeatability of the quality control event.
3. Metrics tracking. Capturing and analyzing the data associated with uncovered problems help service providers identify the root causes of recurring problems. Poor quality incidents should be analyzed to recognize trends. For example:
• Are comebacks more prevalent in certain types of repairs (e.g., clutch work)?
• Are comebacks more prevalent on one shift verses others?
• Are comebacks more prevalent with certain technicians?
• What are the total costs of rework, both tangible and intangible?
4. Calculation of rework costs. Rework has both hard and soft costs. Hard costs are found on service providers financial statements (e.g., warranty expense, chargeback expense, insurance settlements). Soft costs are losses from first-time customers, employee productivity and comeback work.
5. Business case/ROI considerations. Calculations of all of the costs noted in No. 4 are critical to forming a business case for implementation of a repair quality control program.
6. Inspection form. This should be customized to suit the needs of the repairing facility and capture the information that is pertinent to the organization’s metrics tracking requirements.
7. Checklist relative to specific repairs. An additional inspection form specific to category of repair adds a repeatable quality control process.
8. Checklist relative to general quality. Other quality issues exist that can be mitigated with a more generalized quality control inspection.
Quality Control Inspector Training
Inspectors in charge of quality control tasks must realize what’s being evaluated and what constitutes expectations of the end product.
Always begin with a review of the original complaint, then visually follow completed steps. The inspector should be looking at all components that were touched, fasteners torqued, lines and hoses secured, areas cleaned, etc.
Finally, as climbing in and out of the cab usually leaves technician marks, always point out grease and oil left behind.
Suggested Qualifications of Quality Inspectors
Quality inspectors should be technically certified and qualified to repair and diagnose the repairs he/she is inspecting, and be well respected by the other technicians.
In addition, quality inspectors need to be able to:
• Deal with customers directly and be the “face of your facility.”
• Approach other technicians in a professional manner and provide constructive coaching on any defects detected.
• Analyze defect trends, determine root causes and implement programs to mitigate them.
• Recognize needed process improvements and implement them.
• Communicate the program outcomes and benefits to upper management in a professional manner.
A service manager or shop foreman must then spot check each quality inspector. Checks should happen a fixed number of times, but should be done randomly.
Evidence of Inspection
Leaving some form of evidence that shows the customer that quality control took place on the vehicle is always nice to add. This can be achieved in a number of fashions (e.g., card left in cab, inspection form attached to customer copy of repair order, etc.).
Evidence for the customer like this reassures them and commits to a higher level of business satisfaction.
Establishing a quality assurance program sets a measurable expectation for everyone involved in the repair process.
Kenneth Calhoun is vice president of customer relations for Truck Centers of Arkansas (www.truckcentersar.com),a full-service dealership headquartered in North Little Rock, Ark. He serves as a service provider director at large on TMC’s board of directors and is the immediate past chairman of TMC’s S.16 Service Provider Study Group. TMC (www.trucking.org/Technology_Council.aspx) is North America’s premier technical society for truck equipment technology and maintenance professionals.
