Automotive News Canada - December 2022 - F10

FIXED OPS JOURNAL
TONEY
continued from Page 9
techs we have by 6,000 in the next 24 months.
As the industry moves out of the internal
combustion era and into EVs, the image
of an automotive technician is changing
from one of getting greasy and fi lthy to
more of a computer diagnostics specialist.
Does the changing image of the technician
help the recruiting? And does it allow
more women to enter into it ?
Absolutely it does, and it should. Th e way we
talk about technicians, it's almost like they're
automotive engineers, frankly. And they actually
spend more time using their laptop to solve problems
going forward than they do to turn a wrench.
Should manufacturers re examine the fl at
rate strategy as we head into the EV era?
Absolutely. Th e way we have managed that
space for many, many years where the dealers
pay fl at rate and technicians who are experienced
do really well means new technicians are
at a tremendous disadvantage early in their careers.
And so we badly need to examine all elements
of technician pay and the whole fi nancial
infrastructure around how we run our shops to,
frankly, become a little more creative. We have
to treat technicians like surgeons, valuing them
and ensuring they get their fair share of the
spoils. Right now, I'm not sure that, given the
role they play and as important as they are, that
we have a consistent way of really, really rewarding
them and paying them relative to their value
and contribution.
Can Ford lead that change when dealers
are independent businesspeople? Or is
this something dealers need to take the
initiative on?
It's important that we collaborate. So there
needs to be a shared vision. And as I said, if you focus
on the customer - what's needed around the
customer, which translates into capacity and the
right technical talent to complete the repair - that
leads you to the technician. And so it's incumbent
upon the factory and the dealers and the retailers
to work together to sort of solve this dilemma.
Is there a place for Quick Lane stores in
the EV era?
Quick Lane is going to be thriving for many,
many years to come. Th ere will likely be some
changes, but they're ideally positioned to provide
convenient service going forward. Tires, for
example, are going to become something of a
commodity. Th ey'll be replaced more frequently
with the heavier EVs. And that's an entry to all the
PAGE 10 DECEMBER 2022
other services. Th ere's no reason why Quick Lane
stores can't be a key part of that. We're going to
have both gas and electric vehicles for the foreseeable
future. We're going to have service both.
In the EV era, powertrains are defi nitely
going to need service. Gears, seals, bearings,
etc., will break. Individual cells in
battery packs are going to fail. But are EV
powertrain repairs going to be different
than today? Will technicians actually work
on EV components, or will they just replace
entire systems?
Wear items will always need to be replaced.
Th ere's never going to be a substitute for that.
But the big question as the technology changes
so rapidly has to do with the value of the battery
and how batteries are maintained or whether
they're serviceable. Th e batteries are so heavy,
and they require diff erent equipment and diff er "
" The
way we talk about
technicians, it's almost
like they're automotive
engineers, frankly. And
they actually spend
more time using their
laptop to solve problems
going forward than they
do to turn a wrench. "
Frederiek Toney
ent capabilities to handle them. Th e big question
is going to be how do OEMs handle repairs when
a battery fails? Do automakers have dealers
open the pack and just replace the faulty cells or
do they have dealers just replace the whole
pack? Th e economics of the repair, relative to the
value of the car, will be the driving factor.
Th ere will be guardrails that will eventually be
established that allow these repairs to be managed
in a seamless, effi cient way. But I think it's
going to be a little stormy before we get to a sort
of normal in that regard. Everybody's in a race to
get to the most effi cient battery. And then whoever
wins has to take serviceability into account
and then build up the infrastructure to support
it. We have a pretty good sense of what it is. And
because some of this stuff is sensitive, I won't say
more than that - except to say I think we're on
top of our game and we'll be ready for it.
Ford is one of the fi rst mass market automakers
to roll out OTAs ------- over-the-air
updates. What's been the experience so
far? Has it impacted dealers' ability to do
the inspection?
We've had some learnings. We're working with
the Ford Dealer Council , but our focus is always
on the customer. We're interested in creating uptime.
And so whatever's most effi cient for that customer
is ultimately what's going to win the day.
It doesn't matter how we're structured today. It
doesn't matter about our relationships. At the
end of the day, we have to focus on the customer,
and that means we're all going to have to be creative
and fi nd ways for OTAs to work and, frankly,
fi nd other means of generating revenue for
ourselves if that proves to be the most optimal
way. Th e winners are always going to be the ones
who serve the customer best, who make it the
most convenient and the ones who create the
most value.
Under your leadership, Ford has changed
the way dealers run their fi xed ops business.
In fact, one could argue some of
your initiatives, such as the good-betterbest
parts menu, expanding parts availability
for older cars, and pickup and delivery
changed the entire industry. What was
the logic that linked all these programs?
Th ere's two things that tie all this together.
First, there's uptime. We desire to create 100 percent
uptime for our customers, especially for our
commercial customers, and to minimize downtime
for our retail customers. Second, when you
think about that and when you connect all the
dots, you think about having 100 percent of
what's required to complete the repair. Th at
means we have to do advance analytics where
we predict what's needed. We need to understand
before the customer gets to the dealership
what they need.
So what we've done is changed the way we
think about service. It's called 100 percent sameday
repair. And everything we do drives toward
that North Star. Th at's what we're working on doing.
And that's guiding our thinking.
If you were a fi xed ops director at a Ford
dealership today, how would you run it for
maximum profi t and effi ciency? Would
you have a body shop, for example?
If I had a body shop, I'd keep it and optimize it.
Th ere are ways to optimize body shops to intersect
with the changing needs of the business.
But if I didn't have one, I might not invest in one.
You've seen a lot of consolidation going on in
that space. I think if it were me and I was trying
see TONEY, Page 12
"
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