December/January 2018

www.aftermarketonline.net DEC/JAN 2018 AFTERMARKET 3 CONTENTS BUSINESS 08 Big issue: MOT - Rethink the unthinkable? 12 Adam Bernstein: Powering down – Part one 14 Neil Pattemore: Replacement parts 16 Paul Black: Evolution or bust 18 Winter checks: Cold snap – Click profit 19 Shaun Greasley: The connected aftermarket TECHNICAL 20 John Batten: Small steps = Big results 22 Barnaby Donohew: Scenario planning 24 Frank Massey: Putting pressure on a Polo 26 Peter Coombes: EVs and hybrid vehicle tech IN FOCUS 28 Top Technician / Top Garage 2018 30 Klarius: Preserving the value of vehicles 32 Wheel alignment 36 Diagnostics 42 Fuel systems and cleaners 44 Product spotlight: NOCO Genius Boost PLUS... 47 Competition: Autodata 48 Garage visit: FRL Auto Services 50 Case study: Tales from the MOT front line 52 Automechanika Shanghai 2017 preview 54 Equip Auto 2017 review 56 Training 60 Top products 2017 64 New appointments 66 Teabreak THE END IS THE BEGINNING IS THE END... Editor | Alex Wells alex@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 345 Sales Manager | Claire Hodder claire@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 349 Contributors John Batten | Adam Bernstein | Peter Coombes | Barnaby Donohew | Frank Massey | Neil Pattemore Commercial Director | Ryan Fuller ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Operations Administrator | Chelsea Moss chelsea.moss@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Finance Manager | Clare Jackson clare.jackson@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Publishing Director | Ian Atkinson ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Published by | DFA Media Ltd 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1BE Aftermarket is published 10 times a year and is sent free of charge to applicants meeting the publisher’s criteria. All others may subscribe at £60 per anum, £120 Europe and £150 rest of the world. While every care is taken to provide accurate information, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or ommisions, no matter how caused. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior consent of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Copyright: DFA MEDIA LTD 2017 Alex Wells, Editor Average net circulation July 2016 to June 2017 23,577 aftermarketmagazine @aftermarket01 H ere we are at the end of 2017. Is this where you expected to be 12 months ago? Is your business on track for what you wanted at the beginning of the year? We hope so, and also hope Aftermarket has been helpful this year. Here we are at the end again, anticipating the beginning. Still, 2018 eh? There is a lot to look forward to. The biggest thing is clearly Top Technician and Top Garage 2018. If you want to take part (and we know you do) then you are in the right place. Turn to pages 28-29 to find out more about the process of signing up, and what you can expect from the twin competitions going forward. If that’s not enough Top Technician for you, we visit 2017 finalist Kevin Toms at his workplace FRL Auto Services, where we hear the story of the business from owner Ian Gobel. That’s on pages 48-49 . 2018 is nearly here as we said, but many of the key issues of 2017 remain unresolved. MOT 4-1-1 has been a big one. Despite the government’s idea of delaying the first MOT for a year being clearly cock- eyed, it does raise questions about the MOT as a whole. On pages 8-10 we look at the MOT and ask if it needs a rethink. The economy is always unresolved, so keeping costs down is a never- ending battle. On page 12 we look at how to reduce energy bills in the first instalment of a two-part report. Brexit could put a spanner in the works for all of us. With this in mind Neil Pattemore takes a look at Type Approval on pages 14-15 . With the future in mind, Barnaby Donohew looks at a number of trends to show how scenario planning can help a business. That’s on pages 22- 23 . John Batten shows how a little planning and study can pay off for your business on pages 20-21 , while Frank Massey puts on the pressure across pages 24-25 . Meanwhile, Peter Coombes continues his series on EV and hybrid technologies on pages 26-27 . Is the future here or elsewhere? Having had enough of staring at the same four walls for a while, we get out to Europe and beyond. We have a preview of Automechanika Shanghai on pages 52-53 and a review of Equip Auto in Paris on pages 54-55 . We also have all the latest on wheel alignment, diagnostics, fuel systems and cleaners and a special on training. Phew! A packed issue. It’s lucky for us then that Aftermarket’s printed incarnation is taking its seasonal break. We will be back with the February issue in early 2018. We’ll still be working to keep www.aftermarketonline.net fed, as well as Twitter and Facebook . If you miss us, that’s where we’ll be until early next year! Alex Wells Editor