November 2019

BY Neil Currie P eople ask me what made the difference this year when I went from being a Top Technician finalist to a Top Technician winner, and my answer is my process. I have worked hard since last year’s final, refining my process, and learning from my mistakes and it thankfully paid off this year. This article highlights the importance of a great process not only in Top Technician, but also in everyday working life, and how a fault, which at first may seem overwhelming, can be simplified and confidently fixed. The week after winning Top Technician, a 2016 Ford Ranger was booked in for me to have a look at from another garage. The garage’s complaint was that multiple warning lights were present on the dashboard along with multiple warning messages, the power steering was heavy and the indicators and windscreen washers didn’t work from their respective stalks. As with every job, the first step of my process is to interview the customer and gather as much information as possible. When I questioned the garage owner, he said they had just completed fitting a galvanised chassis. He explained that the vehicle had been fully stripped and rebuilt in the process, and since the rebuild, warning lights, messages and other complaints were now present. The next step was to confirm the fault. Upon starting the vehicle to bring it into my bay, the complaint was verified. The engine management, traction control, anti-lock brake and airbag warning lights were illuminated along with 30 AFTERMARKET NOVEMBER 2019 TECHNICAL www.aftermarketonline.net PROCESS, PROCESS AND MORE PROCESS 2019 Top Technician champion Neil Currie has joined Aftermarket’s roster of technical contributors. In his first piece, he puts the emphasis firmly on process... Right: Fig. 1