February 2020

way of sharing that. They don’t have the capacity, and they are not going to have the capacity. They will gather that capacity over time, if you don’t find the technical capability. “We need to stop focusing on all the different things that are features on the vehicle, and we go back to what we have traditionally done. This means looking at the vehicle as a whole, the hardware on the car and how we can repair or replace that to make the car work again. The hard bit is replacing that part on the car, making sure it is fitted with a degree of precision to ensure it is looking in the right direction.” On the scale of the challenge for garages that still believe ADAS is remote from them, Dean said: “If you have worked on a car built in the last three years, it won’t have just one sensor on – it’s probably got dozens.” With lunch looming, WeCanFixYourCar.Com co-founder Alistair Preston came on to discuss how online providers are using tech to transform the aftermarket. He observed: “A lot has been said about manufacturers and how they are in a prime position with this shift in technology, but on our platform it is the independents who are running away with it. The franchised dealers on our platform are getting slaughtered. Independents have been the first to adapt. However, when you walk into some garages you can immediately tell if that business is up for change, or not. I think in the future we may see fewer garages, but those garages will be super-busy.” After lunch, the keynote speech came from Richard Noble, who told the story of world land speed record holder Thrust, and the ongoing saga of the Bloodhound. It was stirring stuff that touched on the importance of STEM subjects in schools, with a view to feeding staff into industries like the aftermarket. While we did not come down to earth, as we had not taken off, we did dial down the speed in order to welcome Neil Barlow and Emma-Jane Morris from DVSA, who were discussing market surveillance in the UK. “We are there to ensure safety, protect the environment and ensure fair competition and assure legal compliance," explained Neil. “That covers vehicles, and components. It also includes products and services. Our core ways of working are educating, testing, investigating and enforcing. One of the reasons for being here is the education part.” Emma-Jane added: “DVSA works with industry, and welcomes any guidance from experts. That could be manufacturers, distributors, motor factors or the garages. Tell us things, we want to hear from you. Where education fails, we will investigate and we will enforce.” On the ongoing problem of counterfeit parts, Neil concluded: “That is why the market surveillance unit is here for. What we rely on is the whole of the industry plus our testing to alert us when they are false.” Round-ups Heading towards the finish line, IAAF Head of Membership Mike Smallbone updated the conference on IAAF membership growth, its industry briefing sessions, the IAAF golf days, and of course, the Your Car: Your Choice campaign. Another update was provided by Figiefa Technical Director (and Aftermarket contributor) Neil Pattemore, who gave a very complete round-up on the latest technological threats and challenges in Europe, and the implications of Brexit. This included the travails of the Extended Vehicle concept. “Everything we want to do is reliant on our competitor, and the structure they put in place. This is why the European Commission asked us to test this concept against providing undistorted competition. That does not support undistorted competition and the vehicle manufacturers know it. They became quite difficult, to put it politely.” He went on to cover all the issues of Extended Vehicle, where the data is held on VM servers. Assuring access to the vehicle is absolutely critical for independents going forward said Neil: “Not only does it make sure you are competitive, and remember VM dealer networks are already in this position, but when you get to mobility as a service, the vehicle is owned by a corporation, as opposed to an individual. They have their own business model where they need to be competitive. They want to come to independent operators. If they can’t get to the independent operator, it reflects back on their model. This is a fundamental part of the evolution from ownership to usage as well.” It was heady, fascinating stuff as always. Rounding up the day, IAAF President Terry Knox reflected on what had been learned from the sessions, and the conference broke for another year. 50 AFTERMARKET FEBRUARY 2020 ON THE ROAD Above: Avian Auto’s Hayley Pells answers a question posed by IAAF’s Mike Smallbone www.aftermarketonline.net