Automobile Workshop Design

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The main task of the automobile transport sector in Burkina-Faso is to offer quality and quick service for the transport of passengers and goods. The main measure toward the development of the auto sector in offering quality service is to establish well-organized service-centers across the country. The good design of an auto workshop is to help in providing repairs work, vehicle maintenance and supply of spare parts for the vehicles.

My motivation for designing an automobile workshop is based on the following:

 Expensive and sometimes inefficient service centers.

 The study of various courses such as entrepreneurship, workshop organization and administration, management and control of transport and management principles as well as various attachment undertaken in the auto firms have unveiled my capacity in designing an auto shop.

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In Burkina- Faso, the absence of appropriate equipment, the improper organization, lack of training, and the unavailability of parts affect seriously the quality and efficiency of the vehicles repairs. Sometimes the need arise to call for a foreign specialist or even to

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up with the vehicle being parked for an undetermined period . When these vehicles are driven from Burkina, some of the inconveniences are:

 High cost as a result of the long distance covered (towing, custom undertaking, fuel, hotel, tires, towing, etc).

 There is a risk of the vehicles breaking down on the way.  Time waste.

 Driver fatigue.

1.2 OBJECTIVES

The prime objective of this study is to provide a design that gives the best in terms of:  Physical layout of the workshop

 Facilities layout

 Organizational structures and procedures

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this study is to enable the designed workshop to:  Be able to face technological challenges

 Generate profit.

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CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 SITE SELECTION

2.1.1 SELECTING THE SITE

Since the site location has a large influence on the success of the garage, careful consideration must be given to the selection of site location. Moreover, since the publicity effect is large, site selection is something which contributes to the overall expansion of the company. [7]

2.1.2 ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION IN SELECTING THE SITE

 It should face a main road (or be close to a main road)

 It should be on a level ground.

 It should be a location where there are no traffic delays, etc.

 It should be possible to secure an adequate surface area.

 It should be a location with room for expansion.

 It should be a location where public facilities can be used.

 It should be a location without legal restrictions.

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2.1.3 SHAP E OF SITE

After the site has been selected according to the above items, the shape of site to be bought becomes the next consideration.

For the site shape, a rectangular shape is the best; a square is the next best. Curved and poly-angled shapes are undesirable. Some examples, both good and bad, are indicated below. [7]

GOOD EXAMPLES

BAD EXAMPLES

Fig. 2.1 Shape of site

Where roads meet On a ma in road B 1.4 A A B C 1

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2.1.4 SITE SELECTION

The site should of course, be large enough for future expansion. The future development of the surrounding area itself should also be considered, along with the following points.

 Is the site easily accessible to heavy-duty vehicles by way of existing roads?

 Is it easy to find, even by people who are unfamiliar with the neighborhood?

 Are there any problems with the electricity or water supply or sewer facilities?

 Will there be any problem of noise, exhaust or oil disposal regulations? Are there hospitals, schools, housing areas, etc., nearby which would be affected by loud noises? Are there plans for such construction in the near future? Of course, extreme care must be taken in constructing the garage not to cause any form of pollution. [7]

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2.2

Standard Areas for Shops, Rooms, and Bays

2.2.

1 List of the various Shops, offices, and rooms of garage.

(a) Office and warehouse

 General manager‟s office

 Service manager‟s office

 Service office

 Customer waiting room

 Reception room

 Watchman‟s room

 Sales manager‟s office

 Sales office

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 Parts manager‟s office

 Parts office

 Parts warehouse

(b) Workshops and related areas

 General service bay(s)

 Inspection bay(s)

 Lubrication bay(s)

 Engine repair shop

 Unit repair shop

 Electric service shop

 Tool room

 Injection pump shop

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 Air compressor room

 `Generator room

 Service parking area

 Stock yard

 Grounds [3]

2.2.2

Standard Areas

This section explains the standard areas for the more important parts of the work shop.

(a) General service bay

The general service bay fulfills the garage‟s principle role, and it is usual to have several. The service bays, related passageways, tool benches, etc. must be given careful consideration for space layout.

(b) Inspection bay

This is the place where incoming vehicle checks, after-servicing checks, etc. are conducted. There are two types, differing according

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to inspection methods. In one, the vehicle condition is checked using various types of mechanical equipment. In the other, mainly visual method are used. For the former various types of measuring

equipment are installed, so the dimensions should be larger than the general service bay. In the latter, oil leaks, tigness of parts, and wear and loss of various parts are checked for by means of a pit, so the area is the same as the general service bay. Since this type is essentially a general service bay with a pit, it should be included among the general service bays. One-fifth of the general service bay should be of this type. (However, there should be at least one.) They can be used for both general service and lubrication.

(c) Lubrication bay

This is the place where grease-jobs, engine and gear oil exchanges, etc. are conducted. In this connection storage space for various oils and greases is necessary near the vehicles. Considering the nature of the operations, installation of a pit or large -size lift is desirable. The bay size is the same as the general bay. However, it is necessary to install storage areas for oils and greases very near. (If the lubrication bays are

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not provided, the general ser vice or inspection bays may be used for these operations.)

(d) Engine repair shop

This is where engine overhauls and corresponding repairs are conducted. An engine repair shop is not necessarily in all garages. That is, since an engine overhaul requires skilled technicians, it cannot be done well at branch garages.

(e) Unit repair shop

This is where overhaul and repair of various single units (excepting the engine) such as the transmission, transfer, differential, steering gear box, brake valve, etc. are conducted.

(f) Electric service shop

This is where repair and overhaul of electrical parts and winding, battery recharging are conducted. The disposition of sulphurous acid

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gas produced during recharging is a point which needs careful consideration.

Possible measures for this are complete air ventilation and separation of the battery job during recharging.

(g) Tool room

This is where common tools, large-size common tools, Nissan Diesel special tools, measuring devices, etc. are stored. One person should be in charge of the tool room. He should keep a record of all tools issued to the mechanics and should order new tools to replace those that wear out.

(h) Injection pump shop

This is where fuel system parts, such as the injection pump and

nozzle are repaired and calibrated. Since the parts are precision parts, they must be protected from dust, and preventive measures,

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(i) Machine shop

This is where necessary machine operations for vehicle repair are conducted. Normally an agreement is made with a suitable outside machine shop, and servicing is done by them. However, it is desirable to perform simple operations at the distributor/dealer‟s garage. [3]

2.3 LAYOUT PLANNING

2.3.1 LAYOUT PLANNING

The planning phase of a layout is exceptionally important. Due to the fact that an

organization normally must live with the layout for a long time, any mistake in the actual layout can be costly. These mistakes should be made and corrected on paper long before the physical movement of equipment begins. P lanning the layout takes into account many factors some of which are the size of the station, the kind of work that predominates in its functions, equipment, material and manpower needs. The planning must also consider the activity relationship between the various departments. Departments with more important relationship are arranged closer together. [1]

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2.3.2 OBJECTIVES OF LAYOUT PLANNING

The objectives of the layout planning are to

 Ease the movement of personnel.

 Minimize material handling cost.

 Provide easy communication between functional areas.

 Provide safely to all employees.

 Maintain flexibility for easy rearrangement and operations.

 Utilize manpower and space effectively. [2]

2.3.3 EFFECTS OF A GOOD LAYOUT

A good and effective layout results in the following advantages.

 Planned material flow.

 Buildings are constructed around a pre-planned design.

 Back tracking kept to the minimum.

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 Production time is predictable

 Easy adjustments to changing conditions

 Provision for future expansion

 Minimum material handling distances

 Orderly materials handling and storage. [8]

2.4 WORKSHOP LAYOUT

As with any other layout, the workshop area depends entirely on the work anticipated and in the case of an exciting service station, the work already being done, the volume and type of work to be done in the repairs workshop determines whether the layout should be:

 Single-Speed Bay

 Flow Line

2.4.1 SINGLE- SPEED BAY SERVICE LAYOUT.

This is the type of layout used for general repairs work. Here, the workshop area is painted with lines to form working bays. The area for each working bay is about 18m2 that makes a good working area to work around a vehicle for general repair works. Each repair bay must have a bench with a vice and certain se rvices like an

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intercommunication system with the store, air line connections good lighting, plug points, oil dispenser, inspection light points and access to special tools. A speed bay fully

equipped therefore means that one or more mechanics are emplo yed in a bay to carry out general repair works of a vehicle. Some workshops employ a drive- in and drive-out service bay to save time by having good access and exit points. This type of layout is a process type layout where different types of services are rendered. It is bound to operate where vehicle population density is low. [3]

2.4.2 FLOW LINE SERVICE LAYOUT

Flow line service is the continuous repeating of certain types of servicing work. With the flow line, the equipment is distributed along a line with machines at each stage and a continuous flow of vehicles move along the line. Before considering a flow line, the volume of vehicle and the type of vehicles to go on the line must first be considered and these must merit the use of space and the investme nt involved with the special equipment needed on the line. Location with a very high population of vehicles such as major cities and large towns can provide a supply of vehicle on the flow line so as to obtain a constant supply of similar vehicle to merit the standard equipment on the line. [3]

2.5

Organization of department

2.5.1

Invoicing

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also wish to have their bills delivered on time .The service station itself relies on prompt payment in order to meet its own bills for wages, materials, overhead and so on. The quicker an invoice is made out and the quicker it is paid.

In any case, when bills are delayed unduly, any dispute about items listed can become obscure, especially if more than one repair has been completed in a short space of time.

To achieve rapid invoicing many innovations have been made. Kalamazoo Ltd., have produced their individual interpretation to the easy to complete job sets.

One of these 3 parts is shown in Fig. 2.2. (Appendices) The three copies are used together. Usually, the reception engineer will make out the work required on the top copy which is recorded on the second and third copies. The customer signs the form approving the work to be done and this is the customer‟s invoice.

Account/cost office receives the second copy and the third copy goes to the workshop. The last copy is used by the workshop to make out a job-card; record parts used and are filed at reception for use as a service follow-up. On the back of this hard copy shown in Fig 2.3(Appendices) is printed the job card for use by the foreman and the mechanic. Also detailed is a very useful chart for quality co ntrol. [3]

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2.5.2

Wage Policy

Wage Policy is an especially important aspect of personnel management. If the wage policy is not clear or not reasonable, capable employees will be difficult to hire. In addition, such a policy will have a negative influence o n company

accounting and on employees‟ working spirit.

Wage and the wage system should have the following characteristics:

a) The total amount of personnel expenses should not cause problems for company management.

b) The wage paid each employee must equal or surpass the average in the local society.

c) Employee wages must increase as ability and responsibility increase.

d) Each employee and his family must be able to maintain the normal standard of living for their social class without working excessive overtime or taking any part-time job.

e) Anything that encourages morale by increasing wages in correspondence with work results (such as incentive wages or commissions) should be implemented. [7]

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2.6 WORKSHOP PROCEDURES AND WORK CONTROL 2.6.1 Control systems

Control systems are needed for the workshop in order to offer effective control over work loading, work distribution and work flow. This is to ensure a well utilized workforce and satisfied customers. [10]

2.6.2 WORKSHOP LOADING CHART

Such a chart allows you to forward, plan and indicates the daily situation in the workshop whilst simultaneously providing an analysis of productive and non-productive time. Gaps in the loading chart indicate how much more work can be taken on for a particular day. A typical workshop loading chart is shown below (Fig 2.4, Appendices). [10]

2.6.3 WORKSHOP PROGRESS CHART

See Fig 2.5 (Appendices).

2.6.4 APPOINTMENT PROCEDURE

 Customer calls to make an appointment

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 Customer accepts appointment or chooses another option offered by the service advisor.

 Service advisor introduces department and gives his/her name.

 Service advisor asks customer‟s and vehicle‟s details; name, year, model, registration number.

 Service advisor determines customer‟s main request, either general repairs or periodic maintenance.

 Service advisor checks appointments availability and suggests the appointment day, time and price (if possible). [9]

2.6.5 MANAGEMENT OF THE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM.

There are four important factors that should be tracked and managed in the appointment system, these are

 Appointment Rate: The appointment rate is the percentage of customers who made an appointment for customer-paid. It shows customers awareness and support for your appointment system. Appointment system should not exceed 80%.

 “No Show” Rate: The “No Show” rate indicates the number customers who did not arrive at the dealership at the expected time. A follow-up and monitoring system must be in place to reduce the “no show” occurrence.

 Carry-over-rate: The carry-over-rate is the number of vehicles that were not finished on time and have to be “carried over” to the following day‟s workload. Carry-overs

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can be caused by; parts availability problem, difficult-to-diagnose faults, additional repairs or ineffective job progress control.

 Work-mix(maintenance to repair ratio): Depending on the skill level of available technicians, the work- mix of the jobs accepted in the appointment system, must be monitored and adjusted, for example maintenance 65%, repair 35%.

The total available appointment hours should not exceed 80% of available manpower time, to allow for walk- in customers and emergency requests. [9]

2.6.6 THE RECEPTION PROCESS

The reception process comprises the following;

 Preparation

Prepare the repair order, along with the seat cover, and paper floor mat, to protect the customer‟s car.

 Receiving the customer

Greet the customer on arrival, introduce yourself, and give your name. Ask the customer if he has an appointment. If the customer has already made an appointment, repeat the main request. For example: “Mrs. Ricardo, you made an appointment for 30,000 kilometers maintenance, is that correct?” If the customer has no appointment, check manpower availability and confirm when you can start the job. Check the previous service history and provide additional advice if necessary, check and confirm the

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customer‟s: name spelling, current address and telephone numbers (home, business). Inputting the customer‟s e-mail address will also be useful option for post-service follow-up.

 Determining the customer‟s needs: By careful questioning and listening to determine the customer‟s needs.

 Diagnosis or Test Drive: If the customer describes a condition that requires diagnosis or a test drive, the foreman or lead technician should be requested to road test and experience the condition. If it is difficult to identify or rectify the fault, use a pre-diagnostic questioning sheet to get further information that will assist the Technician to fix- it-right the first time. If the job is a repeat repair (comeback) the foreman and workshop Manager should be informed in advance.

 Vehicle walk-around-check: “See with your own eyes”. Go to the vehicle and carryout a walk-around-check to discuss the customer‟s needs and identify any other service or repair needs that are necessary. Place a seat cover, floor mat in the vehicle, in the presence of the customer. Write the odometer reading on the repair order and confirm the maintenance that is required. Walk around the car and note on the repair order, any body and paint damage, or missing items. Explain any additional

maintenance items that require attention, for example: uneven tire wear, wiper blade inserts, etc. Suggest counter measures such as, wheel alignment, or tire rotation or replacement.

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 The walk-around check provides the service Advisor with the opportunity to identify and discuss items that require attention. This check is useful, especially for items requiring attention, which are unknown to the customer. The Service Advisor can also point out body or paint damage that exists on the vehicle before it enters the service area. [6]

2.7 REPAIR ORDER

The repair order will have the following essential information:

CUSTOMER

 Customer‟s name, address and telephone contact numbers

 Customer‟s preferred follow-up method (telephone, e-mail)

 Customer‟s signature

VEHICLE

 Vehicle model code

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 Registration details  Odometer reading

WORK DETAILS

 Customer‟s words or main request

 Service Advisor and Foreman‟s comments  Technician comments on work done

 Estimate of costs for repair, maintenance lubricants and parts.  A walk-around check body diagram

 Technician‟s productive time on the job

 Method of payment and customer‟s signature (authorization)  Promised delivery time. [9]

2.8 THE DISPATCH AND PRODUCTION PROCESS (JOB PROCESS

CONTROL)

The dispatch and production process (job process control) involves the following, The repair orders prepared by the Service Advisors are transferred to the foreman.

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The foreman inputs the necessary information such as the customer‟s name, address, the Service Advisors name and the group that will work on the vehicle into the computer. The Foreman receives the job card and closes or completes the job on the computer. Finally the foreman functions between the Service Advisors and the Technicians. [9]

2.9 WORKSHOP F LOW CHART

THE FIGURE BELOW SHOWS THE BASIC DISPATCH SYSTEM.

Fig 2.5 Workshop flow chart. [9] 2.10 QUALITY CONTROL

Quality control process:

 Service Advisor discusses job with foreman and inspects replaced parts.  Service Advisor confirms parking location, keys and cleanliness of vehicles  Foreman reviews customer‟s request on repair order and checks Technician‟s

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 Foreman inspects vehicles and replaces parts.  Foreman Road tests vehicle if necessary.

2.11 DELIVERY PROCESS

The delivery process carried out on the arrival of the customers is as follows,

 Greeting the customer on arrival.

 Greet the customer in a warm friendly manner. Use the customer‟s name. Offer the customer a seat.

 Explain what was done

Show the replaced parts to the customer. If the repairs were major, expensive or safety related, the service advisor should take the customer to the vehicle first before requesting payment. Show the customer the area where the work was done (example: suspension). For regular maintenance, this step is not necessary.

 Showing the parts to the customer

To build trust, the service advisor should show and offer the replaced parts to the customer. This helps build trust, since the customer can see what was replaced on the vehicle. Most customers will ask the service advisor to discard the parts.

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The service advisor must quickly explain what was done, using colored explanation sheets such as the “key to peace of mind”, or show a picture, or diagram of the system, or component that was repaired or replaced. Example: air conditioning system.

 Cashier Requesting Payment

After the service advisor has explained the work done, the benefits and the cost, the invoice is given to the customer. The cashier is responsible for receiving payment. The service advisor determines and notes the customer‟s preferred method of post-service follow-up. For example: phone, e- mail, electronic messaging or written questionnaire.

 “Seeing off” customer

The service advisor thanks the customer. He gives the receipt, service booklet, and keys to the customer after receiving payment. He will advise the customer when the next maintenance is due and escort the customer to the car (if possible). Customers should not wander around the car park aimlessly looking for their vehicles. The delivery has now been completed. [9]

2.12 CUSTOMER CARE

Complaint Handling: When a customer calls to make a complaint, the Service Advisor must be ready to listen to the problem and also be ready to find solution to the problem. When the problem involves solving on the phone, the Service Advisor should be able to solve it (when the customer needs advise). When it involves a major problem, then the

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Service Advisor should report the case to the Service Manager and then consult the technician that worked on the vehicle. The customer must get the feedback within 24hrs, when reporting the case; the Service Advisor should be able to present the Service history details to the Service Manager. Finally the Service Advisor should review the job and inspect the vehicle first, then make decision, after gathering the facts. [9]

2.12.1 PROCEDURES INVOLVED IN CUSTOMER CARE Give the dealership name, then the caller‟s name

 Confirm that you are speaking to the correct person and ask if it‟s convenient to speak now

 Limit the number of question to 6-8 questions

 Use positive statements.

 If there is a complaint, write down the details and co nfirm it will be followed up quickly. [9]

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2.13 STAFF ING THE MOTOR VEHICLE REP AIR BUSINESS (RECRUITMENT)

Recruiting is the process of attracting quality persons for available jobs. Recruitment may be internal. Internal recruitment is the consideration of current employees for promotions or transfers to higher positions. It may also be external, which means attracting people from outside the organization for available jobs. Internal recruitment gives employees the opportunity to move upwards within the orga nization and therefore building morale and keeping high quality employees from leaving the organization. External recruitment on the other hand brings in „new blood‟ into the business and can inspire innovations. [3]

2.13.1 SOURCES OF EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT

Various options are available for recruiting staff in the vehicle repair business. This includes the following,

Press advertising: Popular recruiting sources that can reach a wider market and therefore

generate a large number of responses

Campus Inte rvie ws (School and Colleges): A useful source of apprentices and trainees.

Trade Magazines: A better option if looking for a specialist.

Employme nt Agencies: A good source of clerical and technical employees.

Employee Referrals’: Opportunity is given to employees to recommend applicants for

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Recruitment Cons ultants: These are generally used to find managers and executives. [3]

2.13.2 SELECTION OF STAFF

It is very important that the correct selection procedure is followed to avoid selecting in competent staff since the Employment Protection Act gives employees considerable protection against wrongful dismissal. In order to eliminate guesswork when selecting applicants for new appointment, the following points should be considered.

Physique-

This deals with a person‟s health, appearance and other physical attributes.

The candidate must have good health generally and special fitness for the job.

Attainment –These are the special qualifications and experience needed for the job

General Intelligence –

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The candidate must have the skill required for the job.

Inte rest –

The hobbies or lively interest in any particular subject related or not with the job seek

Disposition

An indicator of whether a person will work well as part of a team is honest and has leadership qualities.

Circumstances

Factors like mobility, age and experience. [3]

2.14 SAFETY P RECAUTIONS

Accidents in the workshop claim many victims and approximately 70% of these accidents are caused by negligence/carelessness on the part of the workman, consequently the need for care cannot be overstressed, the points set out here are intended to warn vehicle mechanics of some of the dangers he is likely to meet in the motor vehicle workshop.

A tidy workshop can help to reduce the number of accidents. Tools and components should not be left where someone may fall over them. They must never be allowed to obstruct gang ways or passages; neither should they be laid carelessly upon a bench. A tidy bench reflects a tidy methodical, business-like mind, which is the basis of accident prevention. Oil or grease on the workshop floor is dangerous and should be covered with sand or sawdust to prevent accident. [4]

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2.14 STAFF OF A MOTOR VEHICLE REP AIRS STATION The staff required to operate a motor vehicle services station includes the:

1. Managing Director 2. Service Manager

3. Parts department manager 4. Sales manager

5. Account manager

6. Human resource manager 7. Fore court manager 8. Reception engineer 9. Workshop manager 10. Foreman for the workshop 11. Charge hand

12. Mechanics ( skilled and semi skilled)

13. Apprentices 14. Office staff 15. Cleaners Laborers

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i) APPRENTICES

The apprentice selection is considered most important. Here, a considerable amount of time and money is spent as an investment with the hope that a young man will be become a skilled mechanic and then a technician engineer.Before one commences any

apprenticeship, he must have a reasonable intelligence in order that he can absorb the wealth of detailed knowledge dispensed by any skilled perso nnel in the motor vehicle trade. Before any person is signed on for apprenticeship, he must be tested by a training officer to assess the academic aspect of his ability and other aspect which will affect his apprenticeship must be considered. The following are the requirements for apprentice selection.

 An inquiring mind

 Desire to become a skilled mechanic  Course of study

 Physical ability  Stable mentality

The length of training for an apprentice is usually between 3 and 4 years.

This must be explained to the young apprentice and if possible, he must be shown how he will progress in apprenticeship.

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ii. SKILLED MECHANICS

These are people who have had apprenticeship training with some theoretical

qualifications who can execute all repair works on the motor vehicle without supervision. People of this type require some supervision on repair works. They normally have little or no academic qualification. They might achieve some practical skills by working with skilled mechanics. Some organization promotes laborers to semi – skilled workers within a workshop.

iii. THE FOREMAN:

In the motor vehicle repair business, a Foreman is one who has been appointed to supervise the work of mechanics in the workshop. He is appointed to this position

because he has gone through apprenticeship training and has become a skilled mechanic.

iv. SERVICE MANAGER:

He is the head of the service department and for that matter the workshop, and is directly responsible of the repair garage manager. He directly supervises the following

subordinates

 Workshop controller  Reception engineer

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2.15 AN ORG ANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR A TYP ICAL WORKSHOP

The organizational chart gives a pictorial representation of the organization. It shows the functional divisions of the repair business and the formal relationships between the different levels of authority and the chain of command.

Organizational structures and for that matter charts needs to be modified to reflect the changes that occur in every business.

An organizational chart is good because it entails a clear analysis of lines of authority, who is responsible for what, and who is accountable to whom. It is useful in settling disputes over authority, responsibility and accountability [1].

2.15.1 STAFFING

Fig 2.6 Organizational chart of a workshop [3]

Board of Directors

Managing Director

Service Manager

Fitters Semi & Unskilled staff Apprentices Stores

Reception Drivers

Foreman Foreman Office

staffs Cleaning staff (Sales & Forecourt staff) Charge-hand

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2.16 ORG ANIZATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE SERVICES G ARAG E For a successful reorganization of a motor vehicle repair business, one would have to:

 Identify the activities to be carried out

 Decide on the departments needed to carry out the activities and how the departments relate to each other.

 Create positions to manage each department clearly set out the authority and responsibilities of each position.

 Determine the staff that will be needed and clearly lay down their responsibilities, where they fit into organizational structure and to whom they are accountable.

 Provide a system of communication within and between departments and also between the different levels of management. [8]

2.17 MARKETING AND PROMOTING WORKSHOP SERVICES:

Marketing can be described as the process of discovering customer‟s needs up to the point when the actual sales can be made. [6]

It involves the presentation of your products or services; promotion of the products or services to potential customers, distributing the product and looking after customers before, during and after sale has taken place.

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Marketing seeks to increase profit by identifying the needs of the customer and exploiting all available opportunities with the available resources. It involves a number of factors including

 The co-ordination of activities of a dealership operations i.e. selling, delivering, pricing and presentations.

 The assessment of sales potential and customer needs.

 Motivating customers so that they want to purchase the dealership services and goods.

Ensuring the customer can obtain goods and services in the way that best suits them. [1]

2.17.1 MARKET RESEARCH

To begin marketing, it is important to study the market, to do this; we need to find out about two sets of people. .

I. The customers:-

We need to know who our customers are, where they are what they need. In order to direct our marketing efforts to the right people in the right places and offer them exactly what they want, it is necessary that we find out everything about our potential customer.

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II The competitors :-

We need to find out who our competitors are, where they are, the kind of services that they provide, how they operate, their strengths and weaknesses. [6]

2.17.2 MARKETING MIX

One common way of looking at the market is to consider the Marketing Mix (the four „Ps‟ of Marketing). These are:

I. The Product-

The customer must be provided with the right product or services. Planning the product therefore involves the discovery of what the customers‟ wants are and how these wants can be profitably met

II. Pricing-

The customer is offered a quality product at a price acceptable to him.

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The physical location of a dealership will have a critical effect on its success. The product should be provided in the right place or in a convenient manner for the customer.

IV. Promotion-

This is the process of increasing customer awareness and desire. It involves providing the product in a manner attractive to the customer. [6]

2.18 SP ARE P ARTS DEP ARTMENT

For any motor vehicle repair station to function efficiently, it is essential that it is supported by adequate stock of spare parts which are easily available for sale to the customer and for use in the repair shop. The success of the motor vehicle repair business is related to proper management of the spare parts and materials in stock. The spare parts section of a repair station may be a separate unit managed by the parts manager in the case of larger station or in the case of smaller stations its management may be part of the responsibilities of the service manager. [3]

2.19 Store keeping and parts service 2.19.1 Buying

As far as parts are concerned only 15% of them are what is described as “good stock items”, and 85% of all parts can e described as slow or moderate sellers only. One should also remember what sells well in one area m ay not do so in another. It

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is, of course impossible to stock everything and a control system should be established which ensures that only items in demand are in the stores. [3]

CHAPTER THREE

RESARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter the researcher obtained the results through the literature review, by observation made on garages and service centers in both Burkina and Ghana and by participating directly into the workshop activity whilst being in attachment to it.

The following were considered:

 The workshop layout

 The organizational structure

 The working procedures

3.2 EXSISTING WORKSHOP PROCEDURES

In the case of some garages, the diagnosis stage was not given sufficient attention. Sometimes because the diagnosis equipment is absent or sometimes because of

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workshop no job card is open by the reception engineer and work is undertaken by the mechanics without any instruction. When the work is being completed by the mechanics, payment is being done to the mechanic without issuing any receipt to the customer. The above information shows that the procedures use by some workshops does not conform to the standard workshop procedures.

With the standard procedures the reception engineer must open a job card and also it is at the reception that faults on vehicles are being determined. Since this part of the procedure is escaped it makes repair works to be very difficult. Finally since faults are not well diagnosed before getting to the mechanic, it prolongs the working and fault tracing time, hence there is reduction in the efficiency of the work output.

The spare parts are also major problems. Fake spare parts are common in the system and they do not conform to the manufacturer and safety specifications. When these parts fail prematurely, it brings about customer disappointment. Otherwise when the parts are not available, it delays the repairs, sometimes for months.

In some companies, bad working condition (ventilation, lighting) and lack of motivation (wages, appraisal, and incentives) were leading to absenteeism, increase of return jobs, and lower productivity.

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CHAPTER FOUR

PROPOSED LAYOUT, PROCEDUREAND STAFFING

4.1 Physical layout

The workshop to be designed should be located on a main road, be well ventilated, efficient use of natural lighting should be made.

It comprises:

 a reception with a waiting room  A store department

 An engine and unit repair room  An inspection bay

 Offices  A Parking lot  Toilet facilities  Air compressor room

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 A counter  Engine room

4.1.1 GARAGE LAYOUT

The researcher has proposed this layout for the design of the service station. (See Fig 4.1, appendix).

4.2 Proposed layout for the workshop

In order to improve communication and to create accountability, the researcher has proposed a flat organizational layout with a service manager at the top (Fig 4.2)

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Fig. 4.2 Organizational Chart

4.3 REQUIRED STAFF FOR THE WORKSHOP

The workshop will be made of the following.

A SERVICE MANAGER- The service manager will be the head of the workshop and

for that matter has direct responsibility of the repair workshop. He will supervise his subordinates like the Account officer, Reception engineer, Storekeeper, Foreman, Auto electrician, technician, mechanic, Trainee mechanic and a driver.

AN ACCOUNT OFFICER –The account officer will be responsible for the

determination of the profit and loss account for each department on the chart as well as obtaining funds for the organization and also guides the organization to use the financial resources wisely.

A FOREMAN- The foreman will attend to the road-testing of the vehicles and

supervision of the technician, mechanic and the trainee mechanic as they work on the vehicles. The foreman again will be responsible for job allocation.

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A STOREKEEPER-The storekeeper will be responsible for the smooth running of the

store facilities of the workshop. The storekeeper will co-ordinates all store staffs and also ensures that there is easy access to the items in the store.

RECEPTION ENGINEERS-The reception engineer will be responsible for welcoming

customers and discussing customer‟s needs as well as opening a job card and following up to the completion of work that had been carried out by the technician.

MECHANICS -The mechanics are people who have gone through apprenticeship

training with little theoretical qualification and execute all repair work on the vehicle with supervision.

TRAINEE MECHANICS –The training mechanic will work under the supervision of

the technician and the mechanic and after the work has been delegated to the trainee mechanic he/she will be supervised by the technician or the mechanic.

AUTO ELECTRICIAN- Auto electricians are people who have gone through

apprenticeship training in the automobile electrical system with some theoretical

qualification and also put in technique how to deal with faulty auto electrical systems and the maintenance of electrical components, battery, charging system, etc.

SECURITY-The security man will be in charge of the security aspect, he should also

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4.4 PROPOSED WORKSHOP PROCEDURES

After the researcher has carried out the observation, it was concluded that the following workshop procedures would be suitable. Upon the arrival of the vehicle at the workshop, the reception engineer meets the customer to discuss the customer‟s needs. The reception engineer would carefully assess and diagnose the faults; the foreman can eventually test the vehicle by going for a road test. The reception engineer will then enter the details on a job set. The job set is in three sections, one for the account officer, another one for the customer as an invoice and the hard copy that will be taken to the workshop as the job card. The customer will check the details of the work on the job set and will sign to authorize the work to be done. After that the reception engineer will tick on the job card, the items on the vehicles that are available and not available, the vehicle will be passed to the workshop for repairs and after the technician has finished working on the vehicle, the work carried out and parts taken from the store will be entered on the job card. When the job is completed the vehicle will be taken from the workshop to the car park by the driver and the reception engineer would inspect the vehicle to make sure that everything is in order. The vehicle will then be tested by the foreman in other to correct all defect. Finally the vehicle will be washed before leaving the workshop and also be handed over to the customer after he has paid the invoice. These procedures will enhance work efficiency with least time and also the workshop will meet the modern standards in terms of repairs

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4.5 LIST OF EXP ECTED ITEMS IN A STANDARD WORKSHOP Table 4.3 List of Expected Items in a Standard Workshop

List of Items Expected Required Not Required

Reception  Service area  Repair bays  Car showroom  Stores9  Offices 

Toilets for customers  Open car park 

Forecourt 

Toilets and rest room for staff 

Vulcanizing 

Welding 

Stroboscope 

Exhaust gas analyzer 

Car wash  Auto creep  Pit  Lift  Drilling machine  Grinding machine  Set of tools  Air compressor  Benches  Lights  Windows  Hydraulic jack  Crane  Diagnosis equipment 

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CHAPTER FIVE

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 FINDINGS

As per observations from the research the following findings were made:

 The service centers in Burkina are very expe nsive to afford making them inaccessible to the average car user.

 There is the tendency of people to undertake their major repairs out of Burkina.

 Wrong workshop procedures create delays in vehicles‟ delivery to the customers

 Safety is too often neglected (fire extinguishers, first aid, etc).

 Poor approach to the work from the mechanics and their supervisors leading to inaccurate diagnosis and repairs.

 Insufficient administrative work such as reception, accounting, stores, etc.

 Technological back draw.

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 Bad working conditions and insufficient motivation lead ing to loss of productivity.

 Insufficient access to original spare parts.

5.3 CONCLUSION

The reason for this research was to design a suitable workshop with particular reference to Burkina-Faso. The available information collected indicated that the service centers in Burkina-Faso were too expensive to afford and this renders them difficult for both middle and low income earning customers to patronize their services. For this reason I have decided to design a modern automotive workshop in Burkina-Faso which will be more affordable compared to the main service centers whilst providing at least the same if not better in terms of quality.

5.2 RECOMMENDATION

In view of what has been observed on the field by the researcher, it is clearly shown that there is a need for the establishment of a well designed workshop with sound

organization and good working procedures. I therefore recommend the following measures to be implemented.

 The availability of genuine spare parts is very important; therefore the need for a well organized parts department.

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 A suitable location must be selected.

 The lighting and ventilation must be given careful consideration.

 The appropriate tools and equipment must be acquired.

 Safety and good working procedures must be put in application.  Control systems in the workshop must be implemented.

 Good atmosphere, respect and sufficient motivation must prevail in the workshop.  Collaboration with the manufacturer is recommended in order to stay abreast with

technology (diagnosis software, documentation).

 Proper fencing should be used for the land as well as the use of cement or tiles for the workshop floor, in order to ease tidiness.

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REFERENCES

1. Apreko A.A. (2008) Workshop Organization and Administration.

2. Bilworth, J.B (1989) Operations Management. (Eight Edition) New York: Mc Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Page 5-6

3. Chandler B. (1986) Motor vehicle Workshop Organization and Administration. (Fourth Edition) Oxford University Press, Walton Street: Oxford University Press.

4. Dolan, J.A (1989) Motor Vehicle Technology and Practical, Great Britain: Heineman Educational Books.

5. Holmes L. (2001) Odhams Motor Manual, (Second Edition) New York.

6. Kotler .P, Armstrong G, Saunders .J and Wrong .V. (2002) Principles of Marketing, (Third Edition) England: British Library Publishers.

7. Nissan Diesel Garage design.

8. Stevenson, W.J. (1987) Operations Management (8th Edition) New York: Mc Graw-Hill Companies Inc.

9. Toyota Company. (2006) Japan: Toyota Market Planning and Division.

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DAY: Tuesday DATE: 8/10/09 Job no

Customer Reg. no Type/

Make

Deadline Date Shop sections Key

8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 A B C D E F G H I 03 Kwaku GT16661S Toyota Camry X X X X / A-Service 09 Joe Mensah ER 2000 W Toyota Hilux 9 X X X / B-Repair 15 Frank Ayisi GW 9076 U Toyota Corolla X X X C-Electrical

18 Bob Lee GE 1800 C Toyota

Echo X X X X X D-Panel 20 Sam Otwo GW 1900 G Toyota Landcruis er 10 X X / / X / E-Paint 27 Yaw Mintah AS 1600 H Toyota Corona X X X X X F-brakes G-Fuel system H-Steering I-Final inspection Fig 2.4 WORKSHOP LOADING CHART

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Hrs available 35 hrs Customer Job No Model/Make Reg. no Brief details of work Est. time Due out Mechanic Name 8 -9 ₉-10 ₁₀-11 ₁₁-12 ₁-2 ₂-3 ₃-4 ₄-5 I. Barnes 002 Coaster GR 1900 C 1500 km Service 4 12 Gyimah

K. Agye 010 Land Cruiser GW

1780

Steering box repair

6 2 Alberto

Yaw Addo 008 Echo GR

1960 F

Decarbonize cyl. Head

8 Owusu

Nii Lantei 005 Hilux ER

1000 C Replace clutch assembly 7 3 Darko Odeei Yemoha 014 Prado AS 4100 P Gearbox repair 7 13 Mensah Seowah Akoto 003 Avensis ER 1080 C 10 000km service 3 11 Johnson

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