In my last column, I talked about the tools you need to improve quality and efficiency in your tire shop.
In addition to the right tools, you also need your technicians to perform the various processes in your shop correctly. The only way to ensure they are is to watch your technicians work with a critical eye so that you can determine if additional training is needed and/or identify where shortcuts are being taken and need correcting.
As J.R. Tata, founder of India's largest industrial enterprise, said: "Productivity and efficiency can be achieved only step by step with sustained hard work, relentless attention to details and insistence on the highest standards of quality and performance."
- This article appears in the Nov. 30 edition of Tire Business.
While he created India's first airline and oversaw the dramatic expansion of Tata Group, the same principles apply to you industry stalwarts whose business empires service commercial truck and bus tires here in North America.
To start, all of your commercial technicians servicing tire/wheel assemblies must be trained as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has the most comprehensive Commercial Tire Service Technician Certification Program in North America and all of your technicians should be certified. This is a critical requirement for reaching the highest standards of quality and performance in addition to keeping them safe on the job.
There are several things to look for when evaluating technicians while they service tires. The work they perform is not rocket science, but attention to details is critical.
There are numerous details you should look for in order to reach the highest quality work performance, including: