Industry and Society Aim To investigate the effects of the technological impact on the motor industry.
Introduction Over the past twenties Years technological development in the motor industry has been rapid. With the introduction of semiconductor technology, vehicles have become more sophisticated and complex, indications are that this trend will continue to gather pace. But what effect will this have on the retail and repair sector of the industry in which we work? There are many benefits to the customer who wishes to purchases vehicles equipped with high technology, such as: (a) Reduced servicing frequency (b) Improved reliability (c) Reduced maintenance costs (d) More choice (e) More features and accessories (f) Better economy (g) Improved performance However, many of the customer benefits will result in problems for the automotive service industry, such as: (a) More technology "" less work (b) Complex fault diagnostic procedures (c) Changes in technician skill emphasis "" less practical more analytical (d) Need for sophisticated and expensive diagnostic aids (e) Changes to training strategy "" need to take onboard high tech and objectives of the company (f) Changes to the role of the technician "" two tier structure (g) Organisational and management changes to make the company responsive to market changes, efficient and cost effective, and yet maintain "ÃÂquality' of service It is envisaged that the industry will be segmented into three broad areas: (1) Low volume, high tech, diagnostic and major repair (2) High volume, low tech, e.g.
Halfords
English: Halfords at the Ocean Park retail park in...
English: The mobility range at a branch of Halford...consumables and servicing (3) Specialisation, e.g. engine management and transmissions Task Objectives For this assignment I am going to address the following issues associated with the technological development of the industry; (1) Changes in market demand - Marketing strategy - Product obsolescence - Product development - Specialist services (2) Changes in resource requirements - Equipment needs -...