Provide technical support and advice to colleagues in automotive environments
Overview
This standard is about providing a range of technical support to other automotive work colleagues. It includes ensuring technical information is up to date and giving technical advice, instruction and briefings to colleagues.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- check vehicle technical information is up to date and accessible to relevant colleagues
- check colleagues have the correct technical resources to carry out their work
- promptly and correctly identify any additional resources required
- promptly report any problems affecting the work operations to your manager
- respond promptly and positively to requests for technical support and advice
- provide colleagues with clear instruction on:
- product updates
- technical tasks
- what the results should be
- how they should perform tasks
- the standard that must be achieved
- deliver technical instruction and demonstrations in a manner and at a speed that is appropriate to the individual(s) concerned
- give on-going technical support and advice to colleagues
- ensure your support and advice is technically accurate and in line with:
- manufacturer’s instructions
- your organisation's and legal requirements
- choose the most effective situation for giving support and advice to colleagues
- give colleagues time to consider your response and give further explanation when appropriate, checking they have fully understood
- identify and correct mistakes in a way which supports your colleague’s self-confidence and praise them when they perform tasks correctly
- check the work of colleagues at regular intervals and take prompt action to resolve problems
- suggest possible methods for improving the work of colleagues to your manager, when necessary
- carry out your checks in a cost effective and efficient manner that is not detrimental to the smooth running of the business
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
Legislative and organisational requirements and procedures
- the legislation and workplace procedures relevant to:
- health and safety
- employee rights and responsibilities
- the environment including disposal of waste
- appropriate personal and vehicle protective equipment
- the type of vehicle being worked on
- legal requirements relating to the vehicle (including road safety requirements)
- your workplace procedures for:
- recording fault location and correction activities
- reporting the results of tests
- the referral of problems
- reporting delays to the completion of work
- gaining up to date technical information and repair methods
- the importance of working to recognised procedures and processes and obtaining the correct information for automotive work activities to proceed
- the importance of documenting automotive work information
- the importance of working to agreed timescales and keeping others informed of any delays
- the relationship between time, costs and productivity
- the importance of promptly reporting anticipated delays to the relevant person(s)
- the hazards associated with high voltage electrical vehicle components
Personal skills
- how to recognise when a colleague needs support
- how to give straightforward presentations on technical matters
- how to file and store technical information
- how to instruct colleagues and demonstrate tasks clearly and correctly, using coaching and mentoring skills
- how to conduct effective checks of your colleague’s work
- how to choose the best action to take when work is not in line with requirements
- how to discuss colleague’s work with them in a way that will encourage them to be positive and not lead to conflict
- how to give advice and guidance in a way that is appropriate to the colleague you are supporting
- how to recognise a training need
- what might happen if you undermine colleagues' self-confidence when correcting mistakes
- the importance of liaising with your manager when evaluating others' work and giving feedback
- the importance of continuous development and learning
Scope/range
- Support, advice and guidance may be about any of the following:
- fault finding
- fault correction
- customer handling
- time (productivity)
- tools
- equipment
- materials
- technical information
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
This section contains examples and explanations of some of the terms used but does not form part of the standard.
Alternative fuel
This is defined as any type of fuel that may be used to power an internal combustion engine, examples would include LPG, bio ethanol etc.
Manufacturers
Examples include vehicle and product or equipment manufacturers.
Methods for improving the work of colleagues
Examples include further training, on-the-job coaching, giving people more appropriate responsibilities
Problems
Examples include equipment, tool and material shortfalls and faults; sustainability, using consumables to full potential, requirements for new resources; lack of technical information; staffing or workload problems; communication skills, inclusivity, training needs etc.
Situation for giving support and advice
Examples include one-to-one during a work activity, one-to-one away from a work activity, or to the whole team.
Support and advice
Examples include demonstrations, instruction and briefings.
Technical information
This could be hard copy, electronic information or verbal advice.
Vehicles
Light vehicles, heavy goods and public service vehicles, motorcycles, heavy vehicle trailers and lift trucks, to include SI, CI, Hybrid, Electric or alternative fuel vehicles.