AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

management

18th May 1973, Page 68
18th May 1973
Page 68
Page 69
Page 68, 18th May 1973 — management
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

matters by John Darker AM B M

How Shell-Mex and BP choose foremen

FLEET MAINTENANCE foremen are a scarce breed of men. They are in the front line of management but are seldom given the recognition they deserve, either from those they supervise or their employers. The pay they can command in present conditions tends to be less than their market value in other industries, such as motor car production.

Is it realistic for road transport employers to hope to hire a good maintenance foreman for a salary of £2,200 to £2,800 in the provinces, and perhaps more in London?

One constraint on pay, particularly in the larger organizations, is the effect on higher levels of management salaries if foremen are paid what they are worth. Firms seek as foremen employees who are prepared to give dedicated service for unreasonably long hours for a reward which may well be less in money terms than skilled employees can notch up with some overtime and weekend work.

At the recent Scarborough conference of the National Co-operative Traffic Managers' Association, Mr J. Bellwood north-eastern regional transport manager of Shell-Mex and BP Ltd, presented an interesting case study devised by his company as an intelligent approach to the selection of maintenance foremen. It is not, I understand, a fully developed method, but the early results are promising enough for the technique to be further explored.

In essence, the method involves a 40-minute simulation of a foreman's typical day. Applicants for a foreman's vacancy are presented with a formidable budget of documents and told to read through the file making notes of points which would be relevant, and might require prompt action, if they were the responsible foreman.

The original file produced by Shell-Mex and BP for the simulation test contained no less than 34 bits of paper; the sample file presented at Scarborough was whittled down to 19 sheets.

If this seems a formidable budget to wade through it brings things into proportion to say that 10 of the sheets were copies of vehicle defect reports. I suspect that the 34-sheet file is by no means untypical of the paperwork digested by many maintenance foremen in their first hour on duty though there are likely to be many days when workshop supervision or higher management requirements means that the first batch of paperwork is not fully digested for a few hours.

The selection suite of 19 papers shown to me at Scarborough says on its introductory page: "These documents cover the main decision topics required by a candidate, but additional domestic vehicle maintenance repair documents relating to stores ordering, goods received notes, memoranda, technical bulletins, etc, can be added to provide a very full and complete model suite.

"Many of these supplementary documents are merely padding within the system to be largely discounted by the candidates but minor errors in compilation, correct signatories, etc, can be incorporated to heighten the challenge to the candidate on his perception of local administrative systems.

"Where a number of candidates for interview may be considerable, and the case study timing may conflict with the planned time duration of the interviews we have devised two sets of case studies (suite A and 13) which both minimizes the risk of collusion between candidates, and also hastens the process of selection of the interview panel."

Problems posed

The case study dealt with a depot with 27 delivery and five relief vehicles. Its staff comprised a foreman, a stores clerk, two chargehands and four tradesmen. Two shifts were worked from 06.00-14.00 and from 14.00-20.00. The foreman was on day shift, commencing work at 08.00. Each shift had its own chargehand.

The candidate is posed the following problem: "At 08.10 hours you study your mail and first shift is already on duty.

1. Your programmed work for the day is: 06.00-Leyland Octopus ALH916B — on 12,000-mile inspection 06.00 — AEC Mercury Artie 619 FGX /0592 — on 6000-mile inspection.

10.30 — Budget meeting with manager. 13.00 — New AEC Mammoth Major due for delivery.

14.00 — AEC Mammoth Major XYP 419 on 6,000-mile inspection. 16.00 — Leyland Comet SMD 291 due on annual test at DoE station.

2. The following unprogrammed work has arisen preceding your coming to work. AEC Mercury Artie 691 FGX /0925 — road accident 20 miles away — cab badly damaged — loaded condition — alleged brake failure — driver taken to hospital.

Previous night shift advised shortage of certain types of light bulbs. Ten driver defect reports requiring attention.

Day's mail for scrutiny and action.

The drivers' defect reports covered the following items. New floor mats needed; number plate light bracket loose; brakes defective (two vehicles); reversing lights keep turning on bracket; windscreen wiper blades faulty; hose reel faulty; speedo lights poor; using engine oil; poor pulling power and bad starting.

The case study suggests possible course of action: 1. (a) Send out relief tractor unit 169FGX (if available) with necessary semi-trailei changing gear or (b) Stop the 6,000-mile inspection on 61S EGX /0592, separate the tractor /semitrailer, and send unit to breakdown witl equipment.

2. Obtain spare driver to complete deliver3 after semi-trailer exchange.

3. Order breakdown vehicle to scene o accident. 4. Leave chargehand to carry on with ALH 916B (12,000-mile inspection), road test, adjustment and repairs.

5. Instruct fitter F.W. to clear defect 165209 :number plate and light bracket wobbling about) and advise transport office of 7.ompletion. Check mechanical state of /elides with defects 165215 ("Hose reels von't go back when they come out; No 3 neter wobbling about") and 165211; 'Engine oil level keeps rising but no oil is ver put in; engine pulling badly, sends out :lauds of smoke first thing.") and report indings later.

i. Instruct fitter J.H. to attend to two specified) defects and advise transport iffice when completed. Also road-test 'allele alleged to be pulling badly giving tention if called for to injection system ompressions and starting, and a further oad test.

. Phone agents to attend to depot lanager's car urgently.

Advise manager's secretary that budget ieeting may be delayed because of road ccident.

:heck vehicle history On returning from the accident job: . Advise management of the circumstances nd arrange repair attention. Check recent chicle history for evidence of previous rake faults /repairs.

Progress the vehicles in the workshop and >tablish the "vehicle off road" situation. Arrange for fresh timings for budget ieeting.

Check stores progress report on short ipply items.

Arrange for the second shift programme. The case study's final points called for a leek through outstanding documentation ad particularly inspection reports from the revious day as follows: SMD 271 — Paper jammed between -ake buzzer points — progress depot .anager to interview drivers.

JYM 401K — Steering defects and idiator water level faulty — guarantee pairs at agents.

The case study method applied to staff lection would be criticized by some fleet igineers as a bureaucratic procedure. Why )t "nurse along" a promising chargehand • fitter by gradual indoctrination with lice procedures and paperwork?

Modem requirements I suspect the answer for most sizeable ms is that traditional procedures have ready been followed. You can't scrape the irrel for ever; the shortage of good ganizers in the vital foremanship role is ready acute. The modern foreman must iderstand human relations — "loud puths" no longer fill the bill. He needs to capable of working to a budget and vising effective new work techniques to ake this possible.

It goes without saying that first-line pervisors should understand joint nsultation procedures and at least the diments of personnel management. If any m is using case study techniques to select Mc clerks — or transport accountants • I should like to hear from them.


comments powered by Disqus