ISN Garage Assist Blog

Garage services have always been an integral part of the automotive industry – even though it is not the most glamourous or big money maker within the sector, it has always been working away in the background producing great results for the UK economy. Garage businesses have had to adapt more than ever over the last twelve months to ensure vehicle owners stay safe on the roads. And with little interruption to proceedings (even with nationwide lockdowns) the importance of garage services should not be underestimated – especially in the current climate! More and more vehicles are in need of servicing...

ISN Europe today officially launched ISN Garage Assist, a new trading platform formally replacing the AMN Garage Assist (formerly AMN Garage Services) trading name. James Boon, Executive Chairman, ISN Europe explained;  “This transition means so much more than just a change of name. ISN Garage Assist represents the coming together of the original AMN business, which provides multi-brand installation, service, maintenance, repairs and calibrations, with the aftersales division of Hofmann Megaplan, the market leader in garage equipment.” Operating as one co-ordinated entity, the new-look operation will be based out of the ISN Europe office in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, bringing together two administrative...

  Anyone who has worked within the automotive garage industry will know exactly what the brand Hofmann Megaplan means. A premium status doesn’t just come for free, and our many years ofexperience and willingness to perfect high-quality garage equipment has well and truly paid off. For numerous years now we have been the UK’s premium garage equipment supplier of choice; providing complex, top of the range tyre machines up and down the country – with customer service that any global brand would be proud of. Day in and day out, our team have been amazing! However, to further our cause even...

We know everyone is fed up of hearing about the coronavirus now – the year 2020 has been plagued with the news and reality of the virus affecting so many and impacting massively on the global economy. But for the garage sector, the end of Q2 and all of Q3 has been geared towards fighting back strongly to ensure the survival of numerous businesses. With the end of the MOT exemption and the furlough scheme, the beginning of Autumn saw the increase of vehicle users returning to the roads for work, and then the obvious demand for MOT servicing. Most garages...

Development takes place in every industry. It is inevitable. And for business owners, it is highly welcomed to enhance the prowess of their services – the automotive garage sector is no different. The past few decades have seen some of the most advanced technology come to the forefront of the automotive industry; the introduction of electric/hybrid vehicles, the use of ADAS systems within a vehicle to make driving even easier for road users, the development of garage software to complete routine services...we could go on. But these developments combined with the increasing need to service brand new technology, poses many questions...

We are proud to introduce and be operating out of our brand-new National Distribution Centre in Ramsey – all our incredible premium garage equipment is assembled, packed and shipped out from our site...directly to you! Our team of engineers have been working hard before, during and after the first wave of the global pandemic to ensure the efficiency of our operations at this new site. And despite COVID completely ruining the year for many industries and businesses, the automotive sector has boomed, and our team has been busier than ever. Setting the standard... Making sure every tyre fitting machine is up...

The testing numbers are in and no-one could have expected 3.7 million MOTs would be carried out in September - not even the DVSA. After receiving mixed reviews, the DVSA’s “Beat the Rush” campaign has been shown to have brought in over one million vehicle owners, that in turn brought their MOT test forward last month but were not due until between October 2020 and January 2021. The campaign that was released early in August to encourage vehicle owners to bring forward their MOT test, also shows that 310,000 more tests were carried out in August this year – an extra...

Over the duration of the lockdown months, the focus of the MOT sector has been set on the six-month extension announced by the DVSA - due to this, other areas of the MOT world (including MOT connected equipment) have taken a backseat. Since the end of the lockdown, the DVSA’s “Beat the Rush” campaign has taken centre stage – often with mixed reviews. The success of the rollout of Connected Roller Brake Testers back in October 2019 and Connected Decelerometers in February this year, is still unknown. However, a lot of garages have been experiencing some difficulties in working the connectivity,...

Investing in the best premium garage equipment is only the start for your business. To really get the most out of it & operate efficiently, some additional device are key. Most garage owners believe that just the essential garage equipment (tyre changer, wheel balancers, wheel aligner etc.) will be enough to grow their business & make them money. Investing in premium tyre fitting machines is a great start, but there are other obstacles to overcome.  Add to this the additional work something like an alignment check can create & if you're not kitted out for the job you could see hours wasted.  Ancillary...

The government has announced new changes and restrictions to the guidelines surrounding the ongoing pandemic. A lot of industries and businesses have been affected once again. What do the recent changes mean for MOT garages? At the moment, the new restrictions do not affect MOT garages. Although the government put an MOT extension in place at the beginning or April, MOT testing has continued and been carried out safely, with everyone’s health in mind throughout the pandemic. Due to the incredible work by garages across the UK over the past 7 months MOT service has continued without interruption. There is no...

Many testing garages are raising the issue that the DVSA’s “Beat the Rush” Campaign isn’t doing enough to help with the incredible demand expected for the Autumn months.  The campaign calls on garages to urge their customers to bring forward their MOT test to spread out the increase in testing demand this autumn, across the remaining months in 2020.  A number of vehicle owners continue to put off their MOT test until the end of the 6-month exemption period, with many owners not wanting to pay out for the test and any associated fixes, as they are still on furlough.  Throughout August, the DVSA has stated that over 20,000 extra tests have been performed daily...

As a premium supplier of garage equipment in the UK and across Europe, we understand the complexities of developing incredible garage services equipment - and supplying the customer service to run alongside these amazing machines. So, when we receive approval from some of the greatest automotive manufacturers in the world, it means everything to us and a whole lot more to you. You know you are getting the best! You can take advantage of: The finest technology available on the marketSlick design featuresCompletely automated processesReliable, intelligent safety features Only the finest garage services equipment! Boasting approvals & recommendations from BMW, Mercedes-Benz...

The latest DVSA figures show that an extra 20,000 MOT tests have been conducted every day so far this month. Garages have been pushed to their limits with the number of MOTs they are performing every day. At the beginning of August, the DVSA predicted twice as many MOT tests would take place leading into September and the rest of the Autumn period. With an exceptional rise seen in August already, a new prediction of 200% above the normal levels of testing is now predicted at the peak of this recovery. In the its Matter of Testing blog, the DVSA said:...

The DVSA has stated it expects twice as many MOT tests to take place in September, October and November. From calibrations to your MOT Testing Bay Layout, now is the time to ensure you're ready for a busy end to 2020. The end of the MOT exemptions has bought with it speculation around just how big the MOT boom will be in what we have left of the year.Research from the DVSA suggests that from September, up to double the number of MOT tests will need to take place, a demand many garages are not ready for.While this may seem like a...

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="3.22" custom_padding="||0px|||"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.25" custom_padding="|||" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.27.4" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"] This essential document has been produced by the Garage Equipment Association (GEA), Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The "COVID-19 Protective Measures: Automotive Aftermarket Sector Industry Guidance and Best Practice" has been supplied by these leading bodies with the aim of educating those in garages, warehouses, mobile operations and parts distributors about safe operating practises surrounding the recent pandemic. It's content touches on every aspect of...

Could the end be in sight sooner than expected for the MOT Exemption?  Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Sunday night (10/05/2020), the GEA released a statement revealing they have been speaking to the DVSA. Part of this statement included a comment from the DVSA stating they would like to remove the Vehicle MOT extension program as soon as is practical to do so. With many now having reason to use their vehicles more regularly under the latest guidelines, this could be much sooner than the original 6-month extension. This new guidance is now encouraging many people to go back to...

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="section" _builder_version="3.22"][et_pb_row admin_label="row" _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.25" custom_padding="|||" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" _builder_version="3.27.4" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"] The AMN Garage Assist team is available & ready to help you serve the key workers of the UK. We are continuously monitoring the situation around COVID-19 & operating in line with the latest advice from the Government. It is essential now, more than ever, that we as a sector ensure the roads of the UK remain safe. While steps like the MOT exemption may mean owners are not required to ensure their vehicle is MOT'd, they must ensure it remains safe to...

We're overwhelmed with the care key workers in garages across the UK are taking to ensure others remain safe & able to travel in the isolation of their own vehicles.  We were recently able to complete the install of a brand new Digital ADAS system, along with handheld TreadReader for Central Autopoint.  ADAS Calibrations are an essential part of many jobs now & keep vehicles safe. The decision to invest in such technology shows a businesses dedication to offering the best service.  The handheld TreadReader allows technicians to check the health of your wheels without you having to leave your vehicle....

Every brand of garage equipment has its own nuisances. Different ways you’d deal with installing, servicing, parts & fixing.To that ends every business is also different, with different combinations of equipment, tools & techniques.All of this will need servicing so what's the solution? Have someone new turning up every other week to calibrate a different tool or service a lift? Someone else to chase for everything to ensure it is safe & compliant.Well no, that sounds terrible. What you need is a brand agnostic servicing solution. That’s one company that will handle all the calibrations & servicing no matter the make,...

It's not exactly news to many that ADAS Diagnostics was a hot topic throughout 2019 – and so far, our prediction of little let-up moving into 2020, has been spot on! But for many looking to invest in this state-of-the-art equipment, ADAS diagnostics has become the biggest technological headache of the year so far. ADAS like most new technology when it is first introduced is an unknown. It is highly anticipated and can be viewed as another unnecessary expense. But with these sensors now commonplace on consumer vehicles, you risk falling behind the curve if not investing & missing out on...