SUMMER INTERNSHIP REPORT-

MAY 2015

BY,

ZAIN SHARIFF

BACHELORS OF TECHNOLOGY- MECHANICAL

CHRIST UNIVERSITY- INDIA

STUDENT ID NO.:1358504

CONTENTS

PREFACE

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

TOPICS COVERED OVER THE COURSE OF

THE INTERNSHIP

PREFACE

Being a part of one of the leading universities in the country, Christ University makes it

mandatory for its students to pursue as many internships as possible. I personally see this

as an opportunity to bridge the gap between theoretical study and the actual corporate

environment. Internship provides us with an insight into the actual working of an

organization

It’s not every day when you get to work in such a big organization and under the

influence of pioneers in the automotive industry. Firstly, I would like to extend my

heartfelt thanks to Mr. Paul Wright-NSD Director for giving me this opportunity to

pursue my internship at AJVA Ford. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Mr.

Anas, Mr. Ricardo and Mr. Ahmed Sagri for their continuous support and mentorship.

They guided me thru each and every topic very meticulously despite them being so busy.

I am sure each and every thing I learnt here will shape my future career.

Being a part of AJVA Ford, I came across various new topics which weren’t part of our

curriculum. I gained an insight into the Body Shop Management and also was able to

clearly understand the QUICKLANE concept. The working environment was a very

fresh experience for me. Meeting new people with different perspectives and ideas are

some of the experiences I shall carry on forth and reflect upon them in my future career.

I perceive this opportunity to be a changing point in my life and hope to use the gained

knowledge in my future endeavors. Hope to continue cooperation with you in the future.

ZAIN SHARIFF

1) ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

1.1 FORD MOTOR COMPANY

The brand says it all. Ford is one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in the world. It has a rich 100 year old

history which takes the company back to the early 1900s. The Ford motor company was founded by Henry Ford

way back in 1906. The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and most

luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. Ford is the second-largest U.S.-based automaker (preceded by General

Motors) and the fifth-largest in the world based on 2010 vehicle sales. At the end of 2010, Ford was the fifth

largest automaker in Europe. Ford is the eighth-ranked overall American-based company in the 2010 Fortune

500 list, based on global revenues in 2009 of $118.3 billion. In 2008, Ford produced 5.532 million automobiles

and employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. The ford motor company

is currently headed my William Clay Ford, Jr., great-grandson of Henry Ford who serves as the executive director

of the company. Mark Fields is the current CEO of the company and was appointed on June 1, 2014.

PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST:

Ford's market presence in the Middle East has traditionally been small. Ford and Lincoln vehicles are currently

marketed in ten countries in the region. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE are the biggest markets. Ford also

established itself in Egypt in 1926, but faced an uphill battle during the 1950s due to the hostile nationalist

business environment. Ford's distributor in Saudi Arabia announced in February 2003 that it had sold 100,000

Ford and Lincoln vehicles since commencing sales in November 1986. Half of the Ford/Lincoln vehicles sold in

that country were Ford Crown Victoria.

Ford holds its presence in the Saudi Arabian region in the name of AJVA Ford- Al

Jazirah Vehicles Agency. Saudi Arabia is the home of two of the world’s largest car

showrooms in Dammam and Jeddah respectively.

1.2 About Al Jazirah Vehicles Agency.

Ever since its inception in 1987, AJVA has gone on to become the largest ford

dealer in the world. The AJVA group is the sole distributor of FORD and

LINCOLN vehicles in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also one of the

largest companies in the Saudi automotive market. The company's

network covers all three regions of Saudi Arabia. Al-Jazirah owns the

two largest Ford showrooms in the world in Dammam and in Jeddah, as

well as the largest warehouse for Ford spare parts in Jeddah.

They comprise of:

24 show rooms for Ford vehicles;

48 sophisticated maintenance workshops;

60 spare parts centers;

4 integrated central warehouses.

73 maintenance centers to serve vehicle renting clients.

Brands Marketed And Distributed By AJVA

1.3 SOME OF THE FAMOUS CAR MODELS SOLD IN SAUDI ARABIA:

FORD FOCUS FORD TAURUS

FORD MUSTANG FORD EXPEDITION

FORD EXPLORER LINCOLN NAVIGATOR

2) Topics covered over the course of the internship

2.1 AUTO BODY SHOP MANAGEMENT Over the course of the internship, I was introduced to Mr. Paul Wright who serves as The Group Service

Director for NSD – National Service Division For AJVA Ford. AJVA offers second to none after sales service for

all FORD and Lincoln vehicles in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They are known for their excellent after sales

services which have made them pioneers in the Saudi automotive industry. I was assigned to Mr. Anas and Mr.

Ricardo Rodriguez- National Body shop Technical Trainer. Mr. Ricardo guided me thru the complete functioning

of body shops in the kingdom. He gave me an insight into various management tools implemented.

2.1.1 WORKSHOP EMPLOYEMENT STRUCTURE

A body shop is a facility where vehicles damaged by an accident are brought in for a complete Refurbishment.

The Sulai branch is the largest body shop in the kingdom in terms of size and revenue.

Below is a short summary of what all I covered with Mr. Ricardo:

Once an accident takes place, a Najm reports is filed and further more a police report is filed. The vehicle is then

brought to the BS.

Reception supervisor collects all the necessary documents such as Isthemarah( Registration

Certificate), Police report, Iqama (Residence ID) etc. These documents are passed to the Body Shop

advisor

BS Advisor is responsible to perform an initial inspection of the damaged vehicle and to also open a job

card, identify all the areas where servicing is required.

Estimator: The estimator further inspects the vehicle in only the areas specified by the advisor. The

estimator identifies the parts required and lists them out in a document called “Accident Report

Estimate” which lists out the necessary repairs and parts required along with the part numbers and

cost. The estimator also coordinates with the parts department for a full quotation of all the parts

required and also their availability. The final document is then approved by the customer or sent to the

insurance company for further approval. Once approved, the job card is sent to the controller.

Controller: The controller inputs into the system all the required details such time allocations, which

task should be assigned to which department, ensure smooth delivery of materials to the concerned

service departments etc. All these details are entered into the job card.

BS Team Leader: distributes the job card to various departments and provides guidance, instruction,

direction and leadership to the various teams

The production area is further divided into:

Mechanics: All the damaged parts of the car are removed mechanically.

Denters: The required parts are taken from the parts store and fixed into the vehicle

Electricians: Handle all the electrical connections of the vehicle.

Painting team:

a. Painting team leader: Is in charge of the painting department.

b. Painters: Handles the painting operations of the vehicle.

Once the painting is done, the painting team leader inspects the vehicle to ensure the painting is properly done.

Once the inspection is done, the vehicle is handed out to the fitters.

Fitters handle the fitting of major parts such bumpers, bonnets etc. (in case of a major accident)

and also minor parts.

After all the fittings have been done, the vehicle is then sent for polishing.

Polishing: In case of scratches due to the fitting operations, polishing of the vehicle is done to

ensure the vehicle is in perfect condition.

Note: In case of scratches due to the fitting operations, proper rectification is done.

Quality Controller: Once the polishing is done, the vehicle is handed out to the quality controller

who performs the final inspection of the entire vehicle. Road testing is also carried out on the

vehicle. If the vehicle passes the inspection, it is ready for delivery to the customer. Otherwise if the

vehicle fails the final inspection, it is sent back to the production area for further servicing.

Cost Clerk: Once the quality controller completes the final inspection, the vehicle is ready for

delivery. The cost clerk closes the job card.

Once the servicing is completed and the job card is closed, the advisor informs the customer to

collect his/her vehicle.

2.1.2 INDEPENDENT ROLES IN AN AUTO BODY SHOP:

Role of a reception supervisor

As a reception supervisor:

I would ask the customer to submit all the relevant documents namely Iqama, Vehicle

Registration Papers, Driving License, Insurance Papers etc.

I will go thru all the documents to check whether they are up to date.

Once all the documents are checked, I will ask the customer to leave the vehicle at a specified

place.

I will the forward all the documents to the advisor.

Role of an Advisor

As an advisor,

I will initially go thru all the documents received from the receptionist.

I will then open a job card under the customer’s name.

I will perform a general pre inspection of the entire vehicle, thereby identifying possible

areas needing servicing (example: Damaged Bumper)

Once the extent of damaged has been identified, I will fix an appointment with the

customer to discuss all the necessary details of required servicing and parts required

Upon completion of the inspection, I will enter all the details into the job card (Computer

Entry).

Once all the details are entered, I will forward the job card to the Estimator.

Role of an Estimator

As an estimator,

I will go thru the job card prepared by the Advisor.

Based on the inspection report prepared by the advisor, I will further inspect the damaged

vehicle.

I will identify all the parts and necessary servicing to be done on the damaged vehicle and

enter them into the “Accident Report Estimate”.

I will coordinate with the parts department to check the availability of all the required

parts. I will also note down all the parts which are not available in the inventory and need

to be ordered.

I will prepare a full quotation of the total cost of servicing and the parts required.

a. The customer is then called to the office to discuss and negotiate the

necessary pricing details. I then provide a full quotation to the customer

and once the customer is satisfied with everything, all the documents are

then signed by the customer. I then forward the job card to the

controller.

(OR)

b. If the customer has an insurance policy, then all the documents are

forwarded to the insurance company. The insurance company sends a

surveyor to inspect the vehicle. Once the surveyor approves all the

documents, I forward the job card to the controller.

Role of a controller

As a controller,

I will go thru the “Accident Report Estimate” prepared by the estimator.

Depending on the type of servicing the damaged vehicle requires, I will divide the work

into different teams and also mention the time estimate for each job.

I will be continuously coordinating with the team leaders regarding delivery of parts

from the part store.

Role of a Team Leader

As a team leader,

I have to completely study the work plan prepared by the controller and make sure the

concerned teams are informed of what their tasks are.

I am responsible for the efficient functioning of all the teams as a whole.

I have to make sure the work is properly divided between groups.

I have to make multiple inspections on the damaged vehicle to make sure that the servicing is

up to the expected standards.

I have to display effective leadership qualities to ensure the work is done efficiently.

Provide timely instructions to the workers and also guiding them.

Coordinate with the controller regarding availability and delivery of all the required parts.

Role of a mechanic

As a mechanic,

I have to dismount all the damaged parts using the right tools.

Once all the damaged parts are removed, I hand the car over to the denters.

Role of a Denter

As a Denter,

Once all the damaged parts are removed by the mechanics, I have to make sure that all the new parts are fixed.

I have to continuously coordinate with my team leader regarding the parts delivery and in case I need extra parts, I need to inform him/her.

Role of an electrician

As an electrician,

I am responsible for all the electrical connections in the systems. I make sure all the electronic systems are fully functional and up to the mark.

Role of painting team/Painting team leader

As a painter,

I am responsible to carry out the complete painting of the vehicle based on the

instructions received from the team leader.

As a painting team leader,

Once the painting of the car is done, I have to inspect the car to make sure the job is up

to the mark.

After complete inspection, my team hands the car over to the fitters.

Role of fitters

As a fitter,

I fix all the other major parts such as bumpers, head lights etc.

After completion, the vehicle is handed over for polishing.

Role of Polishing Team

We carry out the final polishing on the car to make sure the vehicle Is in pristine condition before being handed over to the customer.

Role of Quality Controller

As a quality controller,

After the complete servicing of the car, I carry out the final inspection of the vehicle before delivery to the customer.

I also perform a road test to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly. Once the inspection is completed, I sign on the required documents. The job card is handed over to the cost clerk.

Role of cost clerk

Upon completion of the final inspection by the quality controller, the vehicle is ready for delivery. I make sure all the due accounts are settled. Once all the payments are made, I close the job card.

2.1.3 BODYSHOP MANAGEMENT TOPICS:

KPI- Key Performance Indicator. A set of quantifiable measures that a company or industry uses to gauge or compare performance in

terms of meeting their strategic and operational goals. KPIs vary between companies and industries,

depending on their priorities or performance criteria.

As part of my study of KPI used for AJVA Body shops, I came across the following parameters used to

measure the KPI.

Available Hours: - Defined as the fixed number of labor hours a worker(S) has to complete in a day.

Clocked Hours: Number of actual working hours completed by a technician.

Idle hours: Number of hours not utilized for any useful work.

Sold Hours: Total no. of service hours invoiced on a particular day or can also be defined as the total

no. of labor hours a customer has paid for on that particular day.

Efficiency: Ratio of no. of sold hours to no. of clocked hours.

Utilization %: Ratio of no. of clocked hours to no. of available hours.

Production %: ratio of no. of sold hours to no. of available hours

BUDGET

A budget is an estimate of costs, revenues, and resources over a specified period, reflecting a reading of

future financial conditions and goals. Mr. Ricardo showed me the labor budget for the month of May. It had

the following parameters:

Actual earnings for 8 days.

Expected earnings according to the budget.

Budget for the whole month( 20 Working days)

Earnings %: Ratio of actual revenue by the revenue according to the budget.

2.2 QUICKLANE

The concept of Quick Lane was first

introduced in the US by the Ford Motor

company. It was implemented to cater to

the demands of faster after sales service. Customers started to show their dissatisfaction due to the

increased servicing time. In today’s fast moving world, Time is a very precious commodity.

Quick Lane is a retail concept designed to provide quality repairs and convenient maintenance service

for not only Ford vehicles, but for all cars, trucks, and SUVs, regardless of the make or model. Quick

Lane offers time-sensitive customers the convenience of quick, while-you-wait service at competitive

prices.

To meet the growing demand of faster after sales service and also due to increased vehicle sales,

Quick Lane was introduced in Saudi Arabia in the year 2012.

As part of the Quick Lane team, I was introduced to Mr. Ahmed Sagri who is the national Quick Lane

manager. He is responsible for the complete functioning of the department. His roles include planning,

creating budgets, taking all major decisions etc. He is the person who runs the whole show. As of now

Quick Lane is still a part of NSD and once all the legal proceedings have been taken care of, they will be

converted into a separate company.

Various Services Offered At Quick Lane Workshops:

Air Condition System servicing.

Exhaust

Suspension and steering

Wipers

Batteries

Oil and filter changes

Alternator and electrical system

Transmission service

Cooling system

Belts and hoses

Lamps and bulbs

Brake services

Tires rotations and balancing

Vehicle checkup report

Wheel Alignment.

Current status:-

As of now, there are a total of 16 operational branches in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More emphasis

has been given to the Riyadh region due to the massive geographical expansion of the region and also

owing to the high vehicle density of the region.

The Takhassusi Area Quick Lane branch was the very first quick lane outlet in the kingdom. Mr.

Ahmed Sagri –National Quick Lane manager labeled this branch as the best of the lot. This was

because of the fact that it is the highest revenue generating branch out of all.

Local Competitors:

PETROMIN EXPRESS

AC DELCO

AL ODAIB

IWS(Independent Workshops) & OIL & Local Tire Change Shops.

Many more upcoming brands in this sector are “ Mushrooming”

Brand Marketing Strategy:

The “FORD” tag name itself is more than enough to attract potential customers. However, extensive

marketing is done in the form advertisements in mass media such as newspapers, social media etc.

and also by the distribution of flyers.

Main Aim of the company:

Upon my conversation with Mr. Ahmed Sagri, he said that Quick Lane was set up to meet the growing

demands of the customers. Their main aim is to provide stiff competition to Petromin Express which is

currently the leader in express workshops with over 300 outlets in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They

also aim to generate maximum revenue from the juncture without compromising on quality servicing

thereby leading to increased customer satisfaction.

Quick Lane Vs Main Workshops:

I was at first really inquisitive about the venture. Does this concept of Quick Lane clash with the

functioning and revenue generation of The Main Workshops? How much does Quick Lane contribute

to the total revenue? These were some of the various questions which came to my head.

Mr. Ahmed explained that Quick lane contributed almost 30% of the total sales. As of 2014, the net

revenue for Quick Lane was about SR. 15 million. The number of customers has grown without

affecting the number of customers in the main workshops.

Future Targets:

According to the current scenario, there are only 16 quick lane outlets in the kingdom. Despite being a

new player in the market and also facing fierce competition from their competitors, AJVA aims to open

about 200 outlets in KSA over the next 5 years and become the no.1 Express car service provider in the

kingdom.

QUICK LANE (TAKHASSUSI BRANCH) I was fortunate to have a peek into the working of the Takhassusi branch

in person. The very first thing which caught my eye was the rush. All the

working bays were full and operational. It has the potential to handle 35

cars on a normal weekday. Those numbers can reach up to 70 on a

typical Saturday. I was show around the premises and noticed that the

functioning of the facility was the same as that of a typical body shop.

The following were my observations on my visit to the Takhassusi Quick Lane outlet:

All the services provided are to be completed within 2-3 hours max.

Job cards are prepared by the advisor and upon complete inspection; all the required services are duly entered into the job card.

All the required parts are mentioned into the job card and finally approved by the advisor.

The parts used in Quick Lane are MOTORCRAFT Parts (FORD OEM Approved Parts) Mighty Parts.(Approved By Ford)

Some of the various parts I saw were:

Batteries

Wipers

Oil and fuel Filters

Shock Absorbers( High demand)

Lubricants Dispensing System.

“As of 2013, the net worth of the Saudi Arabian Auto Market was estimated to be

$25.05 Billion!”

Internship Report submitted by: Acknowledged by:

Zain Shariff Mr. Paul Wright

Bachelors of Technology- Mechanical Engineering National Service Director

Student Of Christ University Al Jazirah Vehicles Agency

Bangalore- India Riyadh- Saudi Arabia