ISN Garage Assist Blog

Over the years, our range has continued to develop into one of the most comprehensive offerings available in the UK market. In fact, Hofmann Megaplan have one of the largest choices of alignment and balancing products the industry has to offer. Last year, the company invested in a further 20,000sqft of warehousing to be able to accommodate an expansion of the range; an expansion that saw several new wheel alignment products added and an increase in the availability of the product that cemented our popularity across the industry and is still to this day our best-selling line – wheel balancers. One...

The rate at which UK cars that have missed their MOT by more than three weeks is becoming increasingly alarming. During the last six months that number has tripled, and it could be in relation to the MOT exemption period, which was in place during 2020. Initially discovered by Kwik-Fit, the flexibility offered to vehicle owners last April has caused some confusion for motorists in keeping their MOT up to date. The national fast-fit operation’s latest MOT data found that one-in-eleven drivers (9%) booking their MOT test in the last six months, only did so three or more weeks after their...

ADAS has become a bit of Buzz word in the motor industry recently but, in reality, we’ve all been living with various forms of it for many years. From Anti-lock braking (ABS) and electronic stability programs (ESP) to adaptive cruise control using radar technology, our vehicles have been silently assisting us to enjoy a safer driving experience for years. So, what’s new about ADAS then? ADAS Technology in 2021... ADAS is not new, it’s the way it’s been integrated with other systems in vehicles to take safety and comfort for drivers and other road users to another level that’s the interesting...

Due to the impact of the six-month MOT exemption last April when the pandemic started, the DVSA are now encouraging vehicle owners to get the relevant health checks on their cars as fewer vehicles will need an MOT during April & May. The next few months could become a challenging time for garages across the industry, but the DVSA is taking steps to ensure that business owners are not alone now that MOT work is set to reduce. On March 5th, the DVSA launched a new campaign ‘Whatever your essential journey, make it SAFE’, as the previous ‘Beat the Rush’ launch...

Everyone has started to notice them popping up in their local town or village and they’re even more popular with those living in the city. Electric Cars or EVs, is the hot topic in the automotive industry and also a subject widely debated in parliament. For those of us who work within this sector, it is clear to see where the automotive industry is heading so for garage business owners, being one step ahead of the curve isn't a bad thing. The basics of an Electric Vehicle… We’ve seen the ads – Tesla, Volkswagen, Jaguar…the list goes on! But what truly...

Without taking a look on Google, could you have a guess at how many class 4 vehicles failed their MOTs last year? The Answer: 1.27 million That is a huge number of failures and a lot of garages are finding that they’re down to faults relating to exhaust emissions, especially with diesel engine vehicles, since new MOT regulations were introduced in May 2018. In fact, the last two years have seen more cars fail their MOT due to emissions than in any previous year. The regulations were brought in to reduce the number of vehicles producing excessive emissions, meaning manufacturers have...

Everywhere you look, there is another brand of garage equipment promoting the “BEST” tyre machine on the market. In an industry where it can be hard to stand out from the crowd, sticking in the minds of a garage business owner is a near impossibility. However, some garage equipment brands have taken the leap from being a standard equipment provider to supplying a premium product with the ultimate premium service. And they’ve done this by establishing a reputation for high quality product and maintaining incredible standards for years, even decades. The garage servicing market is extremely competitive and we know that...

The automotive world is changing. The development and progression in numerous sectors within the industry, means that we are beginning to see changes wherever we turn. For all of us working in garage services, our attention must be drawn to vehicles and technologies that are next to be introduced to the UK market, and how that affects the garage equipment that we use daily. We’ve already seen how the use of ADAS systems in vehicles, has led to garage owners investing in specialist technology to service such systems, and to technicians undergoing training to keep pace with the technology. So, what...

We always knew that the service we offer our clients is good but now it’s even better! Hofmann Megaplan have partnered with garage services provider ISN Garage Assist. Formerly trading as AMN Garage Assist (and AMN Garage Services before that), ISN Garage Assist has become a growing (and glowing) force within the ISN Europe group; offering unrivalled garage equipment installation, service and maintenance, plus MOT bay design, installation and management... the list goes on! This alliance will see the integration of Hofmann Megaplan’s incredible customer service, especially within the wheel alignment arena, and ISN Garage Assist’s installation and equipment maintenance services...

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...