Hi, I’m Martyn Alexander of Newcastle Hino and as part of winning the 2014 Service award at the Hino Skills Contest I won a trip to Japan to genchi genbutsu, and represent Australia at the Hino International Assembly of Contest Winners. I had never been to Japan before so I didn’t know what to expect!
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Martyn Alexander of Newcastle Hino
To receive an award at the Hino International Assembly recognising my performance amongst 27 other international representatives was very humbling, but I knew this trip would be more than a pat on the back. I had my eyes and ears open so I could learn as much as possible.
Upon arrival at Tokyo Haneda airport I was greeted by Kazutoshi Watanabe of Hino Japan, who would be my guide for the trip. He was very friendly and knowledgeable in all things Hino and was more than happy to explain and translate things I couldn’t understand.
The first big event of my stay was attending the Hino Japan Skills Contest at the Chainon 21 training facility. The competition was world-class and I was quite impressed by the efficient, detailed service techniques some of the entrants displayed. It was truly inspirational and motivating.
After a day off to visit iconic Mount Fuji, I was well-rested and ready for what was the highlight of my visit – a plant tour with Hino Motors Limited’s Senior General Manager, Takeshi Yasuda. With the help of my guide Watanabe-san, I was taken through the process of assembling a Hino truck, and in the time it took me to walk through a new 700 Series had been assembled!
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I had never seen anything like it. It had taken about 45 minutes to an hour to put together the biggest truck in the Hino range. It’s absolutely breathtaking how meticulously organised the assembly plant is.
The ethos at the HML plant had me in awe, but I was not all that surprised. The training we receive in Australia is of the same standard as in Japan. The Hino mantra remains the same universally for development; it’s about kaizen, or continual improvement.
The processes we employ in our own workshops are much the same as in Japan. Our workshop manuals give simple, efficient steps to diagnose or rectify any mechanical or electrical issue. There’s no messing around and having to go back and forth on the vehicle.
A trip to the Hino Auto Plaza museum left a lasting impression. It was a real eye-opener and put the company into perspective for me. It was surreal to be in the country where Hino started, seeing the evolution of the company and the vehicles in a museum. It made me so proud to be a part of it all.
The kaizen system also works well for us at Newcastle Hino. In 2013 and 2014 we were named Hino Dealer of the Year, no doubt helped by the implementation of improvements in our operations to minimise unproductive or inefficient practices. This ensures quick and high quality service, something we pride ourselves highly on.
The dedication of HML employees to the product, the brand and their own continual improvement was something I took home and tried to apply to my day-to-day duties. After coming third in the skills contest in 2012, second in 2013 and finally first place in 2014, I now know that it won’t be the pinnacle of my personal improvements, and inspired by my Japanese counterparts, it should be an ongoing journey and not just a destination.
I’d like to thank Newcastle Hino and AHG for the opportunity to spend the last eight-and-a-half years developing and refining my skills as a service technician. Our Dealer Principal, Kevin Purcell, has always been supportive of our entire team’s development. A very big thanks also to Steve Lotter, Greg Bleasel and Gus Belanszky at HMSA for running a world-class skills contest which helps motivate us all to continually improve.
- Martyn Alexander