Frequently
Asked Questions About
Automotive Retail Management Standards
Q1
How and why did ARMS originate?
Q2 Who are ARMS
designed for?
Q3 What is the programme
content of ARMS?
Q4 How can these
new standards and qualifications be used?
Q5 Will ARMS
become part of dealer standards?
Q6 How long
will it take to gain the ARMS qualifications?
Q7 Can I claim Accredited
Prior Learning (APL) for any of the units?
Q8 Is there any
funding available to support the cost of Arms?
Q9 Who awards the
Certificate and Diploma in ARMS?
Q10 Who will grade
my assignments?
Q11 Will I be able
to call upon help and support with my assignments when
I need it?
Q12 Will I need
to buy any special equipment?
Q13 How much of
my own time will I have to dedicate to research and
writing the assignments?
Q14 Does the ARMS
route follow a structured route or can I do the modules
whenever I please?
Q15 Are the ARMS
Qualifications the same as an NVQ Level 5?
Q16 When ARMS is
awarded will I also be awarded the equivalent NVQ?
Q17 When I enrol
into ARMS do I have IMI membership included in the price?
Q18 When I am awarded
the ARMS Diploma will I be eligible to to use MIMI or
FIMI after my name?
Q19 Can Insight
provide everything I need including all training programmes
and assessments?
If
you have a question that is not posted here, please
email your question to Jeff.Smith @ AskInsight.com
(no spaces)
and we will reply to your email as soon as we can
Q1:
How and why did ARMS originate?
A:
Until now the Motor Industry has not possessed any professional
Motor Industry-specific qualifications and as such dealer
management teams have received training from one manufacturer
or franchise, only to embark upon a similar training
programme if they are relocated to another dealership
holding a different franchise. Needless to say this
process can be very frustrating and is certainly not
the most cost-effective or indeed the most productive
way of developing your career.
The
project to deliver ARMS was a joint Motor Industry/DTI
initiative, launched in 2001 to improve the productivity
and competitiveness of the retail Motor Industry. The
20 manufacturer members of the car section of the Society
of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, joined with the
Retail Motor Industry Federation and members of the
National Franchised Dealers Association to deliver a
set of national retail management standards; this development
body was called the Retail Forum.
At
the end of the development cycle the Retail Forum was
disbanded and all of the Automotive Retail Management
Standards (ARMS) were formally gathered and a company
was set up called Automotive Skills Limited (ASL) which
is funded partly by the government and partly by the
Motor Industry.
Now
that ARMS exist we all have a measure of what is expected
in terms of knowledge and ability to deliver operational
performance in the workplace for all line managers operating
within any franchise and therefore all training programmes
should be designed to meet the demands of ARMS to ensure
consistency across the industry. This consistency means
that if you gain a Certificate and Diploma in ARMS your
professional ability will be recognised by everyone
within the Motor Industry.
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Q2:
Who are ARMS designed for?
A:
The certificate in Arms containing units 1 - 10 of the
standards are applicable to managers and potential managers
working within the retail Motor Industry including Cars,
Vans, Trucks and Motorcycles. The options developed
so far for the Diploma (unit 11) apply to experienced
managers working in new or used car sales, fleet sales
operations, service departments, vehicle bodyshops or
parts operations. At present, the ARMS Diploma is aimed
at line management positions and not Dealer Principals
and Directors however, it is envisaged that future options
will be developed for these job roles. This being said,
it does not mean that Dealer Principals are excluded
from ARMS; you may enrol if you wish.
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Q3:
What is the programme content of ARMS?
A:
There are two very different ways of approaching
ARMS:
1)
The traditional route: You must cover 11 units
or Key Performance Areas (KPA), each of which covers
a specific area management competence in detai. You
then have to write a 3,000 word assignment on each one;
yes, that's 30,000 words! Personally, we at Insight
think this is not necessary because there is too much
overlap in the assignments and there is too much focus
on the academic side of the qualification. We think
that this amount of work would not be completed by us
folks in the Motor Industry.
2)
The Insight route: Our aim is for you to deliver
commercial gain into your workplace, otherwise there's
no point in completing the qualifcation. We have taken
the whole ARMS syllabus and created 6 assignments for
you to complete and we expect you to complete them in
a period of 2 years - that's one assignment every 4
months. Each assignment question is written to suit
your job role and also cover the ARMS standards so it's
a win win situation. However, don't think that this
is a simple route, it is not, there are more demands
on you to deliver commercial gain than anything else.
In other words, it's proof that you are capable of doing
your job.
"Insight's
assignments are extremely comprehensive and well structured
with a very high focus on delivering commercial gain
in the workplace.
They are based on extensive research and
analysis of relevant factors,
and it is obvious that the candidates have been thoroughly
prepared.
As
a result, motivation of the learners is high and
gains for their businesses are clearly evident."
If
you would like to receive the full programme syllabus
please contact us on 01384 371432.
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Q4:
How can these new standards and qualifications be used?
A:
The secret to successful business development is
having the right people in place at your business. At
a practical level, any company working in the Motor
Industry can use ARMS to assist with the effective recruitment,
people development and performance management. For the
recipient of the ARMS Diploma, it offers proof of your
ability to deliver improvement to operational performance
in your job role.
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Q5:
Will ARMS become part of dealer standards for manufacturers
in the future?
A:
Some manufacturers have already made the ARMS qualifications
mandatory but this is of course dependent upon each
manufacturer. However, generally speaking many motor
manufacturers within the UK are seriously considering
making the ARMS qualifications part of their dealer
standards in the future so that a professional career
development process can be put in place to attract the
right people and to keep the right people. This could
mean that in the future, the best way to maintain a
professional career within the Motor Industry is to
possess or to be actively enrolled within the ARMS qualifications.
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Q6:
How long will it take to gain the ARMS qualifications?
A:
We supply you with a total of 6 assignments and
one is given every 4 months. This means that it will
take 2 years to complete the project. Following this,
you may then enrol for the Diploma which may take you
a further three months to complete. Obviously, if you
are well experienced within your management role you
may able to submit the assignments without any further
development or training, which means that you will complete
the programme in a much shorter time.
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Q7:
Can I claim Accredited Prior Learning (APL) for any
of the units?
A:
No, at this point in time there is no mechanism
to establish or identify APL. The easiest and most cost-effective
way to complete the Certificate is to identify which
of the units you can complete without the need for any
further development and simply submit the assignment.
Quite simply if you spend your time and energy submitting
the assignments you will get through the Certificate
in a much quicker time than trying to establish APL.
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Q8:
Is there any government funding available to support
the cost of Arms?
A:
In short the answer is no. However, in England it may
be possible to access funding from your local Learning
and Skills Council under their workforce development
programmes and it is certainly worth making direct contact
with them and the amount that you receive will be different
according to the area in which you reside. In Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland, different programmes apply
and funding may be available from your national government
departments and/or agencies.
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Q9:
Who awards the Certificate and Diploma in ARMS?
A:
The Certificate and Diploma are awarded jointly by the
Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Institute
of the Motor Industry (IMI). This unique combination
ensures that managers in the automotive sector can gain
recognition for both generic and industry specific competence
in management.
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Q10:
Who will grade my assignments?
A:
Only an Accredited ARMS Centre may grade your assignments
and put you forward to the IMI and CMI for your qualifications.
Insight is the first private training company to become
an Accredited ARMS Centre and we have a number of business
tools and support mechanisms that are unique to us
which have been designed by Jeff Smith to ensure your
success with the ARMS programme.
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Q11:
Will I be able to call upon help and support with my
assignments when I need it?
A:
If we are your chosen Accredited ARMS Centre then
YES, most definitely! We have written a programme
specifically for ARMS called Synergy™ that
tracks your development through the qualifications and
we provide you with everything you need such as assignment
templates, KPA guidance packs, telephone help desk,
web support and you will also have access to industry
experts to ensure your success.
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Q12:
Will I need to buy any special equipment?
A:
Not all Accredited ARMS Centres will treat you in
the same way. If we are your chosen Accredited ARMS
Centre then you will require access to the Internet,
an e-mail address and familiarity with MS Office so
that you can complete your assignments in MS Word. Most
of our communication with you will be by telephone or
e-mail and we will provide specific support for you
on dedicated web pages.
If
you are a 1-finger typist and you are concerned about
it, then you can obtain software where you talk into
a microphone and your words appear on screen in your
MS Word document. There are many of these programmes
on the market ranging from £30 to £100 that
will suit your needs and they're very easy to set up
on your computer.
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Q13:
How much of my own time will I have to dedicate to research
and writing the assignments?
A:
The qualifications are not designed to be easy,
they are designed to be challenging which means that
you may have to make some sacrifices to your normal
routine and personal life to complete the work within
the guidelines. It is estimated that you will need to
put aside approximately 5 hours per week of your own
time. The ARMS qualifications aims to find and recognise
the very best people within the Motor Industry and you
will need to make a personal commitment to your studies
for at least 2 years not just the odd week here and
there. It's going to be challenging at many different
levels for you but very rewarding as a journey and a
final destination.
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Q14:
Does the ARMS route follow a structured route or can
I do the modules whenever I please?
A:
You must complete the 6 assignment in the order
that they are given to you. At the beginning ofthe process,
you will be given all f your assignment submission dates
so that you can plan well ahead.
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Q15
Are the ARMS Qualifications the same as an NVQ Level
4?
A:
No. NVQ and ARMS are different qualifications based
on different standards and different assessment methods.
ARMS is based on standards specific to the Motor Industry
and an NVQ hinges upon gathering work-based evidence.
ARMS is calssified as a level 5 qualification.
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Q16
When ARMS is awarded will I also be awarded the equivalent
NVQ?
A:
Although the Diploma in ARMS is the equivalent standard
to NVQ Level 5 it is a different qualification and you
will not be awarded one qualification if you have the
other. ARMS have been designed to be unique to the Motor
Industry to recognise the skills that are specific to
our industry.
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Q17
When I enrol into ARMS do I have IMI membership included
in the price?
A:
The enrolment fee for ARMS includes a fee payable
to the IMI and CMI but this fee is for ARMS only. The
way that qualifications are governed in the UK requires
us to keep awards and membership quite separate.
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Q18
When I am awarded the ARMS Diploma will I be eligible
to to use MIMI or FIMI after my name?
A:
Yes, if you are a member or if you join the IMI
- your Level 5 qualification automatically entitles
you to join at MIMI level and use MIMI after your name
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Q19
Can Insight provide everything I need including all
training programmes and assessments?
A:
Yes, we provide you with everything you need. We
are totally committed to ARMS and we have undertaken
to write all of the training materials you need for
all of the modules and we have the necessary experience
and expertise to assess all of your assignments. We
also provide you with all of the support and motivation
you need along the way.
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Whatever
you want to know about
Automotive Retail Management Standards...
