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Mini Warranty Simplification Program (WSP) Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate Concept (SI M01 04 20)

Publication date: 2020-07-17
Reference number: SI M01 04 20

MINI WARRANTY SIMPLIFICATION PROGRAM (WSP) DIAGNOSIS WORK TIME FLAT RATE CONCEPT

MINI WARRANTY SIMPLIFICATION PROGRAM (WSP) DIAGNOSIS WORK TIME FLAT RATE CONCEPT

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN

Reference Number(s): SI M01 04 20, Date of Issue:  July 17, 2020
MINI: All Models

SERVICE INFORMATION

This Service Information bulletin (Revision 01) supersedes SI M01 04 20 dated June 2020 

What's New: 

SITUATION

MINI USA, a division BMW of North America (MINI USA) Warranty's department wants to help your dealer drastically reduce the amount of repair-related notes/comments that are being entered for all claim-related repair order line items, correspondingly, reducing the amount of time a technician spends documenting diagnosis work time (WT) in the Dealer Management System (DMS).

Approximately 90% of the dealer network is participating in this program.

Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate Concept (repair date claimed on or after July 1, 2020)

An alternate opportunity to accomplish the above and in place of the Standard Variable Diagnosis Work Time/Flat Rates, for those dealers that did not opt out of this program,  MINI USA will reimburse a:

  • Fixed diagnosis work time FRU allowance for each qualifying RO line item; with only 
  • DCI and high level technician notes required; and only 
  • One on/off punch per RO (no separate punches for diagnosis work time) 

For each qualifying repair order warranty line item, regardless if performing diagnosis was or was not needed to perform that repair, this fixed diagnosis work time can be claimed.

However, the fixed diagnosis work time is in addition to claiming the vehicle test and other applicable diagnosis/associated flat rate labor operations that are also performed during diagnosis.

The FRU amount MINI assigned to the fixed work time flat rate operation was determined by calculating the diagnosis work time national average for the US (including Puerto Rico) during the 3 years 2017 to 2019.

The initial opt-out deadline for this program expired on May 29, 2020. 

If your center decides to opt out at a later date or decides to enroll, please use the applicable Work Time Flat Rate Form that can be found in the Warranty Documentation Portal, have it signed by your General Manager or Dealer Operator and send it to warrantysimplification@bmwna.com  .

Change requests have to be submitted and will become effective as noted below:

  • Enrollment with 4 weeks' notice to the beginning of the next quarter.
  • Opt-out with 4 weeks' notice to the end of the current quarter.

Eligible RO Repair Line Items

All completed and claimed warranty, goodwill and/or covered CPO/ESC repairs using the applicable 8-digit AIR Defect Code with either 00 or the program's local vendor ID code in the 9th and 10th position.

Excluded RO Repair Line Items

QC1 (PDI Inspections) and MINI Maintenance Program services.

Service Information Bulletin Repair Scenarios

For Recalls, Service Actions, Component-Specific Extended Limited Warranties and all other repairs that are addressed by a bulletin, the following matrix applies:

# Service Information Bulletin Scenario What to claim? Example
1 Bulletins with special labor operation codes starting with 005..., 006..., 007... Work time flat rate is not  applicable SI M65 01 20
2 Bulletins without special labor operation codes Work time flat rate applicable, no punches needed SI M31 01 15 or SI M51 06 16
3 Bulletins with special labor operation codes starting with 005..., 006..., 007... and additional instructions to claim diagnosis but without diagnosis WT allowance Work time flat rate applicable, no punches needed SI M01 01 13
4 Bulletins without special labor operation code but with instruction to claim diagnosis and diagnosis WT allowance Work time flat rate not  applicable - claim WT op code and amount as stated in the bulletin, no punches needed SI M54 03 17
5 Bulletins without special labor operation code but with instructions to claim diagnosis and diagnosis operation code and vehicle specific flat rate allowance in AIR Work time flat rate not  applicable - claim diagnosis op code per SI B and amount as per AIR, no punches needed SI M01 07 16

If additional repair work time is required in these cases, for example, for consequential damage repair, work time can be claimed by submitting a regular work time labor operation code as needed, documenting and supporting the work time with proper time punches and technician notes on the RO and the claim comments.

Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate Concept - Exclusion

If the sum of the repair order line item fixed work times exceed 4 hours (40 FRU), then the total work time needed can then be claimed using regular work time labor operation codes.

By removing the requirement for punching work time separately, this will present some challenges in determining the 4-plus hour mark. Please pay special attention while claims are being processed to look out for those cases that might be eligible for the 4-plus hour work time reimbursement procedure. Using the punches on the RO, the vehicle test, diagnosis operations report, TSARA and/or TSE communication to determine whether work time actually exceeds 4 hours. The time claimed must consist of pure diagnosis time and not include any defined flat rate operation work performed fully or partially (see Procedure section of this bulletin).

Non-Diagnosis Repair/Job Work Time

Work time that is needed to perform repair/job work because an established flat rate labor operation code and time allowance is not available in AIR, since this is not diagnosis work, is excluded.

All the time needed to perform the repair/job work can be claimed using an applicable regular work time labor operation code by documenting the time claimed with proper time punches and high level technician notes. If eligible, the fixed diagnosis work time flat rate can be claimed in addition.

This applies to but is not limited to the following examples:

  • Cleaning Carbon Build-up
  • All labor claimed using operation code 00 50 000 as result of the overlapping labor reductions
  • Removing broken/rusted bolts or similar
  • Repairing wiring harnesses/partial replacement of wiring harnesses

Sublet/Third-Party Repairs

When the repair portion is performed by an outside shop (claimed under sublet 03), there are two possible scenarios:

  1. If the technician first verifies and diagnoses the cause of the issue and the repair order is punched accordingly, the fixed diagnosis work time flat rate can be claimed.
  2. If the technician did not verify or diagnose the issue and the repair is handled fully and directly by the third-party (repair order line item did require a time punch), the fixed diagnosis work time flat rate cannot be claimed.

CAUSE

Some covered repairs require work time (WT) diagnosis procedures.

CORRECTION

Explain and submit for the fixed diagnosis work time FRU allowance per each qualifying RO line item as described in the PROCEDURE section.

PROCEDURE

For each qualifying claim-related RO line item, one of the following fixed diagnosis work time flat rate labor operations and FRU allowances can be claimed:

Apply these two flat rate labor operation codes for all diagnosis time that is not specified in AIR or as stated in a bulletin.

All diagnosis flat rate labor operations with a specified FRU allowance in AIR or as stated in a bulletin can still be claimed.

Some examples: 

Diagnosis claimed before July 1, 2020 Diagnosis claimed on/after July 1, 2020
00 00 006 4 FRU (in AIR)  00 00 006 4 FRU (in AIR) 
11 99 000 5 FRU (supported WT) 00 58 500 2 FRU (WT flat rate)
51 00 001 7 FRU (supported WT) 00 58 500 2 FRU (WT flat rate)
61 00 006 5 FRU (supported WT) 00 58 500 2 FRU (WT flat rate)
61 20 502 1 FRU (in AIR)  61 20 502 1 FRU (in AIR) 
61 00 009 3 FRU (supported WT) 00 58 500 2 FRU (WT flat rate)

It is recommended to add the applicable flat rate to the repair order line items before closing the RO and transferring it to DCSnet, this will simplify the technician's reimbursement.

Any step in the diagnosis process that is covered by a flat rate labor operation code, for example, remove/install seat, remove/install dash can be claimed using the proper labor operation code in addition to the diagnosis work time flat rate as long as the job procedure is necessary and fully carried out (minus overlap).

If the remove and install labor operation is only partially performed for diagnosis or repair access, the flat rate operation code can still be used to claim the work performed but the time claimed must be adjusted/reduced to the actual time needed. For example, only partially removing the carpet or only partially dropping the headliner.

Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate Concept Guidelines

For each repair order (RO) line item with diagnosis work time (DWT) performed, in place of entering long-form comments, the technician would just simply enter:

  • The two (2) character Diagnosis Category Identifier (below); and
  • High-level repair notes (only state what was checked/diagnosed/repaired/replaced).

Diagnosis Category Identifiers

For standard operation vehicle test and charge battery

Diagnosis Category DCI Code Descriptions
D1 Hook up battery charger, perform vehicle test, applicable fault found/not found (name component fault is pointing at), continued with (D3 - D9)
D2 Hook up battery charger, perform vehicle test, applicable fault found/not found (name component fault is pointing at), found applicable SIM

For claim-related repair order (RO) line items with fixed diagnosis work time flat rate.

Diagnosis Category DCI Code Descriptions
D3 Visual diagnosis (ex: Inspected for oil leaks)
D4 Mechanical diagnosis (ex: Swap ignition coils from cylinder to cylinder)
D5 Perform test plan after vehicle test
D6 Electrical diagnosis (ex: checking resistance in wires)
D7 Noise complaint diagnosis
D8 Drivability complaint diagnosis
D9 Remove/Install component (named component) as part of diagnosis

Repair Flat Rate Guidelines and Repair Category Identifiers

Again, in place of entering long-form comments, the following list Repair Category Identifiers (one or more) can be used to document a repair. These codes can be used regardless of the amount of time (FRU) an established flat rate operation allows.

The codes listed below include all necessary steps as outlined by the associated repair instruction and/or applicable flat rate description/inclusive positions in AIR.

When using the RCI codes to document consequential repair work, the repair comments need to state the reason why the additional repair work and/or component replacement was needed.

Repair Categories Identifiers

Repair Category RCI Code Descriptions
R1 Completed eligible Maintenance Program service task (name services).
R2 Replaced defective part (name component)
R3 Reference the SIM number and the work package (Pkg) number performed (For example: R3 B00 00 20 WP 1)
R5 Program and encode the vehicle's control units (standalone or with part replacement)
R6 Additional programming after first failed programming session
R7 Additional programming after second failed programming session
R8 Confirmed effectiveness of the repair
R0 No Problem Found (NPF)

Technician Documentation Minimum Requirements

Work Performed Documentation requirements Recommended Support Level
Vehicle test, charging battery faults found/not found. SIM found/Not found, no diagnosis time  D1 or D2 Diagnosis categories, Technician performs own course of diagnosis based on experience level
Diagnosis time up to 1 hour  (excluding vehicle test/charging battery and other applicable flat rate operations) D9 Diagnosis category if applicable, Document cause Technician performs own course of diagnosis based on experience level
Diagnosis time after 1 hour but less than 2 hours  (excluding vehicle test/charging battery and other applicable flat rate operations) D9 Diagnosis category if applicable, Document cause Shop Foreman involved with repair and offers support/guidance
Diagnosis time between 2 and 4 hours  (excluding vehicle test/charging battery and other applicable flat rate operations) D9 Diagnosis category if applicable, Document cause TSARA or TSE intervention strongly recommended
Diagnosis time to be claimed exceeds 4 hours (40 FRU)  (excluding vehicle test/charging battery and other applicable flat rate operations) D3 - D9 Diagnosis categories as applicable or high level notes on diagnosis approach, document cause - reference TSARA case or TSE intervention, if available TSARA and/or TSE intervention recommended
Maintenance service(s) R1 Repair category Technician performs maintenance service(s)
Recall and Service Action R3 Repair category Technician performs repair(s) based on a Service Information Bulletin
Repairs - vehicle R2, R5, R6, R7, R8 and R0 Repair categories Repair instructions

One on/off punch per RO (no separate punches for diagnosis work time)

The diagnosis time thresholds stated above are approximated values for use in reviewing the corresponding one on/off punch time documentation that applies to a specific repair order.

DCI and High Level Technician Notes

For the information about using and entering Diagnosis Categories and High Level notes, please refer to Warranty Information section of SI M01 01 20 .

PARTS INFORMATION

When applicable to the repair being performed, obtain and confirm the part numbers for your specific vehicle by entering the chassis number in either ETK or AIR which takes into account specific equipment and/or options.

Part Number Description Quantity
Refer to ETK Refer to ETK As needed

Additionally, other small parts that are not specified above, such as one-time screws, nuts and seals, which must be replaced according to the ISTA repair instructions/ETK, must be selected from the Electronic Parts Catalogue according to the respective vehicle type and invoiced under the corresponding repair defect code.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Examples for eligible RO Repair Line Items (qualifying warranty, goodwill and/or covered CPO/ESC repairs)

Defect Code:  Refer to AIR  Refer to AIR 

Example One 

Labor Operation Description Labor Allowance
00 00 006 Performing vehicle test (with vehicle diagnosis system - checking faults) (Main work) Refer to AIR
Or:    
00 00 556 Performing vehicle test (with vehicle diagnosis system - checking faults) (Plus work) Refer to AIR
And:    
61 21 528 Connect an approved battery charger/power supply (indicated in AIR as Charging battery) Refer to AIR
And:    
00 58 500  Fixed Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate (Plus work)  2 FRU 
And:    
## ## 500 Remove/install/repair/replace and/or program (Plus or associated work) Refer to AIR

Example Two 

Labor Operation Description Labor Allowance
## ## 000 Remove/install/repair or replace (Main work) Refer to AIR
Or:    
## ## 500 Remove/install/repair or replace (Plus work) Refer to AIR
And:    
00 58 500  Fixed Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate (Plus work)  2 FRU 

Example Three (Main work, any other line items = Plus work) 

Labor Operation Description Labor Allowance
00 58 000  Fixed Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate (Main work)  3 FRU 
And:    
## 99 000 Remove/install/repair or replace work time, no flat rate labor operation available for this repair/job work As applicable

Example Four (with a third-party repair) 

Labor Operation Description Labor Allowance
00 58 000  Fixed Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate (Main work)  3 FRU 
Or:    
00 58 500  Fixed Diagnosis Work Time Flat Rate (Plus work)  2 FRU 

And:

Sublet - Third-Party Repair

Sublet Code 3  $###.00 Reimbursement for the third-party repair (after prior technician diagnosis)
NOTE: Applicable Field Authorization (FAS) requirements still apply.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS BULLETIN

Technical inquires Submit feedback at the top of this bulletin
Warranty inquires Submit an IDS ticket to the Warranty Department
Parts inquiries Submit an IDS ticket to the Parts Department