Page 24 - Australasian Paint & Panel Nov-Dec 2018

LIVE!
CONNECTING AT L!VE
We've had great feedback about our L!VE conference in Melbourne on Friday 12 October, sponsored by AkzoNobel. The theme was 'be connected' and the day was about making the right connections to help your business thrive.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER TRUDY MacDonald from TalentCode HR gave a fascinating talk on how to encourage excellence and discourage 'ordinary' in your team and how to create a company culture that makes people want to work for you. Essential in this industry where the talent pool is shrinking. Autonomy, purpose and mastery are the three major motivators at work and MacDonald suggested ways to create high performing employees.
Next up were the Tradiebot team where we learned the difference between augmented and virtual reality and looked at the uses in the motor industry - predominantly for training and to instruct and show how to carry out repairs. Automation of a number of bodyshop processes was also discussed - such as
Steve Lozenkovski interviews Aaron Scagliotta and Anthony Arnold.
sanding panels but there are a host of repetitive jobs that could be automated. As technology comes down in price the cost of such equipment is likely to become less expensive than employing a human. Along with 3D printing which is already used for parts and tools, the future of body repair will look very different even in the medium term according to the Tradiebot team.
Sam Street revealed some of the results from our 2018 Bodyshop Industry Survey (see page 14) and, along with business coach Ben Fewtrell, looked at some of the business opportunities the survey showed are under utilised. With many repairers experiencing a downturn in both profit and volume and many worried about remaining profitable in the next five years, it's clear new strategies have to be adopted. Diversification is the most obvious one, as is bringing more and more services in house such as glass and wheel balancing. Fewtrell reminded everyone of the importance of upselling.
The last session before tea was an interview with two repairers from WA - Aaron Scagliotta from Gino's Panel & Paint and Anthony Arnold from Damage Control Accident Repair Centre. Both shared with the room some of the right connections they had made in their business including diversifying into mechanical and tyres, bringing in and keeping apprentices in the business and benefiting from having great relationships with industry suppliers.
The last section of the conference was devoted to how car manufacturers will inevitably become more involved in the
The Tradiebot team demonstrate a virtual reality spray painting training program.
24 PAINT&PANEL November / December 2018
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