Page 40 - Australasian Paint & Panel magazine September-October 2022

Workshop IT solutions
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PAINT&PANEL SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
DON’T RISK FALLING BEHIND
A SIGNIFICANT RISK EXISTS TODAY FOR
body shop owners who are yet to em- brace the innovative technologies avail- able on the market, this risk can be de- fined as your ‘opportunity cost’. It can be as simple as the missed opportunity of greater profit by not integrating these solutions to your practices
Our industry lies in a rapidly evolv
ing space in terms of technology, soft- ware, and tools. As this continues to progress, we have the choice to adapt, or be left behind.
Fortunately, there are products, ser- vices and innovative tools that exist in Australia designed to simplify a task for faster and more effective results. Using these tools at the beginning of your es- timate allows you to streamline the process in your workshop which pro- motes improved cycle times and better cash flow, resulting in overall greater business profitability.
CYCLE TIMES
Traditional workshop practices can make your cycle times vulnerable to time inefficiencies and unnecessary completion date setbacks. Using tools such as PartsCheck at each stage
of the repair process can address these time restraints and im- prove your cycle times through the elimination of tasks such as calling suppli- ers, manually calculating prof- it, typing part numbers, rec- onciling paper invoices and more. When suppliers can
give you their best prices and advise you of any delays you not only speed up the authority and repair processes, but you also reduce the frustration levels of your technicians and parts staff.
Traditional workshop
practices can make your cycle times vulnerable to
time inefficiencies”
As you begin to automate these tasks, your output will improve. Short- er cycle times means your business is now able to focus time on more impor- tant tasks, creating a cycle of continu- ous improvement – whether that is taking on more work, improving prac- tices, or extra training for staff devel- opment and retention.
TOUCH TIMES
Recent industry research conducted on workshops around Australia shows that on an average 10-day cycle, only 2 hours per day are spent with hands on a vehicle (touch time), while the other 5-7 hours are spent in foot traffic chasing down parts and resolving other issues. Touch time is one of the most valuable metrics for workshops to measure, it determines how much output you can create repair- ing vehicles, directly effecting how much profit your business makes.
Opportunity to improve this data for your business exists within better work- shop practices, such as ‘lean manage- ment’. This involves removing waste from your workflow by being more pre- pared, before starting the job. When you can quote accurately at the start, vehicles can be repaired much quicker and with improved margins, while also leaving minimal room for error. It is common knowledge that supplementary parts also affect touch times. Today there are tools that allow you to process direct purchas- es with a few clicks of a button, while also being able to track these parts as you continue working. To sit idly by in an evolving industry increases your poten-
tial lost value and benefit. Do you and are your team know what opportunities are being missed by not using tools
like PartsCheck?
To find out more, visit www. partscheck.com.au
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