Page 10 - GIADA-Dec 2017-Final

AUCTIONS

COMMENTARY: Physical auction sites

change for the better

By Joe Overby

The first thing you might have noticed at What you might notice is missing from “As we were looking at new technologies
Manheim Atlanta earlier this year was a Manheim Atlanta on sale days are the for driving effi ciencies for our clients
countdown and buttons worn by employees long lines, says assistant general manager throughout the auction locations, we also,
that notified sale attendees that “a change is Chris Hill. When you walk in the door at at the same time, realized it’s not just the
coming.” the auction, to the front left is a bank of technology,” said Grace Huang, president
computers known as a “Hub.” of Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions, in
That change they were specifically an interview at Manheim Atlanta.
referring to was Manheim’s investment A “hotbed” on sale day, Hill said these
in a widespread technology update and computer stations allow dealers to “Technology in and of itself is
redesign of some of its auction processes, complete tasks they would have otherwise
a change the company called its largest had to stand in line at the front desk to great, but you have to have
ever. But that “change” could also describe complete. the processes and the
the broader approach by the auto auction foundational pieces to
industry as a whole to become more Things like making payments, printing
efficient and technologically swifter at its gate passes or ordering ancillary services underpin it, to really maximize
brick-and-mortar locations. post-sale inspection — dealers can take technology and technology
care of these tasks on their own at the bank investments to really bring it to
That’s evident everywhere from Atlanta to of computers.
Chicago, North Carolina to Arizona and life for our clients.”
all points in between, as changing ways of “They can immediately come in here,
buying and selling wholesale vehicles are and do what they need to do and get out Manheim had a team look into how the
met by an evolving industry striving to of here,” Hill said in a late-September LDM concept could be incorporated into
adapt. interview at the College Park, Ga., auction. auctions, “and we followed the same tenets
about measurement and metrics, and
That includes a Manheim mobile auction With the auction being what’s known as looking at each of the processes, working
in Wilmington, N.C. transitioning to a an “enhanced location,” the line at the together collaboratively across departments
permanent, two-lane location and a new administrative desk is reduced, because so to identify potential road blocks,” Huang
BelAir Auto Auction site that Ray Nichols, many more clients are doing some of the said.
chief executive of parent company BSC admin type tasks on their own.
America, says “will be able to accommodate In a conference room at the auction, there is
continued growth in the marketplace and “Th ey never had this conduit into our a whiteboard — known as a “measurement
allow us to serve better our customers’ system by which to get information out. board” — that shows each individual
needs with ease and efficiency in a state of They always depended on us via phone department displayed horizontally, with
the art auction facility.” call, via standing in an arduous line,” Hill various metrics (including safety, quality,
said. “We don’t want you to leave here, but delivery, cost and engagement) displayed
East and west, corporate and independent we know you’ve got a business to run or a vertically.
— change is here in the auction business. family to see or both.”
Each square has a score, highlighted in
More efficient, leaner ops at Manheim Another enhancement you might notice green for metric goals that were reached
As of late September, more than half of at Manheim Atlanta is what’s known as and red for those that were not reached.
Manheim’s auctions (including Manheim Lean Daily Management. It’s a concept
Atlanta) had been upgraded with the founded by Toyota as a manufacturing Each department has a 10-minute standup
aforementioned enhancements, which improvement, but adopted by other meeting to discuss their own metric
include, for instance, centralized technology business sectors, including the likes of the and the auction as a whole has a “set the
that would allow the administrative office New England Patriots. And starting last standards meeting” where all departments
at this Atlanta-area auction to complete year, Manheim began rolling it out to its meet to discuss roadblocks and pitch
title work for the Orlando location. locations. Continued on page 10

8 | GIADA Independent Auto Dealer DECEMBER 2017