Page 55 - Australasian Paint & Panel Nov-Dec 2019

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CARBEAT SUCCESS
QUALITY FIRST
THE AUTOMOTIVE REFINISH MARKET IS
an increasingly competitive industry, with many bodyshops struggling to maintain their positions and succeed.
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes is dedicated to ensuring its customers' suc- cess by educating them in industry leading bodyshop processes through its Quality First Program.
The Quality First Program originated as a response to combat the ever-changing na- ture of the industry, by providing bodyshops with the tools required to improve their pro- ductivity and stay ahead of the pack.
The Quality First program focuses on improving body shop performance by providing businesses with accurate and timely information and guidance on each of the aspects that affect the success of their business. This achieved through the provision of the following services:
• Online benchmarking program • Business consulting
• Lifetime warranty program
• Networking forums
• Technical and equipment audits • On-site and off-site training
• Facility layout and Design advice
As a manufacturer, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes recognises the need to provide value added services to its customers such as Quality First, which utilise both the company's expe- rience and resources.
The Quality First program has helped many bodyshops to improve their process- es resulting in increased productivity and a higher standard of work. There are over 68 bodyshops currently participating in the program. Staying abreast of the changes in the industry is challenging, so whether its help with operations, finan- cials or general guidance, we have the tools to assist you to maximise your re- sources so your business can be success- ful in this ever-changing environment.
For more informa- tion on the Quality First program, contact Melanie Spink, Quality First Manager on
0429 129 755.
CARBEAT, AKZONOBEL’S DIGITAL PRODUCTION COMMUNICATION BOARD WAS INTRODUCED A YEAR AGO AND HAS PROVED TO BE A HUGE ASSET TO THE EARLY ADOPTERS.
A MERE SWIPE OF THE FINGER IS ALL YOU
need to radically improve workshop produc- tion with Carbeat. It also delivers strong an- alytics for the owners to help them through- out the entire bodyshop process.
This intuitive, high visual workshop management system drives staff engage- ment and empowers everyone to engage and share responsibilities at all levels. As it’s is a cloud-based program, updates hap- pen in real time and everyone can see, at a glance, the status of any job.
Sally O’Meara, General Manager at Ben- digo Accident Repair Centre in Bendigo, Victoria has been using Carbeat since Octo- ber 2018. “It Is a great communication tool,” she said, “The fact that it’s live means eve- ryone knows where we are throughout the working day.
O’Meara appreciates the minimal data input time; “It’s really easy to prioritise jobs. It works really well on a production level as it is driven by the floor.
“At a glance we can establish what part of the repair process is being performed to any car for reporting purposes. It provides accu- rate information for updating our customers as well.
“The tiles are colour coded to identify what day of the week a car is going and the
large screen is highly visible across the floor. Our staff know exactly what is happening and what job to start next. It increased our efficiency over night by 20%. Our staff also take ownership of moving the tiles through the system and feel a sense of accomplishment when they move a tile from one column to the next,” she said.
The greatest resistance to new soft- ware and working practices can often come from the floor but O’Meara says the transition was seamless and easy.
“CarBeat is very quick to learn. The team AkzoNobel were terrific at install and provide great back up. We came across from a scheduling programme that we believed over complicated what should be easy – knowing our capacity and what cars are coming and going.
“Our workshop is very dynamic so this is critical. Our staff are very progressive so embracing Carbeat wasn’t an issue. We communicated the change with them some weeks prior to it happening so they were aware and prepared.”
Carbeat is exclusive to Sikkens. More info: Katia Gridina : 03 9644 1711 or visit: Chooseacoat.com.au/carbeat
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