Auto University Article

Username:

Password:

Forgot Password?

Current Articles List

Will That Be Take Out or Delivery?

Maximizing time spent on the parts counter.

When analyzing your Fixed Operations, what would you say is your 'choke point'? In many cases, it's 'Technician down time'.

Because the nature of the business in the service garage is based on time sold, I'd like to ask you to consider the following, and in fact, I'd like to ask you to measure something. How much time are your technicians spending at the parts counter? When you realize that all the time spent there is time not spent in the shop billing labor out, I'm sure you would agree that every effort should be made to minimize that "counter time".

Since your parts department probably delivers parts to your wholesale customers across town at roughly half the gross profit of your over the counter sales, I'm sure you would agree that taking care of your technicians would be a priority?right?

In too many cases, the 'old way' of doing things blocks out the daylight of new ideas or processes. Once business is established, running and profitable, we often neglect to ask how we can do better. This is not to say that your parts counter people are less valuable, nor should they stop helping the next technician to deliver parts to the shop. A Parts Runner is one possible solution to this logistical question and some dealers have gone so far as to install conveyor basket systems that will deliver the parts to the stall required. In both cases, you find operators of these businesses who have found a way to break an old convention of thought and adopted new methods that achieve maximum results.

Need improved processes? Contact us today for more information on how you might be able to streamline processes in your dealership.