The average productivity in the automotive service and repair industry runs at 72% and many shops run even lower, costing them tens of thousands of dollars in lost profit.

Increasing productivity is difficult and many owners, managers, and service advisors blame the problem on the technicians; however, in most cases, the technicians have little to nothing to do with it.  The problem almost always lies in inefficient workflow processes.  

Imagine that you are a technician clocking in at 8 a.m., but don’t receive a vehicle or clear instructions on what to do with that vehicle until 8:15 a.m. or later.  Now, imagine sending a report to the service advisor or parts person regarding the vehicle and what needs to be done to fix the problem, along with additional items that need to be done to service and maintain the vehicle at 10 a.m. and not receiving authorization or direction on that vehicle until after noon. When you finally get authorization to do the job(s) that you recommended, you pull the vehicle apart to find that you have the wrong part(s) or that the parts haven’t been ordered yet (because the service department is overloaded and/or disorganized), and now you are waiting for the right parts.  

Now, imagine that you are deep into a complicated diagnosis or repair, and you are being pulled off to do a waiter oil change or a waiter repair on another vehicle, interrupting your workflow and thought process and killing any momentum you have built. This happens in shops across the country and in many, it happens multiple times a day.

Then, have your manager or owner get on your back about your productivity and let me know if you would be frustrated.

Many businesses dispatch only one vehicle at a time to their technicians, so if you are stuck, you are stuck.  And, if the service advisor is overloaded—as happens in many shops—you aren’t stuck for a few minutes, you are stuck for much longer and cannot move forward and be productive.  

The problem, in almost every case, is the workflow and processes that determine productivity and efficiency and the fact that they are ill-defined and do not get the desired result, much of the time.

If this is really the problem, then why don’t more business owners and managers take the time to better determine the processes that lead to productivity, define them, and improve them? Well, we are just too busy trying to earn a living to spend time fixing the one thing that would likely help us more than any other thing to earn a living.

Build a Better Workflow

What we need to do is define and improve our workflow processes so that our employees can be efficient and productive:

Scheduling

Dualistic scheduling is the way to go here. Bring in most of your work in the morning, get it all dispatched, and give the technician an idea of what they must do today. Get the vehicles diagnosed and inspected early so you can get the work sold, then rearrange the day to produce the most work and the happiest customers possible.

Dispatch

Make sure that the work order is dispatched immediately, that the technician is well informed about when the estimate is promised, and when the customer expects that the vehicle will be finished. Having the correct information will increase the odds of getting the job done in a timely fashion and that the technician will be efficient.

Client Check-In

Create a process to make sure that the client spends as little time as possible checking in the vehicle but guarantees that the service asked the right questions to get the information needed to direct the technician properly.

Digital Vehicle Inspections

Create a process that is timely and thorough so that vehicles can be inspected in 30 minutes or less, on average. Then make sure everyone who is going to inspect a vehicle is trained and efficient. Think of changing the tires on a race car during a pit stop. Every crew member knows their role because they've practiced it repeatedly. The crew that trains on this and gets it done more quickly and does it right wins the race or at least gives the driver the advantage. Don’t put a crew together that doesn’t understand what they must do, has not used the equipment, or has never practiced the job because that car will never finish in the top 10.

Have a process for any inspection, diagnostic, or testing that might be performed, and have your staff practice so that they can be efficient and productive.    

Include procedures for:  

• Brakes, steering, and suspension
• CEL or MIL light
• Runnability without a light
• Air conditioning
• No start with crank
• No start, no crank – electrical
• Electrical short
• Oil leaks
• Cooling system
• DVI
• Used vehicle purchase

Estimating and Upgrading Work Orders

Make sure that your technicians give the service advisor what they need to have to correctly estimate the job and get it sold.

1. A prioritized list of recommended repairs and services, including: 
   •    The customer's original concern 
   •    Safety-related repairs 
   •    Recommended "while you're there" repairs that save labor 
   •    Maintenance services 
   •    Elective repairs
2. A clear explanation of why each repair or service is needed.
3. A complete parts list required to perform the work correctly.
4. A realistic labor-time estimate based on the vehicle's actual condition. The service advisor hasn't inspected the vehicle and may not account for rust, broken bolts, corrosion, or other conditions that increase labor time. Providing an accurate estimate upfront improves technician productivity and protects profitability.

Service Advisor Estimating

Make sure that the service advisor has what they need to properly estimate the job. Some owners and service advisors believe that they need to see the job to feel good about it, but this is a wasted step and will reduce throughput and productivity. Trust your technicians and your process so that when they recommend something, you believe them as if you saw it yourself.

Take the time to determine the process you need to be successful, define it, and practice it so you can be quick and efficient, and it could be worth tens of thousands of dollars to your company and help you create happy customers that will continue to use your services.

Make sure your team is well-practiced in the things that will help you deliver great service to your clients in an efficient and productive way.