Time Is Money

Our feature article this month asks collision repair facility managers to consider a different way to manage time - and maybe make a more efficient profit.

Since we cannot, in the collision repair business at least, train customers to have accidents in an orderly manner and come into the shop precisely when we’re ready for another vehicle, it makes sense to consider different procedures aimed at preventing bottlenecks and logjams that impact employees, customers, and the bottom line on the shop profit report.

INSIGHT wants to hear from shop owners and managers who are thinking out of the box of in on Monday out on Friday. What methods have you tried? What works and what doesn’t work? An upcoming article will be based on your innovative handling of this, well, timely issue.

State legislative actions are in the news again this month, with the Texas senate working on a bill aimed at banning insurer-owned repair facilities. This made big news at NACE 2002 in Dallas, where Senator John Carona spoke to attendees.

On the international scene, INSIGHT is looking forward to news out of Switzerland this month, from the International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS), organized by Chris Mann, publisher of Bodyshop Magazine in the UK. Sharing what is going on in other markets around the world gives our industry new technical information, innovative management tools, and views of what is going on elsewhere that may start going on in our own backyard.

Despite the unusually cool spring, both temperature-wise and business-wise in many areas across the U.S., shop owners contacted for our MarketWatch survey of rates and allowances this month are looking forward to a little heating up as summer arrives. Predictions of vacationers preferring the roadways over the airways are encouraging shop owners to get ready for some much needed shop activity.

Ah, if only the Cleveland Indians would get hot and win some baseball games!