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Letter to the Editor

A Successful Game Plan: Know Your Numbers

Our feature article this month is an important and timely reminder to shop owners and managers. In any business, particularly in the current economic climate, it is essential to track your numbers - to make sure the numbers add up to a bottom line written in nice strong black.

During football season, especially in (sigh) INSIGHT’s hometown of Cleveland, fans see some pretty depressing numbers sometimes. Some comparisons can be drawn between football field numbers and collision repair facility figures.

First off, a thorough understanding of the Browns’ play book is as important to the team during a game as how a facility’s manager and shop estimators understand and use their estimating system. Cleveland fans can point out several costly mis-steps that have occurred on the field during poorly executed plays. A thorough understanding of estimate writing is essential if your shop wants to get paid for every operation needed to perform a quality repair.

Loyal Browns fans have been frustrated by the coaching staff’s mismanagement of the game clock this season. Points have been lost and time has run out after poorly strategized timeouts. Many shop managers need to work toward a clearer understanding of labor time and clock hours. Our feature links a keen understanding of shop time to improved efficiency, the key to higher profits.

Finally, the Browns can painfully illustrate for the body shop that you must have a quarterback that can lead a unified team down the field to the end zone. More than ever, a collision repair manager must be determined to learn and to lead. The ball is in your hands.

By the time you read this, a historic presidential election and NACE 2008 will be behind us. Ahead is INSIGHT’s gratitude to our readers. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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