Client identified a need to implement elements of manufacturing that are known best practices within a workshop environment.  This includes 5S (Sort, Set, Shine, Standardise and Sustain), Visual Management, Continuous Improvement as a business culture and work standardisation to assist in efficiency.

The objectives for doing so were clear – to enhanced technician skill set, increased staff retention, create better work facilities, reduced idle time and increase workshop throughout whilst increasing quality standards.

Created a deployment programme that enabled the department to set up a minimum of one efficient bay area, within which all ‘standardised operations’ could be facilitated (reducing pressure on other areas of the department whilst maximising efficiency).

First elements of this were coaching on bay set up, setting up workshop control to manage workloads, training technicians in reducing the footprint of activity by following flow specific to the type of work that reduced wasted steps and time  (including an off site ‘Lean Basics’ course and ‘Ideal Bay’ set up).

Once completed, worked with front of house teams to manage customer understanding and developed visual management standards where all required information was placed to hand to aid both front and back of house teams.

Introduced a maintenance programme to enable training (and retraining of new starters) and to assist in maintaining the new normal through 5S assessment, coaching and support.  Worked in tandem with field teams for consistent message and application and engaged c.30% of the OEM network on this programme.

There were a number of evident tangible benefits for dealers on this programme – increased departmental productivity and utilisation (efficiency up by c.11%, utilisation up by c.9% and hours sold per RO c.5%), increased GP through additional sales of hours and parts ( VHC red conversion by c.12%), improved customer experience and retention (better quality of work as a result of standardised operations driving customer transaction experience), enhanced staff engagement and significantly reduced attrition.

We also see improvements in quality of outputs and in the ownership of standards and identify a shift in department culture towards being more ‘lean’ in other activities.