May 2019

MAY 2019 AFTERMARKET 15 www.aftermarketonline.net Improved quality Improved labour productivity Higher levels of efficiency in the workshop Improved staff morale Improved brand image Lowering operating cost –affecting your charge-out labour rate Kaizen focuses on small incremental changes that over time provided my garage with a sustainable means of delivering improvement. I have constantly stated you must look to improve 100 things by 1% rather than improve one thing by 100%. Though it is true that a Kaizen event can be completed in a relatively short period of time, with some exercises taking little more than a few days, its strength lies in setting in place a method for continually looking at and improving what we do. For us, at Brunswick it became a permanent feature of our company’s culture – ‘the way we do things around here’. Kaizen has also become an umbrella term for a number of tools and techniques that can be used to implement a continuous improvement program, with 5S being one such technique, which I’ve often talk about in my many presentations. Others include ‘just-in-time’, also referred to as JIT or ‘lean manufacturing’, and ‘quality circles. Applying lean thinking is simple in principle. Look at the processes in your business from your customers’ point of view, understand what value looks like from the customer’s point of view, and focus hard on making sure you deliver this value right first time, on time, every time. The other side of the coin: eliminate waste – all those activities that don’t create value for the customer. If you do this thoroughly, you will be astonished at how many things you currently do – how many costs you currently incur – that don’t create any value for the customer. You’ll also be surprised at how many things you can do, often at very little or even zero cost, that significantly improve your customer’s experience of dealing with you so that you end up delivering better value at lower cost. Good luck in your change! Business training days Business skills are paramount to the success of your garage, so that’s why leading aftersales expert The Garage Inspector (Andy Savva – an experienced award winning former garage owner), has launched his eagerly awaited courses which are unique to the independent garage repair sector. Book today to secure your place. Limited spaces • Book early Please email andy@thegarageinspector.com or visit The Garage Inspector website for booking instructions and full terms & conditions: www. thegarageinspector .com 30th May Newcastle 11th June Glasgow 20th June Bradford 3rd Sept Basingstoke 18th June Chester 2nd July Cardiff 9th July Dublin Andy provides unique training days for garage businesses covering finance, marketing and customer excellence. These courses have been specifically designed for independent garage owners, managers, technicians and reception staff. Please visit: www.thegarageinspector.com for further information. Financial Understanding For The Garage Business: Marketing Essentials: