April 15, 2020
Devan Beaudoin

5 Ideas for Improvement During Downtime

With less people on the roads you’re likely experiencing fewer cars in your collision center. During these slower times it’s easy to get stuck in a slump throughout the day wondering what you’ll do until the next customer comes in. Now is the time to work on those time-consuming tasks you most likely put off because of a steady stream of customers. Dedicating your attention to some of the things below may set your business up for success.

  1. Inventory – With fewer cars to repair, now may be a good time to do a physical count of all products and materials in stock. This may help to get a better idea on what is considered a necessary purchase during a time when you’re most likely scaling back. You may also discover that you’re in need of an alternative inventory management system, like NuVentory, to track usage and help to place. These changes could have a positive impact on finances in the future.
  2. Organize parts & more – Your team may be tired of searching for parts they need, maybe your storage room or shelves are a little messier than you’d like them to be. Pulling items off shelves and restocking them in a more organized layout may be beneficial. It may be a good idea to get input from the team that regularly pulls parts from the racks on how they would like to see it set-up. You may discover that now is a good time to invest in new shelving or cabinets that help you locate products easier and track usage.
  3. Facility Maintenance – The COVID-19 outbreak caused collision centers across the nation to begin sanitizing all shop surfaces including walls, counters and floors. Now is a good time to move around equipment, thoroughly clean behind and under previously overlooked areas. Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home! If you’ve been putting off new exterior paint or even the inside lobby and offices, now may be the perfect time to have your team members help. Once you’ve cleaned the facilities you can think about ways that would help to maintain this in the future – like a dustless sanding system.
  4. Machine Repairs – Now may be the perfect time to perform annual maintenance on machinery or repair tools and equipment that you’ve sat aside. If you need to replace any of your equipment, this could be your opportunity to negotiate a good deal with suppliers. You can research OEM-approved tools based on the repairs you see more frequently in your collision center.
  5. Paint booth – One of the most vital parts of your organization is the paint booth. When you’re deep cleaning all surfaces, this applies to the paint booth as well. Changing filters, cleaning the pits and removing overspray could be a good use of your time. If your equipment is layered in paint splatters, there’s potential contamination. Debris in your paint can cost you time and money as well as unhappy customers. You may even consider upgrading your booth with new lighting, air movement systems or even wall containers. Talk with your paint partner to determine what the best options are for you.

When we begin to see business turn around, we can all agree that things will be different. By putting in the work now, to prepare for better days ahead, a setback can be turned into a successful comeback.