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A well-run workshop not only supports your fleet operation though servicing and maintenance, but it could also be a revenue generator.

So how exactly do you improve workshop efficiency? 

Here are our four top tips:

1. Improve scheduling

Make sure your workshop runs as close to full utilisation as possible. While it’s important to ensure that you aren’t left waiting for stock to come in, having excess or obsolete stock can prove very costly.

Understanding how your assets are used and replenished is the first step in creating more appropriate scheduling for your operation and helping ensure your workshop is well-utilised both now and in the future.

We think it’s important to take a range of factors into account, such as:

• Inventory turnover
• Real-time parts availability
• Usage trends and forecasts
• Replenishment time

Make sure that these factors are assessed on a regular basis, as this will help you identify any new trends or issues as soon as they occur. The need for effective scheduling also applies to staff utilisation, which brings us to our next point….

2. Improve staff planning

It’s a somewhat clichéd phrase, but your staff are probably the most expensive resource in your workshop, so it’s vital that you make sure your technicians are managed effectively.

This means having procedures in place for sick days, holidays, and other absences to minimise disruption. You should also understand your team’s availability – and training levels – and plan well ahead by cross-referencing staffing against forecast requirements.

We suggest you look carefully at your fleet’s maintenance needs, too. It could be that some works are seasonal, or they are affected by recalls and campaigns, so take steps to increase your knowledge of such trends.

 

 

3. Improve job card management

Your technicians will perform more efficiently if they know exactly what they should be doing to which vehicle and when. Industry standard repair times can also be utilised to support job creation and implementation.

When creating job cards, you should also take steps to ensure that all the information required is easily available. If a technician is not able to easily view or understand job requirements, it could result in increased job times and costs, and reduced compliance.

4. Improve visibility

Our most important tip is to make sure you understand what is available in your operation at all times. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it, so take steps to improve the visibility of your assets.

This is a process that starts from the bottom up: you need to have a solid overview of everything from service histories, maintenance schedules, parts inventory, and warranty coverage through to workshop equipment, technicians, their capabilities, and vehicles.

So, make sure you:

    1. Take time to research how you track and measure your assets

    2. Assess how your processes could be improved

    3. Understand where improvements can be made, so that you can take steps to fix problems

Want to find out more?

To find out more about workshop efficiency and start your smart fleet management journey, click here