Out With Estimating!
Estimating has no value whatsoever to the customer, so by definition it is
waste. Plus, it gives birth to almost every other kind of waste in the collision
repair process. So the logical thing to do is…get rid of it!
Time to Strategize
Many repairers still don’t truly comprehend the real purpose of ‘lean.’ Understanding that it’s simply a strategy and nothing more will go a long way toward beginning the process of implementation.
Implementing Lean
An increasing number of body shops are eyeing lean manufacturing processes as a solution to their business woes. How do you implement such processes in a collision repair setting and break out of the “old way”? Here’s a step-by-step guide.
A Lean Transformation
The New Year brought us another opportunity to transform an existing body shop from the traditional way to a better, process-centered way. So we ripped off the Band-Aid and got started.
Turning Vendors into Partners
Identifying your vendors’ weaknesses and then helping them improve their businesses will improve your business as well.
Visualize Your Success
Putting in a few simple ‘traffic lights’ or visual cues in your shop can result in fast improvement
you’ll be able to see within days.
Envisioning the Future
If you’re ever going to get better results, you must create a new way. That means you must create ways that have never existed. And that means you must see the future and imagine those ways first.
Mistake-Proof Your Process
Mistake-proofing your business is all about eliminating the guesswork and making it easier to do things the right way rather than the wrong way.
A Journey, Not a Destination
Lean is about a process of continually ‘getting it’ because you never stop trying to get there. But you must begin with understanding where you’re going and why you’re going there.
Small Steps Toward ‘Better’
Relentless, incremental, small improvements to the way you work are more effective than occasional big changes. It’s about gradual, daily movement toward a better way. It’s about continuous improvement.
Think Tortoise, Not Hare
Many who attempt to implement ‘lean’ become frustrated when, initially, the business seems more chaotic than before. The key is to create operational stability and organizational discipline – and to be patient.