Bodyshop Management
Running An Auto Repair Business And The Art of Bodyshop Management
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Running an auto repair business has moved on considerably from the greasy, grime ridden sweat shops of 40 years ago. Ideally, the modern garage is an efficient and sustainable process driven business that requires expert bodyshop management in order to stay ahead of the competition. Needless to say, running and maintaining a body repair shop or an auto garage business to the highest standards is more important now than ever before. Why? Because over the past 40 years more people own more cars. In simple terms, there is a lot of metal that needs repairing. The UK motor repair and service industry is estimated to have a market size of £28BN in 2021. As a comparison, the USA motor repair and service industry has an estimated annual revenue of $115BN.

As modern cars become more complex, private owners who want to maintain their personal vehicles are finding it increasingly difficult to carry out basic repairs and maintenance. This is due to new disruptive technologies that are beginning to transform the wider auto industry. The electric car is one such example, hybrid and electrified cars are another. A modern auto repair business requires investment in the latest digital technologies and tools.

Investing in Specialist Garage Equipment

Indeed, the modern car has become a mass of sensors governed by CPUs and over-the-air software updates. The latter requires expertise and specialist equipment beyond the reach of the DIY mechanic. Franchise auto repair shops servicing corporate fleets often invest in capital equipment including expensive diagnostic equipment in order to maximise workflow repair efficiencies.

The Art of Body Shop Management

Independent and smaller body repair shops may have less capital reserves to invest in state of the art technology. To compensate for the lower investment, these smaller garages will often focus on commercial development, employee training and a customer focus approach with high satisfaction rates to generate and retain business.

Capital expenditure and investment in workshop tooling and machinery is just one part of the equation of running a successful auto repair business. What about bodyshop management? What does it take to actually maximise workflow efficiencies, increase productivity and profitability? As mentioned, embracing new technologies and methodologies is key.

Garage Software Tools

The modern garage ought to make use of software tools specifically designed to manage a bodyshop or general auto repair business. The end goal is to make bodyshop management a seamless and sustainable end to end process. Workshop Software is a powerful garage software tool ideal for driving performance, cutting costs, sharing data, and maximising profits.

Garage software typically encompasses a wide range of features designed to make running automotive repair businesses as smooth as possible. However, it’s worth pointing out that there is also software specifically for companies selling accessories for cars and such. For example,  there’s software for tire shops that integrates tire fitment, service and repair, inventory, and customer communications all on the same platform.

Body shop Management

Garage software replaces paperwork and allows for pinpoint tracking of many aspects of bodyshop management, from parts inventory, stock availability and repair schedules.The software approach will also substantially improve general record keeping to account for accurate and up to date logs of work carried out by employees. In a few years time advanced AI tools will further streamline the day to day operations of a garage.

However, the human element will always remain omnipresent. Keeping a motivated workforce is just as important as investing in technology and software driven processes. A well trained workforce and excellent working conditions will increase productivity while improving the quality of the task at hand.

So, in conclusion, running a successful auto repair garage and bodyshop management requires strategic planning and investment in equipment, current technologies and personnel. If you want to know more then we recommend MVP, a company that offers consulting and solutions with the goal to help auto repair shops to increase productivity, profit and overall business.

Bodyshop Management
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