Jobbers can provide much-needed help with inventory, training and compliance

Jan. 1, 2020
The jobber has evolved from a simple paint or product supplier to a valued source for business information and needs.
IMAGE / AL THOMAS

The collision repair industry is a complex business that needs to form strong bonds with its partners (Fig. 1), or the companies that supply parts, materials, information and training needed to comply with numerous regulations governing the industry, which can be overwhelming. Shop managers must have strong working relationships with these suppliers to coordinate a smooth business and speedy repairs for customers.

Fig. 1 (IMAGE / AL THOMAS)

To some, the word partner might seem out of place when addressing suppliers. Although suppliers won't appear in a business plan as partners, they become a strong and necessary part of an everyday operation.

With automobiles becoming more complex to repair, shop owners become dependent on suppliers to bring them needed parts and materials for each job. It might not be so critical if it were as simple as stocking 100 fender bolts or a certain amount of white paint, but each vehicle – even if they were all white – would require a different formula to mix paint for its refinishing. Moreover, two cars painted white with the same manufacturer code may be different, depending on the factory where each was built.

To meet these complex needs, shop owners depend on suppliers to help them achieve quick repairs. One of the most frustrating situations a company encounters is running out of a material. Mixing a paint formula and finding there's a lack of parts can stop production in its tracks. A jobber who visits a shop regularly helps shops remain supplied with materials without stocking a costly amount of extras.

Additionally, shops rely on manufacturers and suppliers to help comply with environmental, fire and safety codes. Coordinating these complex areas of the business would be even more difficult if it wasn't for a partner to help. The jobber has evolved from a simple paint or products supplier to a valued source for business needs. With environmental laws changing rapidly and the need to switch to a waterborne paint system, jobbers and the paint companies they represent can be invaluable.

Knowing the needs

One of the most difficult and frustrating situations in a body shop is to run out of a material when it's needed the most. When this happens, it's inevitably at a time when a schedule can least afford a delay.

One of the first responses is frustration or anger. To prevent this situation, managers could assign the task of keeping supplies on hand to the foreman or develop a complex chart system with checks and a time for ordering. But with the help of a good jobber who stops in regularly, checks inventory and makes sure needed product is on hand, managers can prevent supply problems. A good jobber knows a company's needs.

Inventory reduction

Fig. 2

Having large amounts of unused supplies and materials on hand is costly. Managing a business inventory and its cost, though it appears to be simple and of little value, can be beneficial to job costing. The important aspect of this management is to have the correct amount of material on hand as needed without overstocking new inventory. A list near the supplies storage area and a trusted jobber (Fig. 2) who checks inventory regularly and restocks supplies and materials so shops will have them as they're needed can help control costs.

Just-in-time delivery

In the past, it was necessary to keep large quantities of supplies on hand to guarantee production schedules would be met. If a shop needed a product from a jobber, a manager needed to leave his workstations for the office, find a phone, call the jobber and order the product. Now it's as simple as pulling a phone from one's pocket and texting the jobber. There's no need to leave the work area. The product is delivered quickly without large stock inventories.

Just-in-time delivery has been used in manufacturing for years, and it can be applied to the body shop industry by using modern communication methods. By reducing large inventories of supplies and materials, a shop can manage each cost center more closely, which increases profits.

New products and procedures

The most common method for increasing profits in the collision repair industry is completing a repair quickly. Shops constantly are looking for ways to improve productivity and increase profits. New products and procedures are developed, tested and brought to the marketplace regularly. One of the best ways to test new products or procedures is through a jobber who will show technicians how a new product is used and often provide the opportunity to test the product before placing it in inventory.

For the more complex new procedures, jobbers often bring manufacturer reps along for in-house training, which provides the shop an opportunity for training and practice with a product before making a commitment. However, not every new product that's introduced to the market is a good fit for a company. The opportunity to test the product before committing makes a jobber valuable.

Difficult repairs

Fig. 3

Even in the best shops, a vehicle becomes difficult to repair; but a jobber can help with these difficulties by coming to the shop and helping with a difficult color match (Fig. 3), being a resource for repair procedures or calling a material manufacturer rep to help.

Training

Fig. 4

Years ago, a young person would apprentice for a few years under a master, then practice his trade for the rest of his career. Training was thought of as an initial period during which an apprentice learned the theory and practiced under the watchful eye of a master until the apprentice mastered the trade. Though it's still a good practice to learn the basics of collision repair from a master technician, training must be a lifelong practice. Vehicles and the materials from which they're made change more rapidly now than at any other time. Technicians, even master technicians, must continually learn, practice and change their methods.

Fig. 5

When one is in school, it's usually possible to take the time to learn new and different techniques. But in the workplace, along with learning these new techniques, a technician must continue to be productive. A jobber can help by providing access to manufacturer training (Fig. 4) and offsite training such as I-CAR. Some jobbers have classrooms at their stores where the manufacturer, I-CAR or other similar training providers can present training.

Product and procedure training

Fig. 6

Jobbers often bring product manufacturers such as 3M and DeVilbiss that provide demonstrations in training to increase productivity at the workplace with them on their rounds. Procedure training could take the form of a new product demonstration in which training is provided, as well as samples of a product left behind so the technicians can practice at their convenience and decide on the effectiveness or appropriateness of the product before purchasing it.

Regulation compliance

Fig. 7

Jobber-provided training also could take the form of regulation compliance. New regulations can be complex and might seem more difficult in their implementation than they are. The jobber, with the help of a manufacturer trainer, can put the mechanisms needed to comply with the new regulations in place, often with very little difficulty.

Business management

Fig. 8

Many body shop owners and managers have spent the majority of their early careers learning to become good repair technicians. Management skills, which are important to business success, aren't always learned in early training. Many management tools have been developed to help shop managers and owners become more knowledgeable and efficient in the way they operate their businesses. These tools need to be maintained and upgraded, which the jobber can often be helpful in doing (Fig. 5). Not only do computers need to be upgraded from time to time, but variance decks (Fig. 6), filter maintenance (Fig. 7) and training painters to date waterborne paint when it's first opened (Fig. 8) are important tasks jobbers provide.

Cost center management

Fig. 9

With the introduction of computerized management systems, cost center management, along with other business management practices, have been simplified. Jobbers can be instrumental when introducing shops to the reps and salespeople who can help install, maintain and use the devices. Implementing these cost center management systems provides the ability to monitor technician productivity and individual job costing, as well as evaluating the profitability of DRP contracts.

Environmental and safety compliance

Fig. 10

Some of the most costly and feared changes to the body shop business involve environmental and safety regulation compliance. Depending on the geographical location, some shops have switched from using solvent-based paint to waterborne. The change, depending on equipment needs, can be costly. Technicians need to be trained, old product needs to be removed, new product needs to be stocked, and equipment changes need to be made. The difficulty in this change can be easier with the help of a jobber and the paint company he represents.

Fig. 11

Often a jobber comes to the shop to evaluate equipment (Fig. 9) such as airflow in the booth, air compressor capacity, gun washer needs (Fig. 10), air cleanliness and needed air movement equipment such as air amplifiers (Fig. 11).

Following the evaluation, a jobber can arrange for painter training (Fig. 12) and help with the old equipment removal and new equipment installation. Upon the return of a trained technician, painting can be resumed with little or no difficulties. The jobber often will remain on site for a number of days to make sure technicians are comfortable with the new product and its application before leaving them on their own.

Waste management and reduction

Fig. 12 (IMAGE / AL THOMAS)

Jobbers often help with booth filter and operational maintenance and waste removal by providing recycling equipment training and helping locate a reputable waste removal service. They're often among the first to know and understand the regulations regarding waste removal and management in the shop's specific location, making compliance and management of the waste stream less costly.

Jobbers can become true partners with the body shops they serve. They profit when a business becomes more successful and buys more product. It's in the best interest of the jobber for body shops to remain profitable.

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