Whether you call them fast track repairs, express or a branded name, these small repairs could be the key to improving cycle time. Fast track repairs generally cost less than $1,500, which for most shops is commonly 45 percent to 50 percent of their business.
If you add the repairs between $1,500 and $3,000, which account for another 30 percent on average, you will quickly see that up to 80 percent of a shop’s repairs might qualify for fast track. If you speed that work up by moving it through the shop more efficiently, you will notice a reduction in your overall cycle time. This sounds simple, but how does it work?
The first step is a thorough estimate; we are dealing with small repairs, so even the smallest supplement will slow the process. This might require some minor tear down but remember we are focusing on smaller repairs so there will not be significant damage. You might just need to loosen a bumper or remove a headlamp.
If you find any structural damage during your inspection the repair is not recommended for fast track. Also during the estimating process, you will need to talk with the paint team to validate refinishing needs. Your goal through the estimating process is to identify all the steps to eliminate anything that might go wrong.
Once you have completed the estimate the next step is to schedule the repair at a time when you will have all the parts required as well as an available technician. I discussed this in my May article, Scheduling Repairs For Anticipated Vacancies Is Sustainable. Maximizing your schedule to have a vehicle ready to be repaired linked up with a technician ready to repair it will ensure the touch time is high and cycle time is low.
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I used this process in a customer’s shop recently and we cut their cycle time in half. Mind you it was a little high to start with, so your results might be different. The improved cycle time also did not happen overnight. We worked for three months changing habits and moving the Monday drop-offs into Tuesday and Wednesday. As we went through the process we found that the paint shop was holding up the fast track repairs so we had to make some changes there as well.
Once we had the fast track team and the paint team working toward the same goal the cycle time made another drop. The changes we made in the paint shop also sped up the larger repairs allowing them to move through the shop faster as well. By concentrating on the smaller repairs, the largest segment of work, you allow the shop personnel to develop processes that become habits that tend to echo through the shop.
A success story from another shop that implemented fast track processes was on a Honda Element with 24.9 body hours and 3.4 paint hours. This properly planned repair was completed in five and a half hours resulting in touch time of 5.1. The vehicle had a thorough estimate, the parts department had the small parts requiring refinishing pre-painted so when the vehicle arrived it was basically a disassemble/reassemble operation. The customer dropped off the vehicle at 9 a.m. and picked it up at 4:30 p.m. Previously this type of repair would have been in this shop two to three days.
The managers at both shops told me their successes did not happen because the techs worked faster, it happened through better communication. During planning and implementation of fast track we held employee meetings to gain their input. During the meetings the employees were the ones that brought up the communication issues. They discussed how the estimator’s estimate, the techs repair, the parts people get parts and the painters paint.
The discussions then focused on how nobody talks until they need a supplement, it’s the wrong part or it’s painted the wrong color. In the second and third meetings, I began to see the atmosphere change from “they” need to do this or that, to “we” need to be involved at the beginning not just when there is a problem.
As communication became the focus, the processes became habits and people throughout the shop changed the way they interacted. The result was better touch and cycle times. All we did was focus on one category of repair, the people did the rest.
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