Lean Sucks

By: Chris Sheehy

Autobody Consulting Group

Read any industry magazine or online trade website and you can’t get away from Lean – our industry obsesses with it, and for good reason too – it’s a solid and proven manufacturing ideology that adapts well to the auto body repair industry.

There are many stories of its positive merits, even in the face of often difficult implementation cycles.  Lean is clearly the current flypaper-of-choice for process management.

While this Lean-thing is seemingly ubiquitous, what I’m not hearing or reading about – is what exactly happens to your business when you do become this Lean-mean-production-machine?

Does your business mystically become THE place in town people bring their cars to for repairs?  Will all your problems be solved and work will just arrive at your door because of Lean?

Hardly so . . . indeed, it is more likely that just the opposite will happen – Lean will suck the work out of your shop very likely leaving your workforce sweeping up the floors in its aftermath.

The story that I’m not hearing or reading about; is just how important a strong marketing strategy is to counter the vacuum that Lean can create.

The connection between Lean and the need for marketing is rarely touched upon.

Marketing planning and implementation actions should be a part of every Lean strategy.

So – as you consider all the good that Lean and advanced production management has to offer; so too consider your marketing strategy to fill this inherent vacuum, because if done properly – Lean can really suck.

Do You Make A Clean First Impression?

By: Chris Sheehy

Autobody Consulting Group

This is a quick blog – I need to tell you about something that has bothered me.

Have you heard of the expression “you only have one time to make a first impression”?

It is true – at least for me – that first impressions burn a lasting image or emotion of how we feel about someone, someplace, or something.

Which brings me to the reason for this article.

Other than answering the phone – YOUR BUILDING/FACILITY IMAGE is often the first impression your business makes to the most people.  Think of that.   Not everyone in your town calls you – but at some point they will all probably drive past your business.

So. . . what does your image say to your future customers about your business – about you?

I have asked this to people before and got answers like “I have the best image of any body shop around”, and “I don’t own the sidewalk”.  Really.

Here is my advice – appoint someone to make sure that each day your business is swept clean, the entrance is spotless (no peeling paint, dirt, sand, butts etc…), weeds are killed, bushes trimmed, and your door glass uncluttered and clean.

Be the steward in your neighborhood for advocating a professional image and of showing pride in your community.

In time, your efforts will be repaid in more visits to your door. . . .

Intro, by Damage Report magazine

Chris Sheehy, a familiar face in New England region collision repair circles, has founded the Autobody Consulting Group (ACG).

ACG specializes in identifying and coaching of performance management solutions which increase operational efficiency and bottom line revenue.

“Our work is grounded in real-world solutions to produce tangible, bottom line outcomes. Our goal is to quickly get you implementing, not just planning,” says Sheehy. Using the context of your business to develop the strategies and behaviors necessary for success in today’s business climate, ACG thoroughly analyzes each client’s finances and system processes against best-practices, industry benchmarks, and ACG’s proprietary and Copyrighted KPIs(key performance indicators).

“We are aiming to help smaller shops; those that are grossing less than $1 million per year, to become more efficient and more profitable,” says Sheehy.

He notes that there are a number of body shop consultants in the South,West and Midwest, but few in the Northeast U.S. “Most of the larger consulting companies don’t want to bother with a smaller shop. They are more interested in hooking up with larger facilities and multi-location operators,” says Sheehy. “That makes them too expensive for a smaller shop owner, who may need the help even more.”

Sheehy was formerly the New England Regional Manager for CARSTAR, and has been active in I-CAR for a number of years.

[appeared in the Damage Report, October 2009 edition]