Looking at ways to improve workflow during an era of unprecedented disruptions.

Disruption and adaptation are likely two words to describe what many collision centres have experienced over the last decade. Rapid advances in vehicle technology, the growth in OEM involvement and repair procedures, the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages, shop capacity issues and parts and supply chain disruptions have made it a challenging environment in which to operate.

Reputation and profitability

Ultimately, every collision centre is looking to maximize efficiency so it can repair vehicles safely and effectively, and by doing so, elevate its reputation and profitability.

Yet achieving this requires a long hard look at how processes are currently being implemented and where improvements can be made.

In terms of bottlenecks, Reg See, Regional Performance Director for Fix Network Canada, says that a lack of standardized processes can be a big issue. “Given the complexities of today’s vehicles and administrative responsibilities, I see examples everyday where a standardized process would have not only eliminated a delay or non-conformance but also would have provided a foundation from which to improve upon.”

See notes that continuous improvement and the ability to measure and track performance and progress is key here. “If you can’t measure, you can’t manage,” he explains.

Collision centres that adopt and implement solid processes effectively, says See, are the ones that tend to be far more efficient and have a consistency that can be replicated on an ongoing basis.

Every aspect of the repair

At CARSTAR St. Hubert and CARSTAR Longueuil-Ouest, in Quebec, Jean-Luc Rouleau and Pierre-Luc Tremblay fully recognized the benefits of standardized processes, not only across the multiple locations they operate but also for every aspect of the repair process within each shop. “It all starts with the estimate and repair plan,” Tremblay explains. “The estimate needs to be as complete and as accurate as possible, so we know the full extent of the damage, what parts are needed and all of the procedures that need to be performed, before we even send it to the insurer,” he says. Tremblay notes that at every step of the process, from the time the vehicle first comes into the shop, to the time it’s ready for the customer to collect, has a checklist that needs to be filled out before the vehicle can proceed to the next step. “It is essential you leave nothing out, so you can maximize your quality control and the quality of the repair.”

An issue that has come to the forefront in the last few years, often a legacy of pandemic shutdowns is shop capacity. John Ascheman, Senior Application Engineer, 3M Automotive Aftermarket notes that low available capacity has made it difficult for collision centres to schedule work in order to maximize shop efficiency. “Parts shortages, ADAS calibrations, and additional sublet work have been causing vehicles to sit longer and take up production space on the shop floor,” he says. That’s why proper and detailed repair planning has become so imperative. Ascheman also notes that collision centres can leverage repair planning to create an efficient assembly line process so vehicles can be moved through the shop based on the needs of the repair such as cosmetic repairs or major hits. “Once the repair planning is completed you can determine which lane they should go in, which will help to optimize the throughput of your shop.”

Refinishing concerns

The painting and refinishing stage is another area where bottlenecks can rear themselves, reducing efficiency and shop profitability. “The paint booth can only accommodate a finite number of repairs per day, and each full paint cycle takes a minimum amount of time,” explains Shannon Tardif, Director, Field Operations, for CSN Collision Centres. She notes that efficient scheduling and continuous vehicle intake and delivery throughout the week can have a big impact on improving efficiency. “Properly scheduling vehicles directly affects the workflow of the refinishing department,” she states.

Supplemental parts can also be a headache and impact production flow. “This is why it is so important to complete a full disassembly at the time of initial inspection,” says Tardif. This way, the entire extent of the damage is properly mapped and documented, and supplements can be avoided.

Staffing considerations

Another big factor that impacts operational efficiency is staffing. The pandemic saw an exodus of senior and highly trained staff members, and as work volumes and demand increased, many shops struggled to get those vehicles repaired, not only due to fewer bodies available, but also due to a lack of knowledge and expertise being transferred from those who retired to those still actively working, not to mention new recruits. Yet in this area, collision centres have gotten creative.

At CARSTAR St. Hubert and Longueuil-Ouest, Jean-Luc Rouleau says that getting around this problem requires a training pipeline. “We have a specific training centre shop, down the street from our CARSTAR location, in St. Hubert,” he says. Working with local technical colleges, Rouleau and his team are able to bring co-op students and apprentices into the training facility. Here, they get real hands-on experience in performing real collision repairs. Furthermore, the procedures in place here are duplicates of those at the other operational locations. “It is exactly the same. If you learn processes and procedures at the training facility then you learn what we do at the other locations.” This standardized approach means that ultimately, technicians and staff can be switched from one location to another where needed, and when combined with rigorous quality control, the result is a highly efficient and highly successful repair process across multiple shops.