If you think about the internal problems that occur in a shop, a lot of them involve mix-ups in communication: Someone didn’t have the information they needed when they needed it.
Our shop certainly isn’t immune to this type of problem, but we have developed systems and paperwork that generally ensure technicians and our office staff have the information they need.
Take, for example, the information that goes out to the shop with the vehicle. Like most shops, a copy of the work order is kept with the vehicle.We can obtain a work order from our estimating system, but we prefer to use one printed from our shop management system because it allows us to more accurately break-down body labor and paint labor.
We all know, however, that for some reason technicians don’t always thoroughly read every work order. We use a couple other systems to make sure some of the key information about the vehicle is readily apparent to anyone looking at it.
Our management system, for example, also allows us to print a “windshield tag,” a one-page sign that we tape inside the vehicle on the windshield. The sheet includes the repair order number, customer name, insurer, estimator’s name, date the vehicle came into the shop and target delivery date.
Another step we’ve found helpful is to use water-based fluorescent markers to list reminders and warnings on the vehicle windshield or door glass. Listing sublet items the vehicle will require—wheel alignment, A/C recharge or SRS reset—helps the technician and estimator make sure these items have been scheduled. A reminder on the driver-side glass will keep the shop helper from driving a vehicle that has its radiator removed. “Moulding to paint” will remind the paint shop to shoot a new moulding with the rest of the vehicle. Customer special requests, such as rock chip touch-up, can be listed here as well.
Finding a good system for all the information and paperwork needed in the office for each vehicle can be even more of a challenge than getting technicians the information they need. Here are four things we’ve tried that seem to work well for us.
First, we’d been using four-digit repair order (RO) numbers for at least 20 years. Several years ago, however, we started to add a letter —the first letter of the customer’s last name—to our ROs. That way when a parts invoice comes in with that RO, for example, we have it narrowed down where to look for that job file (which we store alphabetically). Most of the computer systems will only allow you to include numbers, not letters, in an RO, but you can still add it anywhere you handwrite the RO number and when you provide it to a parts vendor as a purchase order.
Second, we keep our fax machine stocked with blue paper rather than white. This makes it easy to pick out the faxed items when looking through a job file full of papers.
Third, we’ve developed a specific order for the paperwork stored in each job jacket. As I mentioned in previous columns, we use clear plastic job file jackets. The first full-sized sheet in the front of the jacket is always our green customer information sheet I described in my column last April. This allows us, without even pulling anything out of the file, to see at a glance all the most commonly needed information about that job, vehicle and customer.
Keeping everything else in that file in a particular order may seem a little obsessive. But we’ve found that it saves all of us in the office a lot of time when you can find out what you need more quickly without as much shuffling through the file. We have a “cheat sheet” at each desk that lists what order things are in the file: customer information sheet, alignment printouts, frame printouts, insurance assignment, estimates, invoices, etc. But after a while, it becomes second nature.
Fourth, we’ve developed a half-page form included in each job file that again serves as a sort of “cheat sheet” to remind office staff of steps and paperwork that need to be done during the life of that RO. It includes a checklist of items to be done when the file is being set up, when the vehicle is dropped off and when the final invoice is being prepared. To help whoever delivers the car, it lists what we need from the customer in terms of signatures and payment or insurance checks. And it includes a checklist of items to be done during file closing.
This form is admittedly a bit of a work-in-progress. We’ve used it for about six months, and we’re still fine-tuning it to make sure it matches the actual steps we’ve found to be the most efficient. But it helps make sure we’re doing things consistently, and it allows anyone looking at the file to see which administrative tasks have been handled for that job and which have not.
Next time: Paperwork and systems for streamlining the vehicle completion and delivery process.
