If the last 4 years of sales data shows anything, it’s that we have entered the age of Fixed Ops.
And there’s no going back.
Strategies are shifting across the industry. The decades-long focus on new inventory is taking a backseat to trade-ins and certifieds – and you need to make sure your recon team is buckled in for success.
But, try as we might, everyone knows the process wasn’t built for speed (it’s sure not built for comfort either).
Between the time of acquisition and the moment of sale, you don’t have to look very hard to find room for improvement.
The good news though, is that a little proper planning is really the only thing preventing your team from hitting full steam ahead.
The Goal: Get Everyone On The Same Page
Part of the problem is that everyone seems to have their own opinion on where all the inefficiencies in recon are coming from…
But nobody has the full picture.
And without measured, quantifiable evidence – it’s all really just finger pointing.
If you want real answers that’ll push your speed-to-sale to new limits, you’ll need to recon your recon first (yeah, we said it).
Because it’s one thing to say that “Fixed Ops is driving profits at this dealership”…
But it’s another thing entirely to be able to confidently point and show your GM exactly where your team is cutting vehicle turnover with greater technician productivity (for example).
So where do you start?
Step 1: Step Back & Think About The Problem
Dealership margins are thinner than ever, and it’s impossible for any business to improve or be successful without measuring how different departments are performing – recon is no different. You need to get vehicles ready for sale as efficiently as possible, without any wasted effort.
But if you’re lacking the ability to track the progress of each part of your recon process, inefficiencies are going to remain hidden – margins will mysteriously shrink further and opportunities for growth will stay missed.
We all just want to move fast and fix things, but knowing why you hit your numbers is just as important as understanding why you did not.
Tracking the stages of your recon process allows you to step back and identify bottlenecks first, so you can consider your options instead of repeatedly rebuilding on the fly.
Added Benefits: When you can effectively communicate this data to dealership management, it simplifies your job significantly. It builds trust, earns you autonomy, and creates an environment where process improvements can keep making life easier for everyone involved.
Step 2: Haul In Some Data & Set Your Baseline
Now this part’s important: The improvements you can make to your recon are only as good as the data you gather.
Putting a comprehensive tracking system into place will make your life easier by giving you a clear lay of the land, with direct line-of-sight on each stage of your recon. With a complete picture of your current recon efficiency in hand, you’ll be able to see not only where you can improve issues like downtime – but where expenses are truly adding up.
Rebuilding your recon process begins with marking the two most important points in the process: the starting point and the finish line. Now break down the rest of your recon process into distinct parts to help monitor progress at every step – transport, check-in, appraisal, mechanical work, body repairs, detailing, etc.
Now that your process is mapped out, you can step back and really start to see what you’re working with. You can analyze all associated costs at every step, and start tying expenses to the source.
Step 3: Point The Compass & Set Your Sights
With your baseline data collected and available for all to see, now it’s time to set specific, measurable goals that align with your dealership’s strategic and financial objectives.
You’ll need to define clear time targets for each stage in your recon process, making sure all goals are hitting a healthy combination of ambitious and achievable.
We can’t understate how essential it is at this stage to collaborate with management and make sure you’re setting your team up for success, so allow us to repeat ourselves:
It is essential to collaborate with management and make sure you’re setting your team up for success.
Work together to establish an incentive program that rewards teams and employees who meet or exceed their expected targets. Rewarding high performance keeps motivation strong and encourages continuous improvement across departments.
Future Forward: Optimize & Repeat
Precise tracking doesn’t end at goal-setting – this is just the start.
Continuous monitoring is your key to long-term success. Regularly review your data to identify any trends or disruptions, and make data-driven adjustments as needed (no more blame games).
With everyone on the same page and the cycle going strong, you can turn your recon process into a well-oiled machine that boosts speed-to-sale, reduces downtime, and adds substantial value to your dealership’s bottom line.
Invest in data-management tools that help visualize your data for straightforward, digestible reporting. This won’t just help ease internal communication across the board, it also simplifies presentations to upper management, ensuring everyone stays aligned on progress and opportunities for growth.
Finding The Tool That Fits The Job
An optimized recon process isn’t just an operational upgrade, it’s your competitive advantage.
And while many dealerships are only beginning to see the potential of strong data analysis, you’re already positioning your team for success by prioritizing efficiency and performance. When you equip them with the right tools and insights, you’re not just staying in the game – you’re setting the pace.
Because with streamlined workflows, precise data tracking, and continuous refinement, your dealership can fast-track inventory to the frontline and maximize profitability.
Now here’s where we start talking options, and we’ll start by saying this – not everybody needs a fancy piece of software to get the job done.
You can shop around and hear all those “same-but-different” sales pitches that promise you the world, but they won’t be worth the dent in your budget if you aren’t moving a serious amount of inventory through recon.
Your time – and dollars – are better spent by tightening up communication and paying someone who can come in and solidify your spreadsheets and chat-channels.
(And besides all that, some of the softwares out there are actually more of a benefit to the Sales team over Fixed Ops).
We Go The Extra Mile – Every Time
Are you (along with everyone else at work) frustrated by a reconditioning process that needs reconditioning?
Repair360 was built to get you there (and go the extra mile) every single time.
We streamline the data-gathering process for dealerships, putting Fixed Ops right at the center – and that’s just the start.
You’ll get so much more than visibility into the process, because we’ll help you skip all the number crunching too.
Repair360 gets right into the nuts and bolts for you, compiling, analyzing, and translating all the data from every step of your recon into something you can actually work with.And it doesn’t just identify the roadblocks in your recon process…
It fits your whole Fixed Ops department like a glove for hands-on management, all while giving you the birds-eye-view of the whole thing – eliminating days (and days) of downtime and lost profit.
Get Started Today
If you’re ready to recon your recon – we’d love to hear from you!
Get in touch and tell a member of our team what exactly you’re trying to get done – our ears are always open.
We’ll listen to everything you have to say before talking you through some options.
Because sure, reconditioning sucks… but it doesn’t have to.