| 1. Customer value orientation |
• Collection of customer observations and complaints through customer satisfaction surveys. |
• Collection of customer observations and complaints through customer satisfaction surveys. |
| • Multiple communication channels are exploited at the customer interface to capture their perception of the service provided. |
• Multiple communication channels are exploited at the customer interface to capture their perception of the service provided. |
| • Investigations and actions to shorten service lead time and thus reduce customer waiting time. |
• Service attendants receive feedback on customer complaints. |
| • Assignment of a single mechanic technician as a reference contact for the customer, since the service scheduling to vehicle delivery. |
| • Promotion of events to strengthen customer relationships. |
| • Monitoring the performance of the service fulfilment process with a focus on the Right First Time (RFT) indicator. |
| 2. Value stream and elimination of waste |
• Meetings for interactive process mapping and review using flowcharts and post-its to seek improvement opportunities. |
• Meetings for interactive process mapping and review using flowcharts and post-its to seek improvement opportunities. |
| • Meetings to identify activities that do not add value. |
• Meetings to identify activities that do not add value. |
| • Investigations with the aim of reducing process lead time. |
| • Weekly meetings to analyze the process performance indicators. |
| • Service process streamlining based on value stream maps of current and future states. |
| • Use of spaghetti charts for flow analysis and reform of workshop layout. |
| • Servicing bay with a layout that enables two technicians to work simultaneously and independently on both vehicle sides. |
| 3. Continuous flow |
• The cleaning of the vehicle is carried out concurrently with the repair. |
• The cleaning of the vehicle is carried out concurrently with the repair. |
| • The very mechanical technicians carry out tire balancing. |
• Mechanical technicians also carry out tire balancing. |
| • The mechanic technician performs pre-diagnosis during the service schedule. |
• Sequencing of activities defined by standard procedures. |
| • Before starting its execution, the preparation of the service (checking the schedule and the vehicle history, separation of documents, preparation of the servicing bay, parts, and tools). |
| • Task sequencing is defined by standard procedures. |
| 4. Pull production |
• Daily order of parts to the carmaker. |
• Daily order of parts to the carmaker. |
| • Service tasks are carried out according to the delivery time of the vehicle to the customer. |
| 5. Continuous improvement |
• Daily, weekly, and monthly process improvement meetings. |
• Weekly and monthly process improvement meetings. |
| • Visual management board in the workshop for documentation and monitoring of actions and indicators. |
• Visual management board in the workshop for documentation and monitoring of actions and indicators. |
| • Promotion of the ‘go to gemba’ mindset for problem finding and problem-solving. |
• Process improvement initiatives are also triggered based on indicator data and customer satisfaction survey reports provided by the carmaker B. |
| • Systematic recap of the objectives of lean thinking and promotion of the benefits of leaner processes in improvement meetings. |
| • Preparation of action plans with the involvement of all employees. |
| • Suggestion box to collect employees’ ideas for the improvement of jobs. |
| 6. Zero defects |
• Auxiliary technician support to assist the mechanical technicians in addressing the identified problems. |
• Support from an employee for the operations performed by the mechanical technicians. |
| • The tackling of repairs is guided by an information system provided by the carmaker. |
• The tackling of the repair is guided by an information system provided by the carmaker. |
| • Standard procedure for tackling revisions. |
• Standard procedure for tackling revisions. |
| • Abnormalities are systematically identified through mechanical checks and then eliminated. |
• Abnormalities are systematically identified through mechanical checks and then eliminated. |
| • Use of car protective covers or films. |
• Use of car protective covers or films. |
| • Registration of requests listed by the customer in the workshop agenda. |
• Customer requests are registered in the workshop agenda. |
| • The vehicle reception checklist is filled in with the customer. |
| • The vehicle reception checklist is filled in by the customer. |
| • Visual signaling in the servicing bays of the workshop to trigger the help chain. |
| • Use of the A3 method and the ‘five whys’ technique to investigate root causes of defects and establish actions to prevent their recurrence. |
| • Scheduling script that guides the customer on the process that will be performed to fulfil the requested service, emphasizing the importance of punctuality. |
| • Visual signaling in the servicing bays of the workshop to trigger the help chain. |
| • Use of a scheduling script that guides the customer on the process that will be performed to fulfil the requested |
• Well-defined contingency procedures to deal with early or late customer arrival at the dealer for a scheduled service. |
| • service, emphasizing the importance of punctuality. |
| • Well-defined contingency procedures to deal with early or late customer arrival at the dealer for a scheduled service. |
| • Process auditing and control of nonconformities. |
| 7. Multi-functionality |
• A service consultant, a pair of mechanical technicians, and a washer comprise a work team responsible for the complete servicing of a car. |
• A service consultant, a pair of mechanical technicians, and a washer comprise a work team responsible for the complete servicing of a car. |
| • Mechanical technicians are responsible for customer service and interacting with customers, from scheduling to the delivery of the car. |
• Preventive maintenance of the car lift and equipment carried out by the mechanical technicians. |
| • Each technician and washer works with a mobile cart containing all the tools and materials required for their tasks. |
| • Each technician and washer works with a mobile cart containing all the tools and materials required for their tasks. |
| • Each car is serviced simultaneously by a pair of workers, each one tackling all the tasks on one side of the car. |
| • Each car is serviced simultaneously by a pair of workers, each one tackling all the tasks on one side of the car. |
| • The workshop employees are responsible for the cleaning, inspection, and preparation of tools, lubricating the car lift, the organization and orderliness of the workplace, and handling and controlling materials required by the service orders. |
| • The workshop employees are responsible for the cleaning, inspection, and preparation of tools, the organization and orderliness of the workplace, and handling and controlling materials required by the service orders. |
| • The dealer and the carmaker offer online courses and onsite training for the development of the technicians' skills. |
• The dealer and the carmaker offer online courses and onsite training to develop the technicians' skills. |
| 8. Vertical information flow |
• Direct contact between all employees, by telephone, e-mail, or in person. |
• Direct contact between all employees, by telephone, e-mail, or in person. |
| • Information sharing through extensive use of visual control tools (e.g., visual identification of inventories and workshop spaces, visual management board). |
| • Information sharing through extensive use of visual control tools (e.g., visual identification of inventories and workshop spaces, visual management board, A3 reports, monitor that tracks the status of scheduled clients). |
| • Use of computerized systems to aid workshop control, workflow monitoring, and communications. |
| • Use of computerized systems to aid workshop control, workflow monitoring, and communications. |
| • Technicians are granted direct contact to get technical support from the carmaker. |
| • Exploiting the use of display boards and post-it notes to promote swift disclosure of facts, extraction of ideas, and knowledge sharing in an atmosphere that fosters collaboration, participation, and decentralization. |
| • Exploiting the use of display boards and post-it notes to promote swift disclosure of facts, extraction of ideas, and knowledge sharing in an atmosphere that fosters collaboration, participation, and decentralization. |
| 9. Decentralization of responsibilities |
• Employees are empowered to self-regulate their work and halt the workflow when failures are detected. |
• Employees are empowered to self-regulate their work and halt the workflow when failures are detected. |
| • Mechanical technicians control their own work schedule. |
• Mechanical technicians control their own work schedule. |
| • Mechanical technicians and washers are responsible for inspecting the quality of their work. |
• Mechanical technicians and washers are responsible for inspecting the quality of their work. |
| • Washers are empowered to select the most appropriate cleaning method (dry or wash) for each vehicle and the timing to carry it out. |
• Washers are empowered to select the most appropriate cleaning method (dry or wash) for each vehicle and the timing to carry it out. |
| • Mechanic technicians with autonomy to contact the client directly. |
Unveiling the application of Lean principles in car dealerships
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