Paul Yull, Sales Manager at Interbin, outlines the benefits of organising stock effectively, and how doing so can improve workshop efficiency.
Commercial vehicle workshops are constantly under pressure to restrict downtime and ensure vehicles are serviced, repaired and back on the road as quickly and as safely as possible. A major part of being able to achieve this, is by ensuring the most commonly used parts are in stock and easily accessible to technicians.
Efficiently organised stock makes it easier to see what parts need to be reordered, avoiding incidences where vehicles are up on the ramp, waiting for stock to be ordered and replenished. Whilst it’s obviously impossible, and wouldn’t make sound business sense for a workshop to keep every part that could ever be needed in stock, a flexible storage system – specifically designed for the workshop environment – will help workshop and fleet managers to quickly and easily notice when they are running low on frequently used items.
The first step to getting organised is to invest in good quality storage bins. Look for strength and durability to ensure that the bins can cope in the garage environment and therefore do not need to be replaced regularly. Storage bins from Interbin are available in a range of sizes so can easily cope with a wide range of parts, both big and small, and their associated weights.
Colour coding bins can be an effective way of categorising different types of stock, as it enables a mechanic to quickly identify where a part is, and where to put it back, should they need a different part than originally thought.
Next, consider where and how storage bins will be arranged. This will partly depend on the available floor space, but there is a vast range of options that will help any size of garage stay neat and organised. For example, when space is at a premium, louvred panels, Handi-Panels, double sided racks, single sided racks and rack packs offer the perfect solution. All of these can be either fixed to a wall, or in the case of the racks and rack packs, positioned against walls, to leave floor space clear.
Interbin’s louvred panels are available in a range of sizes and are compatible with both MDI range bins, and high capacity storage bins. Accessories such as lids, dividers and labels can also be utilised to protect the contents from air particles or dust. Splitting up smaller items will maximise capacity and ensure bins are labelled clearly.
For high value stock, invest in storage cupboards with lockable doors. Look for those that come equipped with shelves and storage bins, as they will be custom designed to fit that particular cupboard – therefore making best use of the internal space.
Managing a garage requires juggling a range of tasks, so spending valuable time getting organised may seem like a low priority, but in the long run, it will increase efficiency and have a positive impact on the standard of service a garage provides – and ultimately on its profitability.
