Body Shops Must Cut Cycle Time; Podcast Gives Tips

PITTSFORD, NY--(Marketwire - March 27, 2008) - Auto collision repair shops need to fix cars faster to boost profits and keep customers happy, and expert Kent Carlson provides key tips on reducing cycle time in a new podcast from Scene Genesis.

Shorter cycle times are good for carriers, customers and autobody shops, which can keep more work and money flowing through the shop, Carlson says.

Carlson explains that the "theory of constraints" shows that a business can only work as fast as its tightest bottleneck. So, you can make the rest of the business run at the same pace as the bottleneck or you can expand the bottleneck. For instance, if a piece of equipment represents the bottleneck, you could make it available 12 hours a day instead of eight and stagger usage, says Carlson, president of Collision Resources Inc.

The podcast can be heard anytime at www.sceneexchange.com. It's part of "Topics in Ten," a monthly podcast that brings opinions and ideas to the collision repair industry.

Scene Genesis offers SceneExchange, a novel Web-based marketplace that lets participating insurance companies' customers choose among participating auto-repair shops for prompt, high-quality repairs. More than 3,000 autobody shops nationally have signed up. Registration is free and a form is available at the SceneExchange site.

SceneExchange puts collision shops on an even playing field and puts control over workflow into the shop owners' hands. During the product's pilot in the Carolinas, shops said that customers were better informed about the repair process -- as well as more engaged -- leading to higher satisfaction rates.

For more information, visit www.scenegenesis.com and www.sceneexchange.com or contact Beth Bailey of Scene Genesis at 585-387-9883 or bbailey@scenegenesis.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Beth Bailey Scene Genesis 585-387-9883 bbailey@scenegenesis.com Henry Stimpson Stimpson Communications 508-647-0705 Henry@StimpsonCommunications.com