Is CarrXpert HM a shop like all the others? Just by looking at the building, we could say yes. But a closer look shows that the devil is in the details and that CarrXpert HM is a productivity champion.

Auto parts departmentAn uninformed observer might look at their parts department and think that there is not much going on in the shop. The department is empty … or almost. However, as far as productivity goes, this shop beats the average KPIs of the best North American shops.

The business reflexes of the shop’s owner and manager, Mr. Jean Robitaille, his leadership skills, experienced employees, and production capacity planning are at the heart of their success. One more skill contributes to the shop’s success: parts flow management.

What does parts flow mean?

Let’s take a moment to picture a windmill. The grains represent the vehicles in a shop, the millers are the bodybuilders, and the parts are the wind. When the wind changes direction or stops, the windmill’s productivity comes to a halt. If the wind is too strong, it can cause production interruptions of a different nature.

In short, it seems that CarrXpert HM has found the secret to control the wind. They’ve put the flow of parts at the service of production. The steady and continuous flow feeds the production line without creating an auto parts surplus.

What are the benefits?

  • Increase in productivity.
  • Shorter cycle time.
  • Better cash flow availability.
  • Optimization of the workshop space.

How did they do it?

For the businessman Jean Robitaille, it’s a mix of good practices, good tools and consistency.

“I invest time before the vehicles enter the shop and probably save three times as much during the repair, and in the end, it shows in the profitability results. It all started when I could purchase parts for all my jobs through ProgiParts. I realized how useful the traceability feature was for planning job starts.”

Every good repair in a shop starts with a damage estimate. At CarrXpert HM, they put a lot of efforts in performing high quality estimates to prevent surprises during the repair and reduce to a minimum the possible supplements.

They use ProgiParts to order all their parts and to maintain maximum traceability and efficiency. They know when a part has arrived and when it is invoiced by the supplier. Mr. Robitaille almost never veers from this ordering process. The team ensures that they have all the parts needed for the repairs on the following week’s production calendar. With the current pandemic, there are more parts on backorder, so it is even more important to do a good follow-up on part orders.

Jean Robitaille concludes: “With Volkswagen and Audi soon offering the price matching option directly through ProgiParts, I will save even more time when placing my orders. Also, when a dealership uses the platform, it becomes a precious negotiation tool because I can increase my volume of OEM parts by matching the price of used and aftermarket parts. In the end, it’s also an advantage for clients who will benefit from OEM parts.”

Author: Alexandre Rocheleau
Collaboration: Jean Robitaille
Revision/translation: Sophie Larocque
Edition: Émilie Blanchette