ALIVE WITH IDEAS: New approaches to industry challenges at IBIS Connect Africa
By Allison Rogers For decades, key members of the collision industry have developed solutions to shared industry challenges at industry conferences. Perhaps the highest-profile of these conferences have been at the International Bodyshop Industry Symposium events, which attract industry legends from across different continents. In 2020, however, the coronavirus pandemic put a wrench in the […]
THE POST COVID-19 CLASSROOM: What to expect from post-secondary education
THE DAYS OF COMING TO SCHOOL OR WORK WHEN YOU’RE A LITTLE BIT SICK—BUT TOO STUBBORN TO STAY HOME—ARE GONE. GESTURES AND BEHAVIORS THAT WERE ONCE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE, SUCH AS A HANDSHAKE MAY BECOME TABOO. By Ben Hart As I sit here and write this, I long for the days of normality; in fact, I […]
THE VOLUME VICE: Improved KPIs means investing in front-end processes
By Kelly Roberts Handling high volumes of business can be a bit like lifting heavyweights. A significant amount of volume is good— if you have the bulk to handle it. In fact, it is a clear sign that your business is doing something right. It feels amazing! And just like weightlifters, businesses that receive too […]
TODAY’S TRAINING: What will I-CAR training look like in our new normal?
I-CAR has had to take on an all-new approach to delivering its training courses amid the pandemic. On March 15, “pretty well all colleges across the country closed down their campuses,” Andrew Shepard, senior director of Industry Programs and executive director of I-CAR Canada told Collision Repair. However, I-CAR Canada quickly reacted to the closures […]
UNDERSTANDING THE INDUSTRY: Is it better to work for a chain or an independent facility?
By Gideon Scanlon If you are looking to start a career in the collision repair sector, you might want to think about whether you want to work for a business that has only one location, or for one that is part of a chain. Before making a decision, it is important to understand the basics […]
TEN STEPS TO TOP PERFORMANCE: AkzoNobel’s approach to Process Centred Environments
“IF WE LOOK AT A TWO-HOUR BOOTH CYCLE AS THE DRUMBEAT OF THE SHOP, WE SHOULD AIM TO SEE VEHICLES MOVING FROM STAGE TO STAGE ACCORDING TO THE DRUMBEAT. IT’S ABOUT PULLING THE VEHICLES THROUGH THE PROCESS AT A STEADY PACE RATHER THAN FORCING THEM THROUGH.” – PAT RYAN, AKZONOBEL Pat Ryan, an experienced service […]
ALL CLEAR? THINK AGAIN: Developing an effective scanning process
By Chuck Olson Those collision businesses that develop an effective diagnostic scan process will see the benefits almost immediately. A diagnostic process—like strategy-based diagnostics—performed by a qualified diagnostic specialist can save a collision repair facility money, cut back touch-times, improve capacity, reduce the risk of legal liability, and, most importantly, improve the safety of motorists […]
TRAINING—WHERE DOES IT END?: It doesn’t in this industry, training is career-long
By Stefano Liessi Training should never end; not for anyone, in any profession. The term training is a household word; however, maybe we should paraphrase the term using synonyms such as ‘learning,’ ‘educating,’ or ‘upgrading’ to encompass a wider variety of options. Regardless of how you wish to use the term, the action of training […]
COLOR COMPASS UNIVERSITY: How Color Compass brings industry training to the forefront
Today’s business and technical training requirements can be a complex maze to navigate. Color Compass University facilitates and provides a variety of training options to the collision repair industry that can be customized to individual shop requirements. The company’s first training centres were in Edmonton and Winnipeg and provided primarily refinishing training, but soon evolved […]
PUT YOUR FUTURE INTO OVERDRIVE: Do you have what it takes to take on the vehicles of the future?
By Darryl Simmons If there’s one thing that adults don’t tell their children about growing up, it is that adulthood begins with a series of big decisions. No decision will have a longer-lasting impact on the rest of your life than what career you will decide to pursue. And you can only choose one. If […]