It’s simple but true: time is money. If a service department isn’t organized, technicians can waste a lot of valuable time searching for essential and special tools or using the improper tools for proper repairs. Tools are an investment. Organizing, storing and maintaining those tools can make a positive impact on the dealership’s productivity.
Feedback from dealership surveys regarding tool organization indicated that 77% of service managers and 90% of technicians felt their dealership could improve how their tools were organized. (Fig. 8)
Fig. 8
GM offers several ways for dealerships to get organized, including a variety of storage systems and in-dealership tool management assistance along with the GM Special Tools Organization website managed by Bosch. The best practices found with a successful tool organization program are:
• Assigning a tool organization supervisor
• Using a managed tool organization system, such as the GM Special Tools Organization website
• Dedicating accessible storage space
• Implementing a physical tool storage system
• Following a regular tool maintenance program
Return on Investment
How much productivity is lost by searching for special tools? On gmtoolsandequipment.com, there is a Return on Investment (R.O.I.) calculator that helps determine that. Click the Return on Investment link on the left side of the page to view the calculator. Fill in the estimated time spent looking for a tool and the number of technicians in the service department to see how much annual saving can be found through with a proper tool organization system.
For example, if three technicians spend just two less minutes per day looking for tools, it can lead to an annual savings of more than $16,000. (Fig. 9)
Fig. 9
Storage Options
Using the right storage system makes it possible to never misplace a tool again or spend valuable time digging through piles of tools.
When determining the kind of tool storage system that will work best in your dealership, consider the how much space is available, security of the area, how accessible it is, and the amount of tools in inventory.
GM Dealer Equipment offers tool storage cabinet systems, case and shelf systems for larger items (Fig. 10) or multiple tools (Fig. 11), tool peg-board systems (Fig. 12), and mobile cart systems. (Fig. 13)
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Tool Organization Services
The tool organization services available through Bosch range from complete planning and configuration to tool inventory set up, installation, and data entry of your inventory into the tool organization system.
These services include the assistance of organization specialists who are available to come to the dealership and identify, inventory, sort and organize all special tools in a simple, efficient, easy-to-use system. (Fig. 14)
Fig. 14
Watch the video (Fig. 15) below to learn more about tool organization options.
Fig. 15
For more information, go to gmtoolorg.service-solutions.com or click the link in the Global Connect/Service Workbench.
– Thanks to Chuck Berecz
