Spring cleaning tips for the shop

Many people use spring as a time of new beginnings and one subject you often hear talked about is ”spring cleaning.” The topic normally relates to a home, but I think it has applicability to the service shop as well—especially today.

For the past several years, supply chain issues have resulted in fewer new trucks being produced. That meant fleets had to hold on to their assets longer than they typically did. Older assets need more maintenance and repair. The end result is that shops have been busy keeping older trucks on the road, so there has been a lot of activity in service bays.

Now might be a good time to do a little spring cleaning in the service department. Start by looking at the way the shop is organized. Is it set up to keep technicians in their bays working? Technicians need ready access to tools including specialty tools. While it is not practical to have specialty tools located in each technician’s bay, they should be in a central area that is easily accessible by technicians. And there needs to be a system for checking tools in and out so tools usage can be tracked. When a technician can’t find the tool they need, they waste valuable time looking for it.

See also: A fresh approach to maintenance

While you are looking at the way the shop is organized consider adding some commonly used parts to each technician’s bay—space permitting. This especially makes sense if you have bays set aside for maintenance only because there are common parts used in regular maintenance service.

Look at workflow, too. In an existing shop, it can be difficult to change workflow because of space constraints, but it is worth exploring to see if you can more efficiently use the space you have.

Of course, spring cleaning implies that some real cleaning occurs. Are there areas of the shop that need some TLC? Floors? Windows in bay doors?

Keep in mind that everyone wants to take pride in where they work, so sprucing up the shop could be a morale boost for your technicians and help in your recruiting efforts.

Clean, well-lit, well-organized shops will send a message to current and prospective technicians that you view them as professional and value the work they do.

That in itself is good motivation for some spring cleaning.

Jane Clark is vice president of member services for NationaLease. In this position, she is focused on managing the member services operation as well as working to strengthen member relationships, reduce member costs, and improve collaboration within the NationaLease supporting groups. Prior to joining NationaLease, Clark served as area vice president for Randstad, one of the nation’s largest recruitment agencies, and before that, she served in management posts with QPS Cos., Pro Staff, and Manpower Inc.

This article was originally published on FleetOwner.com.