Audatex report identifies communication issues
Audatex has released a report which finds UK vehicle repair suppliers must improve communication and deliver better information with technology in order to build stronger customer relationships.
The An Extra Hour in the Day research of 250 independent and franchised bodyshops across the UK, found that a lack of efficiency across the workplace is now costing UK bodyshops and repair businesses an average of one hour per day per employee.
Launched today, the fourth Insight Paper of the series explores current supplier relationships, to uncover whether suppliers are currently enabling bodyshops to provide the service levels required and ways to save time by building better supplier relationships.
The research revealed that the most popular reasons suppliers are currently being selected is due to discounts (48%), above and beyond partnership agreements (32%), the ability to supply (32%) and reliability or relationships (30%). These findings show a clear trend of supplier relationships being forged much less on the speed and frequency of delivery and are more based on loyalty and volume-based discounts.
When it comes to communicating with repairers, some suppliers are overloading customers whereas others are not providing enough information. For example, three quarters (77%) of respondents stated they want to interact with their (BMS) provider on a monthly basis, yet only half (49%) are getting the interaction they require. As the industry looks to a more digital future, suppliers can utilise technology to exploit this gap in the market and build solid partnerships for the future.
In addition to the demand for increased communication, Audatex also explored the way in which suppliers can better support vehicle repair businesses by sharing information. Three quarters (75%) of bodyshops surveyed believe industry information is too fragmented and disparate, indicating the need for better and more convenient access to the right information for vehicle repair businesses.
The research found that when dealing with job specific challenges, bodyshops tend to turn to industry specific sources. For example, industry expertise is used to overcome challenges in managing technician inefficiencies (69%), assessment/estimating (74%), parts procurement (59%), invoicing (70%) and workshop task planning (40%). Online support is also used when dealing with challenges in parts procurement (50%) and invoicing (50%).
New product discovery by UK repairers is also made across a range of sources, with 76% finding this information in industry magazines, 68% through word of mouth (talking to peers or friends in the industry) and 26% on industry forums. However, with so many sources and types of information now available, there is a desire for a more centrally-managed technology-based approach and three quarters (74%) of body and repair shops say they would subscribe to a central information hub that consolidates industry information.
Commenting on the findings, David Shepherd, regional managing director at Audatex UK and Africa said, ‘In today’s rapidly advancing and saturated market, saving time and money has never been more important for vehicle repair businesses and supplier relationships now play a vital role in helping to free up resources and improve the service within bodyshops.
‘As the industry continues to digitise, suppliers must now embrace this shift in processes to ensure they provide vehicle repairers with the level of technology, information and guidance needed to drive efficiency in the most convenient way possible. Our latest findings indicate the need for a more centralised approach to the provision of information and working towards this goal will not only build stronger supplier relationships, but will allow bodyshops to maximise their resources and deliver quality customer service.’
The independent research was conducted by Coleman Parkes in 2018 with 250 independent and franchised bodyshops across the UK.
