Predictions, Insights, and Innovations

Disclaimer: The claims I make below may seem fantastic - even, unbelievable - and I take full responsibility for them. But the fact is, many of these were not wild guesses but resulted from my intimate knowledge of the automotive scene and happenings, and of listening to people pronouncements in over three decades of close observation of the key players -- out of which sprung insights and predictions that eventually came true. A few of these were innovations that I introduced without much thought (instinctively) because they seemed to be the "right thing to do."

"But if you knew this ahead, why didn't you take action then?" would seem like a natural question to ask. True enough, I innovated some of these things and would have, in fact, placed myself for a promotion and earn more money in the process. Alas, my bosses and top management on the whole often didn't see things as I saw it. I didn't have much success convincing them! My only (consoling) reward was that somebody else did it several years later and it worked... for him! So there.

Insight/ Prediction/Innovation
Outcome
In 1979, I predicted that electronic eqpt. for engine tuneup, wheel alignment & balancing, gas analysis, etc. will be a standard feature of a large and medium-size auto shop. "High-technology" was the emerging buzzword then. My proposal to eqpt. my "5-star" dealer shop was taken up only in late '94 by management. The dealer shops started only equipping in the early 1990s, much later than many gasoline stations w/c had electronic diagnostic eqpt. as early as 1987.
By then, the "quick-service" business had largely gone to the service stations & independent shops.
In early 80s, I predicted that body repairs and painting would become the bulk of business of a dealership bec. of an emerging insurance repair market. Accordingly, I proposed to expand the facilities of my shop to 25% by putting up a pre-fab "mezzanine-type" bodyshop at low cost. This idea was sat upon by top management for 5 yrs. Many other dealer and insurance-accredited shops meantime expanded to accomodate a multi-million peso market. When the company did expand (I was no longer around), the market was gone bec. insurance companies put up their own in-house bodyshops.
Car-washing and/or "car grooming" service became a significant revenue contributor in the mid-90s long after I first submiited a plan to put the facility in front of the dealer premises to cater to 'drive-ins.' Later this concept (auto-detailing) was borrowed by small shops and even roadside stalls with much success.
I had a productivity incentive plan for both mechanics and support staff like clerks and partsmen 10 years before incentives became a standard in the automotive service. Incentives were a great way to motivate people towards common objectives and for accomplishing 120%-200% productivity.
Service merchandising and promotions were unknown in the 70s for most. I had a regular marketing plan for parts and service since 1977. Our service and parts departments became the model for the industry and its marketing programs copied.
In 1979 our shop was the first in the country to fabricate a "crewcab" locally at comparative cost that gained instant market acceptabililty.
 This provided Ford Phils. with a local prototype w/c enabled it to mass-produce crewcab models that became the fastest-selling units at that time.
In 1981 I initiated an 'open-on-Sundays/Holidays' service and parts feature w/c customers came to appreciate. Heretofore, customers had to wait over the long weekend or holidays. By 1985 this service feature was an industry norm already.
We followed this up with 'Extended Hours' servicing (5-10 p.m.) in 1983, and, later, the 'Early Bird' service (6:30 a.m.-8 a.m.). This feature is now almost universally copied by others.
In 1991 our shop became the first to pilot a computerized billing system; a year later, we piloted the computerized parts inventory control system with LAN/WAN capabilities. Computerized billling and parts inventory control systems are now standard in many large service shops and warehouses.
In 1977 we established a "team" concept of service selling patterned after the VW experience in Germany. Each team is a complete, autonomous unit with its own targets - in short, a mini "profit-center" competing against other teams. The team concept had its pros and cons but generally, it increased group productivity and promoted greater 'esprit-de-corps.'
Early in my career I introduced the so-called 'buddy system' where each employee is made responsible for co-employee, especially a new hire. The buddy system worked quite well over the training period of the new hire (between 3-8 months). Fostered camaraderie well beyond the initial bonding. It also helped weed out problematic workers.
Introduced the now famous "Tipid Hilamos" Painting Washover program - a low-cost, quick-painting job (w/in 3 days) utilising fast-dry paint and line-production methods. "Tipid Hilamos" has now attained a generic status as an industry practice.
A weekly staff meeting and bi-monthly general meeting to make sure problems were identified and threshed out early. Snacks were provided - an unheard of practice before I introduced it. Our meetings were always cordial and productive and many personnel issues were settled at my level.
In my department I have made it a policy that anyone who wishes to move out from his old job to a new one will not be discouraged to do so. In other words, a clerk could become a partsman, a mechanic could apply for a clerical position, a shop leadman could request to be trained as a service merchandiser, and so on. I even encouraged some of them to work abroad so they could earn dollars! Over the years, I have been gratified to note that this "job enrichment" program of ours resulted in placing the "right" people in the "right" jobs and thereby motivating them and giving them a sense of accomplishment. More than that, I have come to realize that people get into jobs they really do not care about but they had no choice - until now. So, being in a job that fits their talents is - thanks to this policy - really something.

Overall, the practice of good management and stewardship produced good results which could be quantified as follows:

Productivity = 90%; Selling Efficiency = 90%
Ave. Revenue Growth per annum = 15%
Employee motivation = bet. good to excellent.

 As a post-script, among the number of companies that I worked for as a Department Manager, not one was unionized. However, in two companies, the workers formed a union after I left. Coincidence? Let the reader judge for himself.

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