Fawkner Body Repairs
AWARDS 2006 AAMIAAMI/AP&P AUTOBODY REPAIRER OF THE YEAR REGIONAL WINNER (LARGE SHOP) VIC.
Fawkner Body Repairs
When we visited Fawkner Body Repairs last year the shop was in the middle of renovations. This year we found them complete ? save for a roof to provide a linking cover between two sections of the building.
The shop is now one of the best planned and equipped in Melbourne, with its U shaped workflow and central control room that overlooks the whole shop from one vantage point.
It is from here that the tight management team runs its DNS quoting (Quote Plus), scheduling and planning system. Fawkner technicians access scheduling on a computer on the outside wall of the room where they use a barcode reader to sign off on various stages of a repair. Managing director, Paul Sprunt, loves DNS's simplicity and depth of reporting.
Customers are greeted at an elegant reception desk and to its right is a lounge complete with a log fire heater for Melbourne's notorious winters, and a boardroom for more serious meetings. A glass wall to the left of reception reveals the transparent handover bay.
Cars progress from a roller door at the front to dismantling, alignment and panel repairs, prep bays, paining and assembly. The cars only move forward to completion.
There are 15 people in the shop: five in painting, four in panel beating, one fitter, an estimator/manager and a business development manager in the person of John Caust.
Although still keen on the repair industry, owner Paul Sprunt plans to eventually hand over the day to day running of the shop to his management team while he puts something back by assisting industry bodies.
"I've been a repairer since 1976," he says, by way of explaining his interest in a change.
Staff loyalty is a feature of the shop. The longest serving painter has been there for 27 years, a panel beater for 14 years and a shop manager for 17 years.
Fawkner is approved repairer for Lexus ? in which it dominates repairs throughout Victoria for the brand, and more recently for Subaru. Apart from these, the shop will repair virtually any car that comes through the door.
In terms of equipment, Fawkner runs two Car-o-liner benches with Car-o-tronic measuring, Car-o-liner inverter and spot and bronze MIG welders, two Lowbake ovens with five prep bays, and infra red drying.
For OH&S, the shop uses the OZsafe system which assess risk, suggests compliance needs and provides reminders.
As a check on customer satisfaction, Fawkner invites comments from them after every job and provides an incentive of the chance to win a free cut and polish.
POWELL'S COMMENT
Fawkner is tightly run on sound body shop principles. There is a good balance of management and technicians. I was also impressed with the quality of work throughout the shop.