A Commitment to Results

With over two centuries of experience, the Sikkens brand has a proven track record when it comes to innovation. Starting in the late 1700s, painter and decorator Wiert Willem Sikkens created Sikkens lacquers, and from there, the business experimented with ways in which a specific color could be captured. In recent years, as technology has evolved, so, too has Sikkens. And while a number of innovations (such as UV products and UV-LED guns) have garnered approvals from more than 50 OEMs globally, there’s still one principle that drives all of Sikkens’ products: business results.

“Everything we do is about making sure our customers thrive in the future, not just survive,” Darlene Eilenberger, North American Marketing Manager of Vehicle Refinishes, AkzoNobel, says. “By providing the best color tools on the market, Sikkens provides its customers with the tools needed to become the best shop possible.”

Sikkens has an intimate knowledge of the challenges its customers face—be it with mounting costs, increased training or a focus on greater throughput—and has made a demonstrative effort to provide proven results, whether it’s in color accuracy, lowered inventory costs or business improvement training.

Top-of-the-Line Color Accuracy

When a vehicle arrives at the paint department, there’s one goal: paint the vehicle only once. A poor color match means not only a redo, but also twice as much material, lowered efficiency and higher paint and material numbers.

By partnering with car manufacturers and data reading at ports of entry and dealerships, Sikkens has been able to capture specific colors and tones through its many connections.

Each year, Sikkens collects more than 21,000 color measurements, as well as 10,000 panels of color. With this ever-growing collection of color, shops have access to the most up-to-date colors on the market.

“When it comes to determining the right color, Sikkens’ digital approach has been proven to find quick, efficient results,” Eilenberger says.

Color Tools

Building on the advanced digital tools Automatchic™ and MIXIT™, AkzoNobel offers a color tool portfolio that harnesses the power of digital color technology, to help shops achieve measurable improvements to their businesses, delivering greater accuracy, greater efficiency and ultimately, greater profitability.

When used together, the time and waste savings are significant.

The following graph compares the timeliness of using a digital method versus visual method to determine a color.

For example, with Super White, the digital search cuts time down by six minutes. In each case, searching digitally will save time.

“Six minutes here and there adds up,” Eilenberger says. “Rather than taking that time to visually search, the digital method will allow you to be more productive in your shop.” And for waste, shops use up to 20% less paint.

Lowered Inventory Costs

By maintaining lower inventory costs, shops will enjoy lower overall business costs.

“With the Sikkens system, any repair job can be completed with just 13 products, making it one of the lowest inventory-required systems in the industry,” Eilenberger says.

Autowave MM & Autobase Plus MM
Whether waterborne or solventborne, Sikkens basecoat technologies offer fast and accurate color match, excellent color coverage and metallic control and sprayability when used to duplicate OEM solid, metallic and pearl color effects. Each basecoat offers versatility with the ability to convert solid colors to single stage; delivering a fast and easy solution with unrivaled color accuracy and hiding power.

Manual Proportioning Unit
The manual proportioning unit (MPU) makes it possible to accurately measure any ready-to-spray clearcoat amount in the exact ratio of clear to hardener. A full cup can be mixed and ready to go in under five seconds. The MPU offers shops additional productivity, while helping to reduce clutter and messes caused by glued on can caps, sloppy pouring, and fighting with measuring sticks.

Business Improvement Training

In today’s competitive environment, training has become a crucial component of any business and a competitive edge. That’s exactly what the Sikkens’ Acoat Selected program aims to help shops do.

“We hear from shop owners all of the time that the Acoat Selected program has helped them grow their business and improve processes,” Eilenberger says. “With Acoat Selected, shop owners are able to take their shops to the next level.”

Working in all levels of the shop, the program, which is available exclusively to Sikkens’ customers, focuses on core principles, including the following:

Process improvement
Marketing
Sales
Talent development
Financial
Performance groups
PCE building blocks

Those who participate in the program can partake in training workshops scattered around the U.S., consulting opportunities, as well as coaching and networking opportunities. In addition, in-person workshops are held throughout the U.S. for those interested in furthering network opportunities.

Training is not just a necessary evil, however, Eilenberger says; it also drives business. “The results of the program speak for themselves,” Eilenberger says. Over a period of four years, a study was done for Acoat Selected members with shops achieving over $23 million in sales. The following results were revealed:

Business financial KPIs saw the following results:

49.3 percent increase in total gross sales
45.9 percent increase in labor gross profit
54 percent increase in parts gross profit
63.4 percent increase in net income
19.7 percent increase in sales per square foot

Paint and refinish KPIs saw the following results:

0.51 percent decrease in paint cost percentage of sales
66.9 percent increase in materials gross profit

Carbeat

For shops needing help with controlling workflow, Sikkens offers Carbeat. Carbeat™ is exclusively available to AkzoNobel customers. It follows the principles of the AkzoNobel proprietary Process Centered Environment, a program initiated to help increase body shop efficiency and growth.

Carbeat is a digital process control solution that helps improve communication and production efficiency.

Benefits for businesses: