Take Pride in Your Workspace
1.Old-School Scheduling
Mudgett’s Auto Body uses old-school scheduling, says Justin Mudgett, the facility’s president. A calendar is hung up on the wall behind the front office secretary’s desk. The calendar only displays the large jobs that the shop books.
Scheduling is based off labor ability, Mudgett says. If two technicians are on vacation for the day, then the shop will wait to book a job until all employees are present.
For smaller jobs, like parts replacements, the secretary schedules those on an Excel spreadsheet, which she is able to print out and make any last-minute changes to using pencil and paper.
2. Blueprinting and Fine Tuning
The shop has reduced its average cycle time to 3.7 days by implementing a teardown process in the fourth quarter of 2017.
To help the technicians get jobs done faster, the shop bought moving parts carts from Innovative Tools & Technologies, Mudgett says. The shop has also added parts carts to its paint booths that allow the painter to attach bumpers and hoods to a rack to paint.
“It causes less wear on your people and produces a faster and cleaner job,” Mudgett says. The shop has also been able to increase their annual revenue by 25 percent from 2017 to 2018, he says.
3. Cleaning Ahead
“We joke the shop is like my dad’s first kid,” Mudgett says. “It’s his oldest child, before my brother and me.”
Tom Mudgett Sr., father of Justin Mudgett, likes to take pride in the cleanliness of his shop. Every Friday afternoon, the staff close the shop an hour early and every employee assists in deep cleaning the shop floor.
At roughly 3 p. m. on Fridays, the technicians will move each cart and toolbox away from the wall in order to sweep and mop the entire shop floor. After everything is clean, the team will move the cars to their designated spots for Monday’s work.
4. Recycling for Cash
Mudgett says the shop also saves money by collecting extra scrap metal that is aluminum and copper. After roughly 90 days, Mudgett and his brother take the sheet metal to a recycling facility and turn it in for extra cash.
Mudgett’s Auto Body has been able to make anywhere between $5,000–$10,000 by recycling extra sheet metal. The money then goes toward a fund for their annual Christmas party.
SHOP: Mudgett's Auto Body LOCATION: Finksburg, Md. OWNER: Tom Mudgett Sr.
SIZE: 18,000 square feet STAFF: 23 AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT: 140 ANNUAL REVENUE: $5.2 million
