Owning and managing an auto repair shop is a challenge that requires a lot of attention to detail to maintain profitability. That said, your auto repair shop floor plan should be optimized for the highest safety and quickest turnover possible. That is why you’ll need to set up your shop in a way that allows for maximum functionality, safe working conditions and increased productivity.
Here’s a look at how you can improve your auto repair shop floor plan:
Space Requirements
The use of your space is heavily dependent on the services you provide. With that in mind, as a repair shop there are several things you need to take into account when proposing a layout. These include:
- Administrative Space: Office space for management to handle administrative tasks
- Loading Bays: Appropriate space for loading vehicles with proper clearances and additional room for maneuvering them in and out of the shop.
- Storage: Repair shops require heavy duty machinery, tons of tools and large inventory which will need to be housed in respective spaces. Proper storage areas will be a necessity.
- Waiting Room/Front Counter(s): A designated space for customers to wait during maintenance is optimal. This space can double as your front counter(s) where customers will check in and out for their service.
Spatially, your auto repair shop floor plan will need to acknowledge the size of equipment and different types of spaces necessary. That said, the use of space isn’t the only aspect of your physical space you’ll need to account for.
Necessary Precautions
There are quite a few mistakes people make when laying out their auto repair shop. Many of these mistakes can be costly to rectify or result in a decrease in productivity. When laying out your auto repair shop floor plan, here are some things to look out for:
- Overhead Space: Duct work, ceiling height and cranes can hinder a shop’s ability to work productively. Make sure you look for spaces with a double lofted ceiling if possible.
- Door Width: Just because a car can fit through the door doesn’t mean it will make for an ideal working space. Look for spaces with the widest possible door frame.
- Light Fixtures: Low hanging fixtures or poor lighting can impede a mechanic’s ability to work. Bright lighting that is out of the way is optimal for productivity.
Without the right shop layout, simple things can impede your ability to execute work on your customers’ vehicles.
Overall Business Aesthetics
Design elements are less integral to the overall functionality of your auto repair shop but division of space and simple design elements such as branded repair shop signage and flyers are helpful for bringing in business. Additionally, you’ll want to create a division of space for employees and management to work in.
Having a proper space for management and staff is a critical component of running an auto repair shop. Employees will need a space to store personal belongings during the work day and management will need a space to manage their administrative tasks such as running payroll, ordering parts, scheduling appointments and managing marketing efforts.
Integrate a Marketing Strategy
While an effective auto repair shop floor plan can help streamline operations once customers are rolling up, driving them to your shop is a completely different battle. Managing marketing efforts can be a time consuming job if you don’t have the right team at your side.
This is where an automated marketing platform, like BayIQ, can help you drive business through your doors. BayIQ can integrate with several point-of-sale shop management systems and allows you to consolidate your marketing efforts into one place. Designed with brick-and-mortar repair shops in mind, BayIQ allows you to manage all your marketing efforts with ease. These can include a loyalty rewards program, email and text message marketing, appointment scheduler, online reviews and more.
