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Fixed Coverage & Absorption Reciprocal: Recession-Proof Route to Break Even?
WRITTEN BY: MIKE UDELL

We’ve witnessed a lot of variable bias in the industry, but dealers and executive managers would do well to pay closer attention to Fixed Operations starting right now with the reciprocal of fixed coverage/absorption. Read our most recent Up to Speed blog from NCMi instructor Mike Udell for compelling evidence that dealers and executive managers should operate from the “Back Door Forward” for showroom break even and up to 10x customer engagement.

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Attention to Retention: Current Trends in Fixed Operations – Part I
WRITTEN BY: RICK WEGLEY

Industry turnover may be down a bit right now, but retention is still a scorching hot topic. Take the technician turnover at a rate of 2:1, for instance. How do you recruit and retain great people in this challenging market? One answer: focused ingenuity. Read the first of our two-part Up to Speed blog on the true cost of hiring and turnover, starting with a few outside-of-the-box recruitment and retention trends that can help you think differently about your approach.

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Fixed Operations Metrics to Watch & Learn From
WRITTEN BY: RICK WEGLEY

When it comes to the fixed operations side of the business, there’s a lot of important metrics to measure and manage, but Customer Pay RO Count, Customer Pay Labor Gross Profit (YoY), and Customer Pay Hours Billed (YoY) warrant special attention. If we aren't selling cars, then we're not getting customers, and if we're not retaining long-term customers, it could be catastrophic for service. Read our latest Up to Speed blog to learn more about these three key service work metrics; how they relate to customer pay, warranty work, and internal reconditioning; and, most importantly, how you can improve them for a healthy and growing dealership.

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Calculated Control: How to Manage Effective Labor Rate
WRITTEN BY: RICK WEGLEY

Contrary to some points of view, you can make an impact on effective labor rate – but first let’s wrap our minds around calculating the number itself. In this Up to Speed blog, NCMi instructor Rick Wegley breaks down the metric and how changes to services with some overlap can help you improve on it. Click read more for the full blog

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