Though lean thinking' goes back to the 1980s, with Toyota among the pioneers, it's only recently that the potential benefits have been recognised by body repairers. In a typical bodyshop there are many things that can reduce productivity and prevent cars from getting fixed on time... moving cars around, searching for tools, delivery of wrong or damaged parts, bottlenecks at the spraybooth, to name just a few. In effect, the traditional model for a bodyshop is to create work-in-progress. Each resource, panel, paint and MET is working at different speeds and at different productivity levels. These create log jams and a slowing down of work because instead of being productive, operatives are having to move cars, look for the next job and search for cars at the back of a car park.
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