Walking in your Shoes
Automotive

Fixed Operations – The unsung hero of dealership profit and where tomorrow’s buyer lies in wait….

In many dealerships, the front-end of the business gets all the attention. New car sales, advertising campaigns, closing rates, these are the visible battlegrounds. But anyone who’s been in the game a while knows: if your fixed operations aren’t right, the rest doesn’t matter. Service and parts are your profit stability engine. They’re less volatile, more consistent, and, when managed properly, can not only smooth the bumps in any market they can be the greatest source of repeat business you have. But here’s what we’ve noticed working with dealerships across the country - fixed operations too often become the “quiet corner” of the business. If there aren’t customer complaints, leaders assume things are fine. But dig a little deeper and you’ll often find Labour recovery slipping month-on-month Lost parts sales or stock control issues Unacceptable Work in Progress levels that

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Walking in your Shoes
Cash Flow

Cash Flow Management – Your Dealership’s Lifeblood

Let’s not sugar-coat this one, cash flow is the most important area of operational control in any dealership. It’s also one of the most misunderstood and neglected. Too often, dealership leaders are told they’re profitable, only to feel constantly under pressure with bills, floorplan limits, and payroll looming. As we’ve seen time and time again: you can be profitable and still go backwards, because profit on paper, isn’t cash. In this market, cash flow stress is magnified. Receivables from manufacturers are slowing. Warranty and bonus payments are delayed. New vehicle deliveries are getting stuck throughout your delivery pipeline. Meanwhile, costs keep rolling in, wages, rent, interest, marketing, the list goes on.  I always likened this to being stuck in traffic in a taxi and the meter never stops running; the costs just keep piling up and you aren’t making forward

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