Category: Blog

Minimizing Downtime During Auto Dealership Renovations

As sales trends continue to favor online delivery options and smartphone-based shoppers, there’s one showroom that’s busier than ever: auto dealerships. Vehicle sales and service draw countless customers to showroom floors to test drive vehicles, negotiate warranties, and maintain their investments every day.

With so little downtime, what happens when a dealership, service center, or showroom needs a little maintenance of its own?

New Sales, New Spaces: Meeting the Needs of Auto Center Renovations

While dealerships and their staff must maintain a focus on customers, auto manufacturers require effective, up-to-date facilities in which to properly pitch their product. In some cases, manufacturers will go so far as to provide incentives — or even mandates — to their sales teams in order to encourage facility renovations and modernizations.

This leaves construction teams with a complex conundrum: ultimately, dealerships need high performance renovations, but with the bare minimum of business disruptions — and no time to spare.

One Piece at a Time: A NEOS Team Case Study

In June 2017, an Ontario-based Volkswagen dealership reached out to our team with a service bay challenge. Their existing facility was struggling, so they were looking to remodel by reorganizing the service area with a focus on specific service offerings. However, they were concerned about losing access to their existing bays during the renovation process.

The NEOS team began by collecting extensive measurements to prepare detailed shop drawings and conducting a comprehensive shop consultation. After determining the work that needed to be done, we established a renovation plan to complete the entire project in just three days.

The key to our plan was to isolate the unique elements of the project by approaching the work one piece at a time. By scheduling work at night and over the weekend, the dealership was even able to remain completely open and operational during renovations, including the shop and service bay areas. Our team fully outfitted all of the new cabinets with the shop’s existing equipment; the facility was fully prepared and ready to function right out of the box.

After investing just three days in renovating with the NEOS team — during which time the dealership remained fully functional — the facility has seen increased productivity, efficiency, and overall organization. The new setup offers an improved presentation of the shop to both employees and customers, creating a comfortable space that actively attracts talented mechanics. The NEOS system not only improved their workspace, but provided resources to further enhance the staff’s ability to excel at their work.

Automotive Renovation Services with NEOS

Our team understands that remodeling, while essential, is secondary to service: no dealership wants to shut down or relocate in order to upgrade their offerings. We know how important it is to both your staff and clients that construction proceeds with as little disruption — and as much positive impact — as possible.

When you take on a project with the NEOS team, you can expect all the benefits of dealing directly with the source. From installation to final cosmetic touches, NEOS orchestrates every step of the process. Our team takes the first measurements just as carefully as they review the final punch list, ensuring your project is executed exactly as promised.

To learn more about optimizing your workspace, specialty automotive remodeling, or building a renovation to suit your exact situation, reach out to the team today or download our free eBook, Increasing Automotive Service Shop Efficiency.”