Dixon Motors is to launch a management development programme it says will put it “18 months ahead of the competition”. Over 40 managers from a range of disciplines will complete the one-year course which complies with IMI standards.

The programme will be run by Positive Effects which has dedicated two members of staff to the training at the retailer's Doncaster centre. Dixon's training manager Dean Hooton says, "The IMI has been working with the large dealer groups and manufacturers over the last 12-months to produce the qualification, based around what our managers need to know," he said.

Dixon started its training partnership with Positive Effects a year ago when it launched a version of an SAS-derived decision-making system, which resulted in the average preparation time of a car at Dixon's distribution centre at Thorne being reduced by 63% and the number of rejections falling by 60%.