Toyota has launched a new parts supply initiative, Same Day Service (SDS), enabling its dealers to order components before midday and get them by 3pm that afternoon.

Since July 2004, Toyota has been piloting SDS from its main facing depot in Lutterworth, and, in May 2007, the company opened the first of five planned sub-depots at Heywood in Manchester.

Toyota ran two pilots, the first involving four specially selected dealerships, and the second involving 11 volunteer outlets.

SDS is now integral to the Lutterworth operation, and an important part of the business for those dealer-ships taking part.

Toyota was unwilling to provide details on what the cost is to dealers. However, AM understands that the figure is £45 per day.

Toyota said that as well as the reduction in courtesy car costs, SDS facilitates greater labour efficiency, enhances customer satis-faction, boosts parts sales and, ultimately, increases dealer profitability.

As more cars can be fixed the same day instead of being held overnight, all those dealers involved in the pilots increased their composite customer satisfaction index (CSI) scores.

Toyota claims to have seen the pilot dealerships increase their “right first time” score by 3.7 points, against a national average increase of 1.2 points over the same period.

Toyota also benefits from increased customer satisfaction, centre profitability and parts sales. The scheme came about through Toyota Motor Europe’s commitment to deliver “complete customer satisfaction”, and the dealer council is fully supportive.

The company aims to cover 90-95 per cent of its network from the five sub-depots and Lutterworth.

Centres have to make some internal process changes to support SDS, such as scheduling vehicles into the workshop for earlier diagnosis, but they receive five or six consultancy days to support these changes.

Toyota spokesman David Crouch said: “This scheme means Toyota dealers finish today’s work today.”