Focus in the workshop should be on efficiency of labour sold, not trying to eek out profits from parts.

That was a message from Jonas Zambakides, Independent Garage Association chairman, who wants repairers to share best practice.

Zambakides, managing director of independent Porsche specialist JZ Machtech, told the Automotive Distribution Federation’s conference before Christmas that workshops risk wasting profit while waiting for parts.

“If you wait an hour to get a part that’s £20 less than another one, then you’ve blown that profit by having a technician doing nothing and waiting,” he said. 

He told the conference his business allocates jobs to technicians as appropriate to their skill levels. 

Zambakides added that two of the current hot issues are achieving prompt delivery of components and reducing the instances of incorrect parts supply.