Mark Cantrell, co-owner and general manager of McLeod Autobody in Kirkland, Washington, recommends that shop owners look for ways to save their employees just three-tenths of an hour each day. 

Outlining where each item is to be placed or hung keeps the tool room organized making it more likely that things will be put away correctly.

"We've determined that if we can help a technician complete just three-tenths of a hour more labor a day - just by making sure he has or can find what he needs quickly - that adds up to $3,000 a year," Cantrell said.

Here is a collection of tips that Cantrell and other shop owners have found to improve the organization - and thus productivity - of their office and shop operations:

• Finding the right clips and fasteners can be a real headache and time-waster for technicians. Having a good supply and variety on hand will pay off, especially since a number of suppliers offer a quick barcode and scanner system that will help track and bill for clips and fasteners on a per-job basis.

• Estimators and parts manager are often getting interrupted by technicians asking for additional parts they will need on a job. One suggestion: Let technicians know the estimator or parts manager will stop by their stall two or three times each day to find our about any additional parts they need. This keeps the techs in their stalls rather than in the office, and reduces interruptions for the office staff.

• Simplify your materials ordering and inventory by requiring all your technicians to use the same brands and types of materials. Make sure all your cabinets and other storage areas for these materials are labeled inside and out so that anyone can find what they need (or put newly-arrived inventory away) quickly.

• "Painted lanes" on the shop floor can help ensure equipment and vehicles are placed where they should be. "You can't lane out enough," Cantrell said. "We sweep and mop the floors every night, and all the equipment is moved. To get that done quickly, and so you're not upsetting your tech because you have his toolbox off to the left of where he likes it, line it all out to get everything back where it belongs."

• After watching a technician spend several minutes digging through a box of chains to find the length he needed, Cantrell created a "chain board" on wheels that makes it easy to bring all the chains - which have been color coded by length - to the job.

• Getting headsets for your office staff may help them get more done while they are "on hold" or talking on the phone.

• Keeping all the paperwork associated with a job together - and then being able to find it - can be a real challenge. Consider using color-coded repair order folders - use the colors to sort jobs by insurer, customer's last name or vehicle type.

• Tired of repeating yourself? Create "Top 10" signs for each department, listing the things you find yourself telling people over and over. This might include reminders about signing off on work orders, notifying the office 20 minutes before being ready for the next vehicle, various closing procedures, etc. These signs can be posted in the shop or in employees' stalls or on their lockers.

• Install mirrors in the shop to help technicians check vehicle turn signals and lights without needing someone else or getting in and out of the vehicle.