Car Dealership Benefits From Pulse Pro Fluid Management System

Jim Hudson Lexus in Augusta, Georgia, performs 60 to 80 oil changes a day, dispensing over 4,600 quarts of oil per month. “It’s critical that we don’t have any hiccups. If we run out of oil, we’re out of business,” said Warren S., parts manager at Jim Hudson Lexus. Marcus W., service manager for Jim Hudson Lexus, explained how “in the past we had outdated equipment.” He added, “The technicians lost a lot of productivity, walking back and forth to the parts department.” Watch how Graco’s fluid management solution helped this car dealership add more transparency and accountability to drive productivity and profitability.

OIL UNACCOUNTED FOR AT DEALERSHIP

Many dealerships struggle when it comes to keeping track of who exactly is dispensing what oil and why they end up with unaccounted oil loss. “It was about an [hour-long] process once a month just to reconcile our oil inventory,” said Warren. “It usually costs us about $5,000 a year in just lost oil. The worst part, we had no idea where it went, we had no way to track it.”

Technicians dispense an immense amount of bulk fluids, including petroleum and synthetic-based oils, coolants, gear lube, windshield wash and more. It’s one of the most frequent tasks technicians perform. That’s why it’s important to keep it in check. After all, every drop matters. So does every dollar.

FLUID MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SOLUTION

Jim Hudson Lexus installed Graco’s Pulse Pro Fluid Management System, virtually eliminating the issues they were facing tracking and losing oil. “Now we’re able to put the repair order down,” said Marcus. “We know what technician is working on it. We know the exact type of oil and the quantity.” Warren added, “Now we know that every vehicle gets the right amount of oil, and the right type. It’s controlled through the parts department and it’s just made everything a lot simpler for everyone. There’s a huge accountability for the technicians and the crew. If someone pumps offline in an emergency situation, we get email alerts to three managers. I get alerts if I get low. There’s no getting away from the control that Pulse Pro has given us.”

UNCOVERED PROFITS — AND AN EASIER WAY TO WORK

“We want to have the best tools,” said Marcus. “I want to make sure that my guys are efficient. The Pulse Pro Fluid Management System allows us to see who’s doing the dispense. Why that dispense has occurred. What type of oil they’ve dispensed and when and where they dispensed it. So there are no mix-ups. There are no mistakes. And the loss of oil has been minimized. We’re all about performance here. The Graco system helps us­­­ really have the best equipment available, for my technicians, for our customers and for this facility.”

 “I have full control over the oil and I now know where every drop goes,” added Warren. “Instead of having losses every year, I’m having surpluses every month, so it’s paying for itself in time.”

Bulk oil systems track fluid activities and monitor inventory from storage tanks to dispense meters — from the service bay to the back office — so key stakeholders can share information in real time and make decisions that improve productivity and profitability for the entire organization.