DÉJÀ VU WITH A SIDE ORDER OF CHAOS
I find myself wondering these days if living in constant chaos is the new way of life? No sooner do you get a handle on things, then it’s obsolete or upgraded. It seems that even as I write this editorial, topics of discussion are changing by the minute.
Never before have mergers and acquisitions in the automotive refinish industry happened so fast. To name a few that have taken place in the last six months: The Carlyle Group and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) purchased a major share of BASF’s automotive division, Axalta and Akzo Nobel joined forces as equals and PPG finished acquiring EMM International. What’s next we ask ourselves as we barely have time to catch our breath.
And let’s not even speak about politics or endless warmongering – or actual war. A great word for the past six months would be tumultuous – and that would be putting it politely.
Closer to home there have also been a lot of shifts in the marketplace, which makes staying on top of things very interesting. The industry is small and often you meet the same faces, but the business cards details have changed. The insane onslaught of Chinese vehicles keeps on coming with the introduction of yet another vehicle brand to our shores. Still no mention of parts and repairability for the majority of these brands. There’s always a very quiet moment when any questions are asked of the management team about repair and parts. It’s normally followed by the obligatory “We’ll get back to you.” And then just radio silence.
So how do you rise above the turmoil? Keeping in touch with your circle of suppliers, OEMs, insurers and your business team has become even more essential. This year alone, there will be several industry conferences locally which will present opportunities to do just this. The first of these – the AutoMX conference – has already taken place. Others that are scheduled later in the year are the VDQSA and CRA conferences, as well as Automechanika SA in late October. These events can offer significant educational, skill-building and networking opportunities.
Abroad there is the UK Garage Body Shop gathering at the beginning of June, followed by IBIS Global event in mid-June. Automechanika Frankfurt is set to take place in September this year and is always an unbelievable place to get ideas, source products and find out what is on the horizon in the near future for vehicle repair and much more.
Catching up with various teams and individuals is key in restoring and bringing these relationships back into prominence. Yes, we have social media and other ways of staying in touch, but there’s something very powerful about gathering together. The saying is that two heads are better than one – and problem solving is exactly what these sessions are about. The understanding that you’re not alone is equally as important.
Now is as good a time as any to take a step back and consider what is within your control. Take a good look at what is adding value in your business and what is not. Continuing to run on the treadmill faster will not present a successful outcome. Every individual is bewildered by all the information and uncertainty that’s coming their way, so drown out the noise as much as possible and simplify a way forward that is tailor-made to suit you.
My question to you is, what are you doing to get out of the rat race? Or have you resigned to keep running in circles forever?
By Claire Macfie
