For most dealerships, repair departments are a fast-moving and high-turn environment. Most maintenance requires an extensive inventory of expensive belts, fasteners, sensors, filters, and various parts. The specificity and complexity of car maintenance require significant attention to detail in which parts are used, and how they are handled and stored to minimize inventory discrepancies.

Walser Subaru of Minnesota paired with a Modula dealer to outfit their spare parts department with a Modula VLM. The dealer implemented, in their service bay, two Modula Lift VLMs to provide quick and precise access to their parts inventory directly from the repair bays. By implementing Modula VLMs, they were able to increase productivity and maintain a high-functioning workflow with precise inventory tracking. If you’re considering implementing a vertical storage solution in your service area, be sure to read below about the many benefits they can provide.

Increase Storage Space and Security

When working with massive inventories of spare automobile parts, organization and visibility are critical. Car components, down to individual nuts and bolts, are each unique and critical to the functionality and safety of a vehicle. In order to effectively manage such a vast inventory, innovative storage solutions are necessary. Modula VLMs utilize vertical storage space by allocating part inventories to individual trays, which are placed securely within two Modula VLM units. These trays are only accessible by properly trained staff, and the Modula VLM can be programmed to only operate with employee credential verification (RFID, badge scan, etc.)

Walser Subaru was able to reduce their parts storage footprint significantly and fit over 75% of their inventory in the space of just two Modula Lift VLMs. Saved space can be utilized to open additional repair/service bays, increase on-hand inventories of specialty or high-turnover parts to better prepare for potential repairs.

Increase Parts Inventory Accountability

When working with massive inventories of spare automotive parts, organization and visibility are of utmost importance. Car components, down to individual nuts and bolts, are each unique and critical to the functionality and safety of a vehicle. To effectively manage inventories and boost part traceability from delivery to installation, Walser Automotive relies on their Modula VLMs working in conjunction with Modula WMS/CDK. Modula WMS/CDK software works in sync with the installed VLMs to coordinate picking, putting, and order fulfillment operations. In addition, WMS/CDK tracks inventories and can alert users of low or depleted stocks.

Implementation of VLMs and WMS allows workers to view, manage, and locate item inventories, preventing outages of parts and increasing traceability of general stock and specialty order parts.

Reduce Repair Times

Another great benefit of the Modula WMS/CDK,  in conjunction with the CoPilot operator console, is the ability to quickly and easily locate parts for a repair. With the intuitive CoPilot console-mounted directly in front of the VLM, parts managers and mechanics can access WMS inventory reports, search for part locations, and queue tray delivery to the bay within seconds.

On top of this, parts managers and mechanics can also better organize repairs throughout the week by relying on current part inventories. By scheduling repairs that require special-order parts, they can attend to repairs that have parts in-stock. This reduces work backlogs and sitting repairs and opening valuable repair bays for different appointments.

As you can see, Modula VLMs can significantly augment repair department workflows and storage systems. VLMs provide Walser Subaru with secure, traceable storage for parts while being conveniently positioned near the service bays and service counter. In coordination with Modula WMS/CDK, parts inventories can be displayed, automatically reordered, and reported upon to maximize logistics for purchasing staff and administration. Additionally, Modula CoPilot user/operator interface can produce live inventory updates on-the-floor for repair staff to gauge and expedite repair times.

Overall, adding a Modula VLM system to any automotive repair setting promises higher productivity, increased storage space, and greater inventory accountability.

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