“You can’t just keep doing what works one time, everything around you is changing. To succeed, stay out in front of change.” – Sam Walton
Chad Counselman, owner of consulting company – Wise Counsel Group LLC, and Einstein Tools, a software business based in the US, discusses modernization in the automotive recycling industry and what those who have not yet embraced the changes in modernity should consider.
Whoop-and-holler voice lines, inventory card systems, dumb terminals, and fax machines have completely run their course and are no longer in use in the modern automotive recycling industry. Our industry now embraces computerized yard management systems, data-sharing platforms, email, and messaging services. We have come a long way from those days of manual systems. These advancements have enabled our industry to buy and sell more, reach more buyers, and move much faster – no one will deny that fact. However, how soon did you adopt each of these tools? Were you an early adopter, or were you one of the last to reluctantly accept the changes?
Our world is changing every day – and the rate of change is constantly increasing. Over the past year, it seems as if a new technology or automated solution is being offered to the industry every month or two. Do you feel overwhelmed with the sheer volume of technology that is being offered to our industry? Have you ostracized yourself from change due to the complexity of many of these new tools?
“…..if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall, and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.” – Jeff Bezos
We are all experiencing issues related to labor and costs. Although we are willing to pay more for labor than ever before, it seems nearly impossible to find the right people to fill the voids that exist in our operations. The price of fuel is at a near all-time high. Many of our trucks now cost us nearly $1/mile in fuel costs alone.
As labor and costs have spiraled out of control, have you been actively looking to embrace a solution that can help you? There are solutions in the industry that can help reduce the need for labor, decrease the miles driven on deliveries, leverage cooperative alliances, and increase profitability. Are your eyes open to those options? Are you flexible enough to accept change?
I work with roughly 15 facilities per day, helping them embrace technology – technology that enables them to generate higher sales and profits. However, I still encounter a high number of facilities that are unwilling to even listen to ideas of change. Are you that way? Are you being left behind as your colleagues actively embrace change and reap higher profits as a result of those changes?
Open your eyes and review the solutions that exist in our industry today. Many of them can help you save money, reduce expenses, increase sales, and generate higher profits. If you are unwilling to explore ideas of change, you should ask yourself if it is time to empower others to make changes within your operation.
For further information, please email Chad at Chad@WiseCounselGroup.com or visit www.Einstein.tools
