By Chris Kulaga, Lightspeed Product Manager

Let’s rewind to 2003, a pivotal year for the British Cycling team. At the time, they were known for their average results—neither remarkable nor dismal, just existing in the middle ground of competitive cycling.

Enter Sir Dave Brailsford, a visionary in the cycling world, who introduced the concept of “aggregation of marginal gains.” This philosophy centers on the belief that small, incremental improvements in every area of performance can lead to extraordinary results. Under Brailsford’s leadership, the British Cycling team soared to success, winning multiple gold medals and earning Dave a knighthood for his accomplishments.

Now, imagine applying this mindset to marine dealerships. Just as Brailsford focused on the smallest details to transform his team, marine dealership owners and managers can adopt the same approach to boost business performance and customer satisfaction.

Understanding the Marginal Gains Approach
Brailsford’s approach was simple yet revolutionary: improve every aspect of a cyclist’s performance by just 1%. This included everything from the most obvious factors like training and equipment to even more granular details such as the type of pillow an athlete used when sleeping. So how can marine dealerships harness this approach?

Micro Changes, Macro Impact
What if you analyzed every detail of your dealership’s operations, no matter how small? Consider the flow in your service bay, parts department, or sales office. For example, is there an obstacle between your parts shelves and the service counter that causes your parts manager to waste time navigating around? Could a simple reorganization improve efficiency and eliminate wasted steps? These small adjustments, when compounded, lead to noticeable improvements in both time savings and overall productivity.

Brailsford’s List: A Source of Inspiration
To give you an idea, here are a few changes Brailsford implemented:

• Optimized the cyclist’s seating position for aerodynamics.
• Used indoor washing machines for cleaner cycling kits (less skin irritation).
• Applied alcohol to tires for better grip.
• Tested which bike paint was the most aerodynamic.

These adjustments might seem minor, but collectively, they all came together to give Gold-Medal results.

Apply the Marginal Gains Mindset to Your Marine Dealership
Here’s how you can start implementing this mindset in your marine dealership to achieve leadership excellence:
Streamline Your Operations:

• Evaluate your dealership layout: Is the flow between the showroom, service area, and parts counter as efficient as it could be? Small changes like reorganizing pathways or minimizing movement for staff can reduce time wasted and enhance productivity.

Improve Customer Interaction:

• Take a lesson from Chick-fil-A’s customer service: The enthusiastic and efficient way they greet customers leaves a lasting positive impression. How warmly and quickly are your customers greeted when they walk into your dealership? A simple adjustment in how your team interacts with customers can improve the overall experience and build long-term loyalty.

Focus on the Little Things:

• Look beyond the obvious: While improving repair event cycle times (RECT) is important, also consider the smaller, often overlooked processes. Is there a faster way to complete paperwork or an opportunity to enhance the waiting area? Can you maximize your dealer management system (DMS) by utilizing all its shortcut and hotkey functions? Even optimizing the placement of your coffee machine can make a difference in the customer experience.

Create a Feedback Loop:

• Gather regular input from employees and customers: Sometimes the most valuable insights come from those closest to day-to-day operations. Set up a system for continuous feedback to identify small tweaks that can lead to big improvements.

Embracing Marginal Gains
Adopting Sir Dave Brailsford’s philosophy in your marine dealership means recognizing that while big wins matter, it’s often the small, incremental improvements that lead to lasting success. Scrutinize the finer details of your operations, and watch as these micro changes add up to significant advancements in efficiency, leadership, and customer satisfaction.

Remember, in the “aggregation of marginal gains,” no change is too small to make a difference.

About the Author
Chris Kulaga, Lightspeed Product Manager is focused on understanding the product roadmap needs of our Marine dealerships. He has been a Lightspeed team member for more than five years and have held various roles within the company. As someone who takes pride in his expertise on the Lightspeed solution, Chris finds it rewarding to help customers achieve their business goals.

Before joining the tech sector, Chris served in the Air Force where he honed his leadership and technical skills. Today, he applies these skills to his role at Lightspeed, where he is responsible for defining the product vision, strategy and roadmap.

Chris currently reside in Tri-Cities, Washington with his wife, two pets and a kitchen where he loves to cook. When he’s not working, Chris enjoys lifting weights and exploring new places. He is also passionate about all things Marine and loves learning more about it whenever he can.

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Lightspeed is an MRAA Strategic Partner.