By Erick Jauregui, Fixed Operations Training Manager at EasyCare, an MRAA Education Champion
Efficiency and cycle time play a major role in handling spring service load. When your dealership’s technicians have the right information, confirmed parts and fewer interruptions, repairs move faster and your shop(s) stay on schedule. A streamlined process helps dealers increase capacity while delivering a better customer experience.
Why Spring Cycle Time Matters
The spring season brings a sharp increase in service volume, making efficiency and cycle time more important than ever. Dealers who can complete repairs faster — without sacrificing quality — are better positioned to meet customer expectations and protect shop profitability.
Repairs can often take longer because of complex diagnostics, environmental factors and the need to coordinate multiple teams. At the center of it all is technician time. Your most valuable and limited resource in Fixed Operations.
Efficiency Breakdowns
Every minute a technician spends searching for service information, waiting on parts confirmation or clarifying repair steps is time lost. When efficiency is strong, technicians can stay focused and productive. Diagnosis is clear, repair instructions are easy to access, communication is smooth and parts availability is confirmed early.
When these pieces are not aligned, cycle time increases. Boats stay in the shop longer, workflow slows down and your service departments become congested during the busiest season.
One of the biggest causes of extended cycle time is moving boats in and out of the shop multiple times. Each extra move adds labor, increases the risk of damage and interrupts technician momentum.
Prepare Once, Repair Once
A more effective approach is to prepare before the boat enters the service bay. This includes reviewing repair guides, confirming diagnostic direction and verifying parts availability ahead of time. With the right preparation, technicians can complete the repair from start to finish without unnecessary delays.
Strong communication between service advisors, parts teams and technicians is also essential. Technicians need clear expectations, accurate instructions and confidence. This ensures that once work begins, it can continue without interruption.
Efficiency is not about rushing. Your service efficiency is about protecting technician time, reducing wasted motion and building a process where boats enter the shop once, are repaired correctly and return to the customer faster and with confidence.
About the Author
With more than 20 years in fixed operations, Erick Jauregui, Fixed Operations Training Manager at EasyCare, has built a comprehensive career spanning every major role within the service and parts environment.
He began in the parts department, progressed to service advisor, and ultimately advanced into fixed operations leadership, where he managed multiple stores and drove performance through disciplined processes, people development, and operational accountability. His experience also includes leading reconditioning and detail departments, giving him a holistic understanding of dealership readiness, workflow efficiency and delivery standards.
Erick Jauregui, EasyCare
Today, Erick serves in a training and development role with EasyCare. Partnering with service advisors, technicians, and operational leaders to strengthen performance, enhance the customer experience and increase profitability. His hands-on background and executive leadership experience enable him to bridge real-world execution with practical, results-driven training that delivers measurable impact.
About EasyCare
Since 1984, EasyCare has been helping dealerships drive results in their stores with a full suite of F&I products, forward-thinking training, dealership development, and consultative participation programs. EasyCare is part of the APCO Holdings, LLC, family of brands, which has protected over 24 million customers and paid over $3.7 billion in claims. Learn more at easycare.com/adventure.
