28/04/2008 18:54:00 Business Wire Car manufacturing has been transformed by lean production over the last 20 years yet car dealerships have remained virtually untouched by lean principles.
Now that s changing.
Dealerships experimenting with lean principles have experienced a doubling of throughput, increases in productivity of 50% or more, and returns on sales several times the industry norm.
These are not "freak" results.
They occur every time lean principles are applied in a disciplined way -- as has already been done in service sectors such as healthcare.
Creating Lean Dealers, a step-by-step workbook for improving dealer operations, shows managers how to remove the many barriers to smooth the flow of work, starting in service and repair.
"Because lean thinking does not naturally fit the mind-set of dealers, the place to start is with service and repair," said Dan Jones, founder and chairman of the Lean Enterprise Academy (LEA) in the UK, the book s publisher.
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Sunday, May 4, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
ICOP Wins Bid to Supply Digital In-Car Video to Law Enforcement Agency in Illinois County
LENEXA, Kan., April 30 -- ICOP Digital, Inc. , an industry-leading company engaged in advancing digital surveillance solutions, today announced that pursuant to its response to a Request for Proposal issued by one of the largest counties in Illinois, the Company has been notified that it has won the bid to equip the County's sheriff office's fleets with ICOP Model 20/20(R)-W digital in-car video systems.
Pursuant to its winning bid, ICOP has received an initial order valued at approximately $52,000. Following the determination of logistical protocols for installation and user training, phased fleet deployment of the ICOP Model 20/20-W in this agency is expected to occur as funding is approved. The total number of squad cars comprising this agency's fleet is approximately 90.
As noted in its March 27, 2008 press release, ICOP has won approximately one out of every three RFP's that it responded to in 2007.
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Crash scene near Dickens: Felon takes snow blower, leaves partner behind
Authorities aren't sure whether it was drugs, alcohol or head injuries from a car crash that left Ronald Moriarty disoriented Tuesday night.
But they do know Moriarty was a passenger trapped in a wreckage of late-model Chevy truck at about 6:07 that night just east of Dickens.
They know Thomas Carney, a 45-year-old Spencer man, was the driver.
And, their investigation suggests, Carney was worried about his own outlook when he gathered stolen property -- including a snow blower -- from a rural burglary, ran to an abandoned corn crib to escape authorities, and left his passenger behind.
"Not often, when a person is involved in an accident, that you're more concerned about your own skin than you are for your friend who is left in the vehicle," Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow said.
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Everett Toyota dealer says the future is electric
Everett Toyota dealer Buzz Rodland, who drives a battery-powered RAV4, says the next step for automakers is incorporating lighter, more efficient batteries. By Mike Benbow
Herald Writer EVERETT -- Toyota dealer Buzz Rodland's ride these days is a used RAV4 that costs $225,000.
It didn't cost him that much -- he used some pull and perseverance to snag his model. But that's what Toyota spent to produce the electric car to meet California requirements for a zero-emissions vehicle.
There was a fleet of the vehicles leased in California and used by commuters who would recharge the batteries at a host of charging stations. Toyota is changing its program in California, and Rodland, who was a member of the company's national dealership council for four years, convinced officials after a lot of nagging to send him one of the all-electrics.
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Herald Writer EVERETT -- Toyota dealer Buzz Rodland's ride these days is a used RAV4 that costs $225,000.
It didn't cost him that much -- he used some pull and perseverance to snag his model. But that's what Toyota spent to produce the electric car to meet California requirements for a zero-emissions vehicle.
There was a fleet of the vehicles leased in California and used by commuters who would recharge the batteries at a host of charging stations. Toyota is changing its program in California, and Rodland, who was a member of the company's national dealership council for four years, convinced officials after a lot of nagging to send him one of the all-electrics.
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2002 Renault Clio V6 from UK and Ireland - Comments
Well, I have owned this car for 6 months now and knew that I would have to own one of these awesome V6 powered Clio's from the first moment I saw this creation reviewed in EVO magazine.
I took my time reading many reviews to find out if there were any 'bad' points about owning this car! I repeatedly read about the terrible 'fish tail' like handling, if pressed too hard into a sharp bend and its lack of power for a £26k 3LTR sports car. And the poor fuel consumption! (Which is true, if you intend on using the best fuel, Shell Optimax! But well worth every penny)
I read one review that said that it was a nightmare to check the oil level? And slated this on the Clio V6. But, he failed to realise that the oil level is electronically displayed on the dash if he bothered to read the user manual! (Along with the trip computer)
Well, apart from your chin hitting the floor when you first see this car in the metal, and not just from a magazine picture it will bring a whole knew experience to any sports car enthusiast! You will feel a tingle in your stomach just at the sight of it!
From the first moment I turned the key and heard the beautiful sound of this 3ltr V6 supercar I knew I had made the right choice! It made you feel like you were sitting in a much larger beast...
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Thursday, May 1, 2008
More Solid than Solid: A Potential Hydrogen-Storage Compound
One of the key engineering challenges to building a clean, efficient, hydrogen-powered car is how to design the fuel tank. Storing enough raw hydrogen for a reasonable driving range would require either impractically high pressures for gaseous hydrogen or extremely low temperatures for liquid hydrogen. In a new paper researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology�s Center for Neutron Research have demonstrated that a novel class of materials could enable a practical hydrogen fuel tank.
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Eco-car projects of Toyota, Mitsubishi, Tata approved
The Board of Investment (BoI) has embraced the new government's Thailand Investment Year 2008-09 campaign by approving promotional privileges for seven investment projects totalling 60 billion baht.
Leading the momentum were investments in the production of small, fuel-efficient eco-cars. The auto industry was one of the main drivers behind the country's doubling of investment value to record high of 744.5 billion baht last year.
Of the seven projects granted promotional privileges yesterday, three were the eco-car production plans of Mitsubishi Motors, Toyota Motors and Tata Motors, whose rivals had already received the green light last year.
Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) will invest 4.71 billion baht to make up to 107,000 eco-cars a year starting in 2010.
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