PPG Australia Delivers First Green Belt Training Course

PPG Australia Delivers First Green Belt Training Course

The PPG Australia MVP Business Solutions team recently completed the first of a nation-wide series of Green Belt Training courses, which it says helps repairers develop a business improvement pathway as they deal with the fallout from COVID-19.

Held in Melbourne, the course was hosted by Victoria/Tasmania MVP Business Solutions Manager Mindy Roberts, and presented by ANZ MVP Business Solutions Manager Greg Tunks.

According to Tunks, the 18 attendees “really threw themselves” into the course content.

“Most of the participants were from Melbourne but there were also a couple who flew in from Tasmania,” said Tunks. “And it was not just owners/managers – there were also shop-floor staff and estimators who were keen to upskill and learn about what goes into modern collision centre management. It might be an old cliché, but the key message is really to learn to work smarter, not harder.”

Tunks said the aim of Green Belt Training is to give collision repairers practical information and strategies on topics such as 5S methodologies, eliminating waste, value stream mapping, and leadership and change.

“Apart from the information we deliver, there is a lot of interaction where participants share information. This is particularly valuable with common issues, such as finding and retaining good staff, how to get staff involved in change, and how to keep the team on track to achieving goals. There are a lot of good ideas out there,” added Tunks.

“Whether they are a panel beater, a spray painter, a manager or a business owner, one aspect I try to emphasise is that everyone needs to think of themselves as a problem solver. That way, when the roadblocks or hurdles appear – and these things happen every day – it’s about solving problems, as well as ensuring they don’t continually reoccur day after day. As part of that, we introduced the problem log board as a method for identifying and eliminating issues.”

According to PPG Australia, a key focus of Green Belt Training is giving repairers everything they need to immediately return to their business and start on the improvement pathway. “Their MVP Business Solutions Manager will also follow up to give them as much support as they need to make it a continuous improvement strategy,” the company added.

PPG said that in addition to offering valuable business improvement strategies, the multi-day course also contributes points towards I-CAR Gold Class accreditation.