The best workshops aren't always the biggest, and they don't always have the most technicians. More often than not, they simply waste less time. After visiting workshops across the UK for decades, we've noticed the same small delays appearing again and again. On their own they don't seem important, but together they can cost hours every week. Here's what we see most often, and how successful garages avoid them.

The workshop looks busy...but is it productive?

Walk into almost any garage, and you'll see technicians working hard. Vehicles are on ramps, tyres are being fitted, customers are arriving, and the phone never seems to stop ringing.

On the surface, everything looks productive.

But after visiting workshops across the UK for years, we've noticed something interesting. The garages that consistently get through the most work aren't always the ones with the biggest premises or the most technicians. More often than not, they're the ones that lose the least amount of time between jobs.

Think about it this way. If every job takes just 10 minutes longer than it should, whether that's waiting for a lift, fighting with a tyre machine or moving vehicles around the workshop, those minutes quickly add up. Over the course of a week, that could mean hours of lost workshop time that could have been spent completing more work or getting customers back on the road sooner.

The difference usually isn't experience or skill. It's workflow.

Small delays don't seem significant on their own, but because they happen dozens of times every day, they quietly reduce workshop efficiency without anyone really noticing.

Time Waster #1 - Using the wrong lift for the job

One of the biggest bottlenecks we see is the workshop's main 2 post lift being used for absolutely everything.

A quick brake inspection.

A tyre replacement.

A routine service.

Then, while that lift is occupied, another technician is waiting to start a suspension repair or clutch replacement.

Nobody is doing anything wrong, but your most valuable lifting bay is tied up with work that doesn't actually need it.

What the best workshops do differently

Rather than using their 2 post lift for every vehicle, many garages introduce a SUPALIFT Mid Rise Scissor Lift for inspections, brake work, tyres and servicing.

With a 3,000kg lifting capacity, low drive-on height and compact footprint, it handles a huge percentage of everyday jobs while leaving the 2 post lift free for the repairs where full under-vehicle access really matters.

The result isn't another lift sitting in the corner, it's better bay utilisation, less waiting and a smoother workshop throughout the day.

Time Waster #2 - Fighting the equipment instead of the job

Every workshop has that one machine that everyone tries to avoid.

It might be a tyre machine that struggles with run-flat tyres. It might be an old compressor that never quite keeps up.

Technicians adapt. They work around it.

But every workaround adds another minute or two to the job.

When you're fitting modern low-profile tyres or larger SUV wheels all day, those minutes add up quickly.

What the best workshops do differently

They don't wait until equipment fails.

They replace the equipment that's slowing technicians down.

For workshops regularly fitting modern tyres, a machine like the TECO Fully Automatic Tyre Changer removes much of the effort involved in difficult tyre changes.

Its stronger bead breaker, automatic swing arm system and wider clamping capacity mean technicians spend less time wrestling with the machine and more time finishing the job.

The difference isn't dramatic on one tyre.

It's dramatic after twenty. If difficult tyre changes are becoming a regular frustration, it may be worth looking at whether your current tyre changer is still the right fit for today's vehicles

Time Waster #3 – Modern vehicles, old workshop setup

Cars have changed.

Most workshops haven't.

Electric vehicles, lowered cars, larger wheels and heavier SUVs all require different considerations than the vehicles many garages were working on ten years ago.

We often see technicians slowing themselves down simply because they don't have the right equipment for the vehicle in front of them.

A Tesla arrives, and everyone checks the lifting points twice.

A lowered sports car comes in, and someone disappears, looking for blocks to get the lift arms underneath.

Again, these aren't major delays. They're just constant interruptions.

What the best workshops do differently

They make small upgrades before they become big problems.

Purpose-built Tesla lifting pads give technicians confidence when lifting EVs, reducing hesitation and protecting the battery pack.

Likewise, 2 Post Lift Riser Pads make lifting low-clearance vehicles far quicker and safer by creating enough space to position the lift arms correctly without improvising.

They're relatively small purchases, but they solve problems that many workshops experience every week.

The best workshops aren't necessarily buying more equipment

They simply have the right equipment.

Every piece has a purpose.

Every bay has a role.

Technicians aren't waiting because one lift is doing everything. They're not losing time adapting old equipment to modern vehicles, and they're not accepting frustrating jobs as "just the way it is."

Instead, they've built a workshop that supports the way they work today, not the way they worked ten years ago.

Take a look around your workshop tomorrow 

Tomorrow morning, spend ten minutes watching your workshop instead of working in it.

Notice where technicians stop.

Watch where vehicles wait.

See which machine everyone avoids.

Pay attention to the jobs that always seem to take longer than expected.

You'll probably find that your biggest productivity gains aren't hidden in labour rates or longer opening hours.

They're hiding in the small delays that happen between every job.

Remove enough of those, and your workshop starts to feel very different.

Need help making your workshop work smarter?

Whether you're looking to improve workflow, increase workshop capacity or simply remove the everyday frustrations that slow technicians down, we're here to help.

At JHM Butt, we work with garages across the UK every day, helping them choose garage equipment that fits the way they actually work, not just what's written on a specification sheet.

What's the biggest time waster in your workshop?

Is it waiting for a lift, outdated equipment, or something completely different? We'd be interested to hear what's slowing your team down.