“We made the shop lean, kept the work in proximity, and decreased human transportation in a big way, with very small changes”, says Garabed, “When I’m working at the repair station with a bicycle on the stand it’s very simple to put down the wrench and pick up the air mouse to page through the repair manual on the screen.”
One of the greatest things about being a small shop backed by years of knowledge and practice in project management and lean practices is that we get to continue innovating new ways to improve productivity, accuracy, and overall quality of service. When you come into the shop, you’ll notice it’s like other bike shops – a show room with bikes, components, spare parts, pictures, and behind that, a work area. What you’ll also notice is two monitors and a computer aided work station. Implementing this system has increased productivity at the shop by at least fifteen to twenty percent.
Freewheel Cycles, Nashua, NH Work Station
Ayone who’s visited the shop knows Garabed’s no stranger to efficiencies which add value to his business. With over 30 years as a manufacturing/process engineer in the high-tech industry, Garabed started his first bicycle business in 1995, designing and making parts and equipment such as aluminum front suspension, cyclocross frames, studded mountain bike tires, and lighting systems.
The two monitors display identical images on both screens, which enables Garabed, the maestro, to handle customer queries without interrupting his work on bicycle repairs. This increases the amount of time that work is kept in proximity of customer service and repair areas of the shop.
This system is a new spin on the classic bike shop model. We’ve put it in place to make your experience better, make our work more accurate, giving you better quality service, and keeping your pedals turning.