If your shop is growing but your techs are scrambling and advisors are overloaded, it might be time to shift from straight dispatch to a lateral support model that drives team accountability and RO velocity.
Why Lateral Support Beats Straight Dispatch (for the Right Stores)
Straight dispatch is simple, but it can fall apart when:
- Work doesn’t flow evenly across skill levels
- Techs cherry-pick or get stuck waiting
- Advisors juggle too many tickets with too little context
Lateral support fixes that by organizing your shop into pods: each with 1 advisor and 4–5 techs of varied skill levels working as a unit. Everyone in the group eats what they kill, so performance rises fast.
How to Structure a Lateral Support Team
Here’s your ideal build:
- 1 Advisor per 5 Techs
- Mixed skill levels (from maintenance tech to diagnostic master)
- 20 ROs/day per group target
- 2.0–2.5 H/RO goal
- Group efficiency above 100%
- Labor gross at 73% or better
Each tech earns on their own hours. You can add team incentives for efficiency, quality, or CSI.
Can’t fill all the skill sets? Build relationships with sublet vendors to cover the gaps without breaking flow.
Manager Must-Do’s to Make This Work
Lateral support is NOT a set-it-and-forget-it system. It requires:
- Showing up early to review ROs and KPIs
- Running daily warm-up huddles with each group
- Watching workflow timing like a hawk
- Constant coaching based on live performance data
The manager sets the tone. If you’re not in the game, the system breaks.
Advisor Responsibilities in the Pod:
- Own CSI and profit metrics
- Manage customer contact, reservations, and updates
- Control the Multi-Point process
- Sell maintenance and mileage-based services
- Drive legitimate up-sell from techs
- Dispatch work smartly and balance the load
Tech Responsibilities in the Pod:
- Hit individual flat-rate hour targets
- Upsell 25% of their hours
- Finish 90%+ of MPIs
- Crush Fix It Right First Time
3 Keys to a Smooth Rollout
- Prep Your People
- Skill-level tech mapping
- Cross-training where needed
- Buy-in sessions for team roles
- Set the Tech
- Update DMS for promise accuracy
- Calibrate dispatch codes & capacity limits
- Pre-pick parts to streamline flow
- Manage Every Day
- Scoreboards for each pod
- Aligned pay plans that reward group wins
- Weekly feedback and role-play with staff
Should You Use Lateral Support?
If you’ve got:
- 10+ techs
- A strong mix of skills
- Advisors who can lead, not just write
- A manager who’s engaged daily
…then yes. It can transform your throughput, morale, and money.
But if you’re not ready to manage it tightly? Stick to straight dispatch and work your fundamentals first.
Final Thought:
A lateral support system gives your team structure, ownership, and speed. But it’s not just about structure, it’s about leadership.
Plan it. Train it. Own it. And you’ll turn chaos into cadence, and missed ROs into daily wins.
Want expert help setting up your production model?
Join our next live Zoom training or book a 1:1 consult. Let’s build a service operation that runs smooth, sells strong, and scales smart.