The remarketing firm says it's invested significant sums in both people and equipment to create what it claims to be the only all undercover option for PDI and defleet at its Edinburgh, Leeds and forthcoming Birmingham Centres. 

The undercover option ensures that assessment and remedial action can be undertaken light, dry conditions to ensure the best work can be actioned. 

The move follows the company's analysis which revealed that it frequently takes between 10 and 20 days for stock to emerge from the preparation cycle, and that it can cost far more than expected when fully prepared. .

SMA says its goal was to reduce the distribution cycle, by preparing cars for vendors and buyers to showroom-ready condition, keeping buyers or vendors fully appraised of time and cost implications throughout the process.

SMA Vehicle Remarketing group MD Bob Anderson said: 'Value chain analysis clearly shows that speed is of significant importance in making budgeted profit on used car sales. We know that cars sold in the first 30 days on stock typically exceed budget by over 25%; those sold after 45 days generally failed to make budget. If a car is stuck in the preparation cycle for 10-20 days then its chances of achieving budget are severely limited. Too often because the purchase and preparation processes are often out of sight, they can be out of mind; but we can help.'

SMA Technical Services operates at all SMA Centres and provides fully equipped bodyshop and servicing facilities, and a team of trained technicians ready to appraise and repair vehicles ready for market.

Mr Anderson added: 'The goal is simple: to get cars to the forecourt faster for our customers. We know that time is money and typically we are taking up to seven days out of the cycle, more when we act on behalf of vendors and in the focus upon profit this makes a real difference to everyone.'