Meet the Modern Auto Shop Management Software of the Future
Technology advances every year in the auto repair industry. But it's not just repair techniques that are advancing.
The traditional auto shop point-of-sale (POS) system is constantly evolving. Beyond simply processing transactions, it has become a total shop management system, streamlining everything from estimating to scheduling and yes, the billing and payment process, too. Let’s see how this can benefit your auto repair shop.
Benefits
A modern auto shop management system can benefit your business in numerous ways.
Time and Money Savings
Running an auto shop comes with a lot of administrative work that can keep you from doing the things you love most about the auto repair business. The right auto shop management software can help streamline those tasks and make them less time consuming.
It also combines the functionality of multiple systems so you only have to pay one software vendor. For instance, you no longer have to have one system to look up parts and another to process customer payments. The auto shop management system can provide estimates, schedule customer service, track customers, add parts to a repair order, manage inventory, support your marketing efforts, streamline payroll, etc. Putting all these tasks into one, user-friendly system helps ensure accuracy and efficiency.
Informing Business Decisions with Data
Auto shop management software can give you the information you need to maximize performance and profitability. The reporting these systems provide allow you to track the progress of every transaction, find out how long it takes to complete certain jobs, learn which services are most profitable and more. This will help you fine tune your operations to make the most money.
Jeff Perrault, owner of Mike’s In and Out Oil Change in Alexandria, MN, loves the level of detail he gets from his Driverse auto shop management system. Keeping an eye on the numbers helps him manage costs and pinpoint sales opportunities.
“It’s a report card,” Perrault said in a NOLN article. “If repair averages are going down, you can go look at add-ons and see right away that the guys aren’t selling air filters.”
Better yet, these systems typically live “in the cloud,” allowing you to easily access this detailed data at any time from anywhere.
Improved Customer Satisfaction Using a robust software solution makes it easier for you to quickly and efficiently fix your customers’ vehicles. It stores all of their information and vehicle history in one place and provides you with critical information that can help you accurately service every type of vehicle.
A good system will also prompt you to inform customers about upcoming maintenance due. Customers will appreciate the reminder, and it shows you care. In short, having a modern system helps you make a good impression that keeps customers coming back for more.
What To Look For
Not all auto shop management systems are created equal, and neither are the providers of those systems. The system is going to form the backbone of your business, so it’s important that, beyond features and price, you look for a partner with the industry expertise, experience and team to properly support you and the system.But of course, the right choice also needs to have the capability you need to effectively run your shop. Here are some of the things you’ll want to look for in an auto repair shop management system.
• Ease of use. If the software isn’t intuitive, it will be counterproductive. It will take longer to train new employees, and struggling with the system can distract your entire staff from their main focus – properly servicing customer vehicles.
• Multi-site and business model management. If you have more than one location, you’ll want to be sure that any system you put in place can share information seamlessly between sites. You’ll also want to make sure it covers all your business needs, whether you run a quick lube, repair or a combination.
• Remote access. The system you select should be cloud-based so you can access it anytime from any internet connection.