By Jocelyn Ian
Computer programs are now vastly employed in the auto repair industry, and this has brought about a notable leap in growth as the prospect for a rise in profit margin is further broadened. There is, however, one very tool that shop owners seem not to be having enough of, and that is none other than auto shop management software. This tool is quite massive, considering the numerous things that can be achieved through it, and we shall be looking at seven of these (things) in this article.
Scheduling Appointments:
You can leverage the calendar on the application to schedule appointments – maybe staff meetings or a session with your customers. You will hardly miss out on appointments as the app will be in sync with your system’s alarm to remind you of your next schedule. Likewise, your customers can also fix appointments with you through the software’s interface.
Generating Estimates and Invoicing:
Preparing estimates for a particular repair job is something that must be done with caution – if it’s manual – and this is why the conventional (manual) method usually takes so much time. The shop management software will free you from laborious estimate generation to give accurate details on the cost (estimated). And an invoice can then be generated once the customer has acknowledged the estimates.
Managing Inventory:
The proper management of your shop’s inventory will help to avert delays in completing a job to some extent, and this is very much possible with the management software. For one, you will be able to keep track of the spare parts [and other items] you have in the inventory and act to upgrade the inventory when necessary. Again, reaching out to a network of vendors that make the supplies available is a whole lot easier with this software integrated.
Task Order Management:
You can also effectively manage every task assigned to technicians from the software. The status of the progress made on the repair job is regularly updated, and by this, you can quickly identify any area that is lagging and reassign another technician. Relatedly, declined work orders can also be managed on this very platform.
Customer Support and Management:
An auto management software platform can also provide customer support whereby your customers get to sign in and drop their queries – and this will be quickly attended to by one of your employees. Additionally, you will have a wonderful customer relationship management tool on hand when you subscribe to use the platform.
Tracking Labor Rates/Employee Input:
Tracking the hours that your employees put in will not be difficult with the resource provided in the auto shop management software. This will eventually help you conveniently prepare the payroll when it’s time to pay off wages.
Business Analytics:
The significance of data in today’s world cannot be undermined. Having the right set of data could help immeasurably in making informed decisions that could promote the growth of your business. You can easily access industry-wide data as you subscribe to a web-based shop management platform.
