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mikerisich

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  1. mikerisich
    I never set out to develop software add-on solutions that would revolutionize the auto repair industry.
    All of that happened by accident.
     
    Prior to founding BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, I worked as a Microsoft developer and taught evening classes at a school district near my suburban Philadelphia home. It was in the classes that I met an auto repair shop owner and his wife, who asked me to help with their shop’s software programs.
     
    When I saw how out-of-date the system was, a light went off in my head. It was kismet.
     
    From then on, my life’s goal was in view. I knew I had the passion and know-how to create add-on solutions that would help to automate tedious day-to-day functions at some of the nation’s 275,000 independent auto repair shops.
     
    My end goal, while always in sight, was not something that came easy, or right away. A father of three young children, I continued to work my full-time job while spending sleepless nights on what would become BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY.
     
    My wife, Christina, who often saw me hunched over our laptop computer in the wee hours, used to joke that I was having an affair – and her name was Dell.
     
    I hustled hard, because, more than the lack of sleep and time away from my family, I wanted to build this company. I knew that my time was an investment toward a larger achievement: Helping shops to increase efficiency, boost productivity and drive up profits through automation.
     
    In 2009, BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY LLC was formed. Two years later, I hired my first employee.
     
    About that same time, I moved my company’s operations to a space adjacent to an auto repair shop. The move was strategic – what better place to test my company’s add-on software solutions than a repair shop that would put the software to use each and every day?
     
    Fast forward a few years and BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY has developed and sold thousands of licenses for our suite of automotive software solutions throughout the U.S., South America, Canada and Guam. My team of software developers is constantly working to improve upon our existing solutions and create even more modules aimed at making shop owners’ lives easier.
    We want to over-deliver every single time.
     
    We do that by listening to shop owners, understanding their pain points and developing solutions that help. We also do that by staying ahead of technology’s cutting edge.
     
    Before Bolt On’s Mobile Manager Pro tablet-powered software module hit the market mechanics didn’t realize they needed digital functionality, or the ability to meet customers at their vehicle to begin paper-free multi-point inspections. But, now that they have it, shop owners tell me it’s hard to imagine living without it. For them, returning to pencil-and-paper inspections would be like buying a VCR instead of a Blu-ray player.
     
    Our mobile product revolutionized how data is collected. And that is only the beginning. We want to continue pushing the technological envelope, introducing new software that saves shops time, boosts efficiency and profits and continues to improve upon the customer experience.
     
    In the throes of the economic recession shop owners I regularly met with were seeking ways to overcome deep revenue losses and tight profit margins. None that I talked to asked for the ability to conduct digital multi-point inspections, or scan and decode a license plate. But, their struggles were synonymous with many of the time-saving functions inherent in our mobile software. Saving time (and increasing productivity) translates to higher profits because we all know that time is money. If you have the tools to receive customer approval for work authorization in 2 minutes – instead of an hour plus – techs no longer have to remove vehicles from lifts … only to add them later when the customer calls back.
     
    Developing software solutions that encompass auto repair best practices is a big component in my company’s future endeavors. In order to create solutions which improve shop operations, I need to stay ingrained in the shop atmosphere.
     
    My initial entrance into the automotive software solutions world may have been by accident, but my sleepless nights laying the groundwork for BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY and my continued passion and drive ensure that I’m in it for the long haul.
    I look forward to sharing my story (and demonstrating our mobile technology) at a Philly New Technology group meetup on Wednesday and hopefully many more speaking engagements in the future.
     
    To learn more about BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY visit us at www.boltontechnology.com or call 610-400-1019.
  2. mikerisich
    In an effort to provide a better overall customer experience, BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY has decided to suspend its weekly live training sessions in favor of one-on-one training.
     
    Offering individualized training allows auto repair shops to tailor sessions to focus on the product features of highest importance. In addition, this new one-on-one format provides shops with as much time as necessary to ask questions, see live demonstrations of their new auto repair software solutions at work and troubleshoot any problems that they may be experiencing.
     
    Our Support Technician Warner Saxton will be conducting individual training sessions following software installation. Beyond that, customers can schedule training for as many of our products and as frequently as they like.
     
    Shops can also arrange one-on-one refresher courses for any of our software solutions to learn about best practices for using our software tips that other shops have found to be successful and more.
     
    Training is available for all of our products: Pro Pack (which includes Lube Sticker Pro, Message Manager and Report Pro); Mobile Manager Pro, Welcome Station and Pro Call.
    To learn more about our training or to schedule your training, call us at 610-400-1019 or email [email protected].
  3. mikerisich
    Salesman Derek Cain had his first introduction to automotive software solutions before joining the BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY team.
     
    “I’ve actually seen it just by going to my own mechanic, not knowing it was Bolt On’s software,” Cain said of the company’s Mobile Manager Pro tool, which enables auto repair technicians to meet customers at their vehicles and begin carrying out digital multi-point inspections. The software includes license plate scanning and decoding functionality, the ability to take and text vehicle condition photos to customers and other time-saving features aimed at automating routine tasks.
     
    Cain, of Bensalem, Pa., has more than 20 years of experience in sales and development. During that time he worked and developed relationships as a data solutions expert in the B2B wireless industry working with leading cell phone carriers. He also holds numerous sales awards and worked as the national account sales manager for Cherry Hill, N.J.-based Wireless Technologies LLC.
     
    As an experienced industry manager, leaving that field to help educate auto repair shops on ways to speed up processes, boost profits, improve productivity – all while going paperless – was a “no-brainer” for Cain.
     
    “I feel extremely honored to be joining the Bolt On Technology team,” he said. “This is a very exciting period for the company and I look forward to helping increase sales volumes and opening up new territories for the brand in markets around the globe.”
     
    “BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY has strengthened its direct sales force by hiring Derek Cain as its sales manager for the U.S. and Canadian markets,” Mike Risich, the company’s CEO, said.
     
    Working from the company’s development center in Bucks County, Pa., Cain will have the day-to-day responsibility for the development of the OEM channel, extending the company’s significant customer base and continuing to grow BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY as one of the leading suppliers of add-on automotive software solutions.
     
    “It’s just something I truly believe the auto industry needs to keep up on,” he said. “It’s like the beginning of cellular, just in a different industry.”
     
    About BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY™
    Founded in 2008, BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY was created by entrepreneur Michael Risich, whose vision of digitizing the automotive repair industry has continued to define the company. BOLT ON stays at the forefront of innovation, continuing to revolutionize mobile applications that save auto shops time, money and the need to write out lengthy estimates or vehicle diagnoses. Bolt On Technology has grown to be one of the leading shop management software providers. The company has partnered with some of the largest companies in the business, including Mitchell1, ATI (Automotive Training Institute), CARFAX and others.
  4. mikerisich
    BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY has taken the guess work out of digital multi-point inspection delivery to customers.
     
    The add-on automotive software solutions company has updated its signature program, Mobile Manager Pro, to automatically send text message notifications to auto repair shops when their customers open digital multi-point inspections. Using Message Manager, a text message software module included in the Mobile Manager Pro suite, shops send digital multi-point inspections to customers via text message.
     
    To read more about this behind-the-scenes update, click here.
  5. mikerisich
    BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY customer Martin Kruszelnicki has the “greenest” auto repair shop in all of Santa Monica, Calif.
     
    Kruszelnicki, the Chief Technology Officer of Santa Monica Hybrid – The Hybrid Shop, attributes his shop’s use of BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY’s shop management software as one of the reasons the city of Santa Monica selected his repair shop from a pool of 19 contenders to win the 20th annual Sustainable Quality Awards.
     
    Santa Monica Hybrid – The Hybrid Shop won the Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment award.
    “Using Bolt On Technology we are able to save thousands of pages of paper and printing every year,” he said. “Customers love the paperless check-in system and our team enjoys technician tablets and electronic inspections and being more productive at the same time.”
     
    Since May 2014 Kruszelnicki has been using Bolt On’s Mobile Manager Pro multi-point inspection tool, as well as Welcome Station, the first-ever customer check-in kiosk designed for the automotive repair industry. The fully wireless software solutions, which feature digital signature capture, text and emailing of customer vehicle inspections, photos and more, enabled the shop to go completely paperless almost a year ago.
     
    Click here to read more.
  6. mikerisich
    Diagnosing and fixing vehicles has gotten even easier for auto repair shops using BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY’s Mobile Manager Pro digital multi-point inspection tool and Mitchell 1 SureTrack.
     
    Our software developers today finished a new major feature enhancement, making Mobile Manager Pro the first and only application to fully integrate with the SureTrack vehicle diagnostic tool.
     
    Shops using BOLT ON’s mobile technology have already been able to take advantage of time-saving VIN scanning and decoding, license plate decoding, canned jobs, canned recommendations, auto-populated inspection forms, text messaging and customer signature capture, among other efficiency-boosting features.
     
    With this latest update and SureTrack integration, shops will be able to quickly search for the current vehicle’s commonly replaced components, common symptoms and diagnostic trouble code search. In addition, the SureTrack article, which is displayed in the concern, cause, correction format, can be viewed and optionally added as a note on the repair order.
     
    Click here to read more about this major update: http://boltontechnology.com/mobile-manager-pro-now-integrates-with-suretrack/
  7. mikerisich
    On Jan. 15, Mike Risich, the founder and Chief Technology Officer of BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, an add-on automotive software solutions development company, will offer an interactive mobile technology discussion and demonstration.
     
    Risich will offer insight on BOLT ON’s signature software solution, Mobile Manager Pro, during the Automotive Service Association of Pennsylvania’s Chapter 29 Montgomery/Philadelphia monthly meeting.
     
    For more information on the demonstration, or to register, click here: http://boltontechnology.com/bolt-on-technology-founder-to-demonstrate-mobile-technology/
  8. mikerisich
    A common thread among shop management systems (SMS) is that the software simplifies automotive repair shop processes.
    That’s pretty much where the similarities end. Some shops use their SMS for customer invoicing while others use it to order parts and track inventory. Still others use the software to carry out digital multi-point inspections and scan and decode vehicle identification numbers.
    The user options and software features are practically endless.
    To learn just how vast the array of choices can be in the spectrum of auto repair software, read our list of 13 things you may not have known by clicking here: http://boltontechnology.com/13-things-about-auto-repair-software-you-may-not-have-known/
  9. mikerisich
    Your shop can get a jump start on New Year's resolutions of boosting profits, increasing efficiency and implementing processes to allow you to accomplish more with less resources.
     
    There’s no reason why your shop can’t make significantly more revenue, save an extra hour a day, gain 100% accuracy, increase marketing potential, speed up customer approval times (up to 79% faster), and way more.
     
    Here’s a sampling of the strategies we will teach during a Dec. 17 webinar:
    Doing more work, with less effort on your part. This is the key to it all.
    Boosting service up-selling opportunities. Big money!
    Killing chicken scratch and inaccurate information. 100% accuracy
    Scheduling future appointments for each customer. No effort on your part.

    The remaining 3 strategies are the best of the bunch, and will be demonstrated in full during this event!
     
    Don't delay, register today for our *free* Dec. 17 webinar: https://www.anymeeting.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EB52DA82894A39
  10. mikerisich
    Key members of the BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY team will travel to Huntersville, N.C. on Dec. 9-10 to participate in the American Tire Distributors’ national dealer council meeting.
     
    During a working lunch with more than a dozen ATD representatives, the Bolt On team will present a full demonstration of Mobile Manager Pro, the company’s leading suite of automotive software solutions. Mobile Manager Pro, which is used in hundreds of repair shops and tire service centers in the U.S., Canada, South America and Guam, allows shops to meet customers at their vehicles, tablet in hand, to begin a digital multi-point inspection. The paper-free tool features license plate scanning and decoding, automatic transmission of data to the shop management system, advance scheduling of routine services, text messaging of inspection reports and photos with customers, the ability to customize invoices with 100 plus options and more.
     
    Bolt On’s goal of the meeting is to become an ATD-approved vendor for the more than 600 auto repair and tire service centers under the ATD umbrella, according to Frank Dragoni, Bolt On’s Director of National Sales & Corporate Partnerships. The December meeting follows a discussion that Dragoni and Bolt On’s Chief Technology Officer and founder Mike Risich had with ATD representatives in Pittsburgh during the northeast dealer council meeting in October.
     
    The national Tire Pros chain is some of the service centers under the ATD umbrella. The highly coveted approved vendor status would mean that ATD is certifying Bolt On as a viable company to consider for automotive software solution add-ons, Dragoni said.
     
    The nation’s premier tire distributor, ATD, which was founded in 1935, operates 113 distributions centers across the U.S., 27 distribution centers across Canada and has approximately 80,000 customers in the U.S. and Canada, according to the company’s Website.
     
    For more information about BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, visitwww.boltontechnology.com, or call 610-400-1019.
  11. mikerisich
    What’s the one daily task that simplifies your shop life, increases upselling opportunities and dramatically boosts profits?
     
    For a growing number of shops, the most important task involves snapping customer vehicle condition photos and sharing them, along with digital multi-point inspections and repair orders, with customers.
     
    The sentiment that a picture is worth a thousand words has perhaps never been truer than for a customer literally staring down evidence of needed, and most times unexpected, vehicle repairs.
     
    Since spring, shops using Bolt On Technology’s Mobile Manager Pro automotive software suite have taken and shared 100,000 photos with their customers. On average, 7,500 photos are captured every week, which is a testament to the effectiveness of the “seeing is believing” notion.
     
    Now, instead of trying to explain why a customer may need to buy new tires, or brake pads, or replace a corroded battery, technicians, with the click of a handheld mobile device, can show them.
     
    In all, our data shows that nearly 90 percent of our Mobile Manager Pro users actively put into service the software’s photo-taking capabilities. The number of regular photo-takers continues to grow, as does the bottom lines for shops that have made this feature a part of their daily routine.
     
    Along with the photo capture feature, shops are also benefitting from VIN scanning (88 percent usage rate) and digital inspections (84 percent usage rate). The new recommendations capability, which goes hand-in-hand with image capture, continues to increase in popularity as more than 70 percent of shops regularly use it to make new repair recommendations as part of the vehicle inspection process.
     
    An add-on automotive software solution that automatically integrates with leading shop management systems, Mobile Manager Pro enables technicians to ditch scrawled handwriting in favor of digital, easy-to-complete forms, including customizable multi-point vehicle inspections, VIN and license plate scanning/decoding and more.
     
    Since its release in the fall of 2013, Mobile Manager Pro has been proven to increase efficiency and productivity in the bays. But, for many shop owners and technicians, the real proof of the application’s usefulness is in its ability to take photos.
     
    Our research has shown that the uptick in photo-taking is paying off. Techs that take three or more photos, or make three or more service recommendations have seen repair orders increase by $60 to $85. In all, shops are more than doubling their repair order profits simply by showing, not telling.
     
    How does your shop communicate customer service recommendations?
     
    To learn more about Mobile Manager Pro and the power of using photos to drive higher sales, call Bolt On Technology at 610-400-1019.
  12. mikerisich
    If you missed the chance to take advantage of our end-of-year giveaway you're in luck: We've extended this special offer until Jan. 10.
     
    To learn more about how you can improve your business, increase efficiency and boost profitability, click here: http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=1a0fd59c50dc1f357d3fd869d&id=ef190ae7a0&e=fbdebe9e9b
  13. mikerisich
    BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY has been nominated for the Jobs Now Best Places to Work 2015 contest.
     
    The Greater Philadelphia area company employs more than a dozen workers at its development center in Bucks County, a suburb of Philadelphia.
     
    “I enjoy the casual, team-oriented environment,” said Frank Dragoni, the company’s director of national sales and corporate partnerships. “We all work together to brainstorm the company’s future successes. Everyone here knows they are integral to the company’s growth.”
     
    BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY was founded in 2008 after Chief Technology Officer Mike Risich, a Microsoft developer, set out to create software solutions to automate routine processes at the nation’s independent auto repair shops. Two years after that, Risich hired his first employee.
     
    Since its founding, BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY has developed more than a dozen auto shop management add-on software solutions that thousands of auto repair shops throughout the U.S., Canada and South America use every day to save time, boost efficiency and simplify processes.
     
    Click here to read more about the Best Places to Work 2015 award nomination.
  14. mikerisich
    The #1 most-requested Report Pro feature is here!
    Report Pro customers have been asking for the ability to view multi-point inspections on a desktop and now that functionality is here!
    The Inspection Manager addition, which has been rolled out for Mitchell1 SE Mobile Manager Pro users - and will be forthcoming for other shop management systems - allows a service advisor to review/edit an inspection from the desktop, making it easier to share results in person with a customer.
     
    The new feature is an exact replication of what's seen on the tablet and allows service advisors the ability to see in-progress, waiting and completed inspections. From the desktop, shop staff can view and edit notes and recommendations, as well as vehicle and inspection images.
     
    As is the case with the tablet, shop personnel can share inspections via email, text message, and work order note.
    Getting started
    Follow these steps to load the latest Report Pro upgrades:
    Open Report Pro
    When you see the prompt for a new update click "get update."
    The Inspection Manager is accessible in the tools menu of Report Pro.
  15. mikerisich
    Whether you purchased BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY's automotive software solutions today, last month or a year ago, we want to make sure your shop is getting the most for its money! For some that may mean a product refresher course, while others may need more comprehensive training.
    Either way, we're offering live training sessions specifically designed to fit your shop’s needs.
    Beginning this week, we will again be conducting live training for both beginners, as well as more experienced users. By giving us 30 or 45 minutes of your time, you’ll gain a better understanding of the product’s features, capabilities and the most efficient ways to seamlessly incorporate auto repair best practices into your shop’s daily routine.
    We will be offering both 101 and 201 sessions on a weekly basis for each of the following products: Lube Sticker Pro, Message Manager, Report Pro and Mobile Manager Pro. To read more or to register for a training session, click here.
  16. mikerisich
    Whether you're a beginner, a seasoned Mobile Manager Pro user, or somewhere in between, our 7 step-by-step training videos will help you to more easily decode license plates and VINs, capture customers' signatures electronically, perform digital multi-point inspections and more.
     
    As always, the information entered into tablet devices automatically transmits into leading shop management systems without any additional effort, or double entry on your part.
     
    To view our latest training videos, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTAHU_-meLQ&list=PLNWs0wU3yWkQEptDZ7egxqJpi25Uq3Cpl
     
    For more information on BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, visit www.boltontechnology.com, or call 610-400-1019.
     
     
  17. mikerisich
    We’ve addressed several maintenance issues in the latest Report Pro release, which is now available.
     
    With the latest update, users can see a fuller model/sub-model vehicle description on Mitchell SE tech worksheets. Also in Mitchell SE, we fixed the problem users had experienced while printing a revision when a sub-estimate for the vehicle had previously been sold.
    We have also ensured that the All Sub Estimates report remembers users’ selections.
     
    For Report Pro customers in Canada, the newest release improves the readability of the Canadian tax section in repair orders and estimates.
     
    The correct invoice number is now displayed in the posted items section of the unassigned GL accounts online report.
    In addition some users were experiencing difficulty finding repair orders and invoices in Report Pro. That has been corrected.
     
    The tax calculations for miscellaneous lines have been fixed. Also, the correct business name and contact information for business accounts on repair orders and invoices has been corrected.
     
    Please share your suggestions for any other feature requests by commenting on the forum, or contacting us through our Website: http://boltontechnology.com/contact-us/

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