mikerisich

I would definitely suggest using a shop management system (SMS) on the front end. It’s probably the only tool in your shop that can’t be replaced, should something happen, such as a fire, which I have personal experience with. Long story short, a partner of mine owns a 17 location auto repair chain, and the main location that housed all data records for the entire franchise suffered a fire and lost everything. Within 2 hours all customer and shop data was retrieved and re-implemented. It was the defining reason as to why they’re still in business today.

If you lost your shop, for whatever reason, you'll still have all your customer, vehicle, service details, financial records, etc. backed-up in a safe location, which you can use to rebuild.

Besides that, the main purpose of an SMS is increased efficiency. Without a way to easily store all customer & vehicle data, financial reports, canned job details, and so on, your own efforts are permanently slowed down, as you’ll need to work harder to achieve what an SMS can do instantly.

Furthermore, there are many aftermarket software tools that can enhance your SMS greatly. From advanced lube sticker functionality, service reminders, appointment scheduling, on to wireless digital multi-point devices, and so on, the advantages are immense.

As for which SMS tools to go with, I’d suggest either Mitchell 1, ALLDATA, R.O. Writer, or Napa Tracs. These are the leaders in SMS and are the main systems in which aftermarket software solutions integrate with.

Hope this helps.

Not sure if this is what you’re looking for, but just as a suggestion, we have software solutions that will enhance Mitchell’s current scheduling abilities. Our Who’s Calling Pro and Lube Sticker Pro both add the ability to add the vehicle, as well as the customer, during the scheduling process. See image for more details. Hope this helps.