Automotive — The Automation Files
ARO, parts matrices, digital inspections, flat-rate payroll, and the shop management systems independent auto repair runs on — Tekmetric, Mitchell 1, and more.
9 articles
The Auto Shop Technician Shortage Is Getting Worse Before It Gets Better
The pipeline shrank 35% and every shop is fishing the same pond. The retention and efficiency levers that matter more than another Indeed post.
Read it →Your Auto Shop Doesn't Need More Cars. It Needs More From the Cars You Already Have.
Car count is maxed by your bays. Average repair order isn't. Where the extra $100 per ticket actually comes from — and it isn't upselling.
Read it →The Parts Markup Problem Costing Auto Shops $40,000 to $70,000 a Year
Flat markup on every part is how shops quietly give away $40-70K a year. What a tiered parts matrix is and how your SMS already supports one.
Read it →Auto Repair Shops Miss 23% of Their Calls. Here Is What That Actually Costs.
23% of calls go unanswered while the counter is slammed. Missed-call textback, overflow routing, and what recovering even half is worth.
Read it →The Flat Rate Spreadsheet Is Running Your Payroll and It Is Wrong at Least Once a Month
Flat rate payroll rebuilt by hand every week is an error factory with legal exposure. Connecting flagged hours to payroll so the math runs itself.
Read it →The Disputed Repair That Was Authorized. Verbally.
Verbal OKs don't survive disputes, chargebacks, or Florida's repair act. Digital authorization with timestamps, built into the SMS you already run.
Read it →The Digital Inspection Your Tekmetric Account Already Has and You Have Never Turned On
AutoVitals' data says photo-heavy inspections lift ARO 30%. The digital inspection workflow already included in Tekmetric, and why shops skip it.
Read it →Should You Switch From Mitchell 1 to Tekmetric? Answer This Question First.
Mitchell 1 vs Tekmetric isn't really a software question. The shop-specific questions that decide it, and what migration actually involves.
Read it →There Is $36 Billion in Deferred Maintenance Driving Past Your Shop Right Now
Every declined service you've ever written up is a future job with a date on it. The follow-up automation that brings deferred work back to your bays.
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