Lots of garages – and other types of business for that matter – still rely on a well-thumbed A4 diary to record the business of the day and to plan future events.
There’s a lot to be said for using this system. It doesn’t suffer from wifi outages, doesn’t go flat and the only ‘upgrade’ you’ll need is once a year, and is usually provided free of charge by your local parts supplier.
However, relying on a manual record also brings disadvantages that can set an otherwise well-run business at a significant disadvantage to its peers.
Keeping Track
For a start, it will be difficult to keep track of customer’s details when you have just a name, registration plate and phone number written on a page. Getting details of what work has previously been done on a vehicle, or even being able to remind the customer when their next service or MOT is due can be complicated due to paper diaries being difficult to navigate, and the result is that few garages that rely on such a system have a connection with their customers that go beyond a puzzled ‘have we seen this car before?’ remark when the vehicle is presented. As you can imagine, this doesn’t help reinforce customer loyalty, particularly if they had a big bill on their previous visit…
Next, there can be no doubt that once in place, the system will help improve the garage’s efficiency. Even an entry level GMS will let the user keep track of the parts ordered and costs on each vehicle. More advanced systems will allow the user to allocate jobs to individual technicians and keep track of inventory and workflow. Many can also be set up to automatically text customers to remind them of when the next service or inspection is due.
Compliance
Another issue to consider is that of data security. Garage management software provides more secure data storage than a paper diary. You can restrict access to sensitive information, such as customer details or financial records, and ensure that only authorised users can view or edit this information. In contrast, a paper diary can be easily accessed by anyone who has physical access to it. There’s also the issue of what can happen to the diary itself. While it is true that a book won’t ever run out of battery, or it is somehow lost or stolen or destroyed then there is a massive problem. In contrast, a computer can be securely backed up quickly and often automatically, so even if there is a problem with the physical hardware, the business can be back up and running very quickly.
There are various systems available and it will depend on the needs of your business which one is right for you. Two of the most popular packages on the market at the moment are Garage Hive and Dragon 2000 (which, despite the name, is still very much a current system). Both keep track of customers, invoices and upcoming jobs etc, and usefully, both have the option to integrate with Autodata. Technicians simply key fault codes into the GMS program to access technical information, book times and more.
Setting up a GMS for an existing business that doesn’t have one will be daunting. However, the pay-back of having a more secure, better organised business with customers that are more likely to return will always make it worth doing.
