Efficiency is the heartbeat of every automotive repair shop. Every minute counts in the fast-paced world of auto repair, which is why the most successful shops search high and low for all the ways they can shave time off workflow processes and their operations at large. Many turn to technology for help.

PartsTech had a great time as a guest on AutoLeap’s webinar to discuss how your shop can use a shop management system and integrated parts ordering to keep parts procurement from stealing time from your efficiency goals. Here is a summary of our favorite key takeaways:

Each Repair Order is Significant 

“Every repair order is key to each vehicle that enters the shop,” said Adam Satow, VP of Customer Success at AutoLeap. When you break down repair orders, they contain the same components: customer info, vehicle info, parts, labor, and total cost.

At its very core, a repair order revolves around parts. Ensuring that the right parts are ordered efficiently is vital to the success of every repair order — a job simply cannot be completed until the right parts are in-hand.

Streamlining Parts Ordering is a Top Opportunity for Saving Time

Jake Benson, Director of Strategic Accounts at PartsTech, shared insights from a study by Automotive Research IMR Inc. of over 500 shops nationwide. The study revealed that four out of the top ten challenges faced by shops are related to parts ordering¹. 

The good news is that shops using PartsTech to find and order parts in one place are better positioned to stay ahead of these challenges and save an average of 5-15 minutes when creating a repair order. 

Saving 5-15 minutes per repair order adds up to hours of annual time savings. Calculate the time you could be saving on the PartsTech Time Savings Calculator.

And it doesn’t just stop with time savings — shops are seeing benefits to their bottom line too. Adam shared that AutoLeap customers who embrace integrated parts ordering are more likely to witness revenue increases and report efficiency gains. “We’ve seen customers see an uptick in parts counts and revenue because they’re more efficient in ordering parts.”

Unlocking Time Savings Means More Time to Invest in Growth and Success Initiatives

We hear this question at PartsTech all the time, “Okay, I’m saving time. What do I do with that extra time?”

Time saved with PartsTech and solutions like AutoLeap is an opportunity to invest time in shop initiatives that will grow your revenue. Here are just a couple of the ideas that were shared in the webinar:

• Focus on your bottom line by using the time to increase your daily repair order count. Proactively reaching out to customers for maintenance reminders to foster recurring business.
• Make upgrades to your shop by giving your waiting room a facelift to create a welcoming environment for your customers. Or upgrade diagnostic equipment and machinery to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Expand your operations by opening another bay or a new location to tap into new markets and reach a wider customer base.
• Create a positive work environment to boost employee satisfaction and retention. Be intentional in getting your employees home on time, buy them lunch once a week as a gesture of appreciation, and/or send your technicians to get certifications.
• Prioritize your well-being. Spend more quality time with friends and family. Take that much-deserved vacation to relax and rejuvenate while unplugging your brain from the shop. And/or attend industry training and certifications to elevate your business and leadership skills.

Substantial Efficiency Gains are a Result of End-to-End Streamlining of Operations 

The integration between AutoLeap and PartsTech provides the perfect example of the power and importance of bringing a comprehensive shop management solution into your business. Shops that are leveraging the full potential of these platforms together gain insights that enable informed decisions and ultimately time savings. Jake emphasizes, “Every time you can save a minute or two in anything you do, there’s an aggregate effect. We’re talking about real-time savings and efficiencies that go back into your shop.”

Here are just two examples of how the PartsTech integration in AutoLeap helps push your business forward:

• Controlling inventory: Effective inventory management is key to optimizing your capital and ensuring smooth operations. PartsTech and AutoLeap provide insights and tools to help your shop make informed inventory decisions. By analyzing parts usage, ordering patterns, and supplier and brand preferences, you can identify which parts to stock and set appropriate minimums and maximums to know when to re-stock. This enables you to improve your shop’s nimbleness and avoid tying up excessive capital in inventory.

• Canned Jobs for fast RO creation and parts ordering: Both Jake and Adam emphasized the importance of setting up canned jobs for all your popular services. A canned job is a template that helps shops spin up an RO and order all the parts in just a couple of clicks. Adam encourages shop owners, saying, “If you’re not setting up canned jobs, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Invest that time one time, because the residual effect of creating an RO faster will have a severe impact.” 

Above All Else, It’s About the Customer 

Adam highlighted the significance of service advisors honing their soft skills, stating, “Building these ROs isn’t going to win customers. It’s the personal interactions.” Another way to reallocate saved time is to spend it focusing on training your team on soft skills — on becoming true service advisors and not salespeople. Building relationships and providing fast, quality services are key to customer retention and positive reviews.

Watch the Full Webinar

To see a brief demo of how AutoLeap and PartsTech work together and hear more insights and recommendations shared in the webinar, watch the on-demand version. Start your journey toward a streamlined, profitable, and customer-centric repair operation.

¹ Current Challenges for Independent Automotive Repair Shops – 2023, Automotive Research IMR Inc.