Technology Can Make Shop Life (and Profitability) Easier

When you hear the word “technology” these days, you probably think of a new kind of phone. Or a vacuum cleaner that automatically cleans without you pushing it. Or maybe even the fast approaching possibility of self-driving cars.

You probably don’t think immediately about things that could help you run a more efficient, productive and profitable shop. But you should. There are a ton of technological advancements on the market today that can really benefit you, your techs and your shop.

As you might know, we’ve had several technological advancements in the past few years, as well—and we’re going to tell you about them. But along with honking our own horn, so to speak, we’re going to remind you of other technological improvements on the market that you should seriously consider in order to keep up with your competition and—most importantly—with your customers’ expectations.

• Shop Management Systems and Software. Once considered only a necessity for shops with higher volume, even today’s smallest shops should probably integrate a shop management system. It’s impossible to know how productive and profitable your shop is without one. There are many systems available and most will help you understand the data behind your daily business—customer retention, productivity, efficiency, sales, marketing and more. They’ll also keep your techs more productive, because they eliminate the need for walking paperwork around the shop.
• Digital Inspection Systems. Most of these systems work with shop management systems and allow techs to perform and record inspections at the same time on a tablet. The information is automatically transferred to service advisors, which allows them produce estimates while techs are performing inspections. That’s about as efficient as you can get. And customers appreciate the easy-to-understand reports that the systems generate to show what repairs are necessary and how much they’ll cost.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software. Speaking of customers, they now expect you to expend effort to keep their business. The best way to do that? CRM software. The best software keeps details of your customers and their vehicles, so that they feel like you remember them and appreciate their business. And the software helps you manage personalized marketing campaigns to each customer that reminds them of service appointments, offers discounts in slow periods, and provides them with maintenance information and more.
• Car Lift Technology. We’re a little biased here, of course, but your car lifts are the heart of your shop. Right? So, make sure you’re thinking about how technological advances will help your techs every single day.
  • Shockwave™ Technology. Maybe you’ve heard of it. We certainly talk about Shockwave as much as possible, because we’re proud of the technology and even more proud of what it can help your shop achieve. Our Shockwave-equipped lifts increase your productivity due to rise and descent times that are twice as fast as standard lifts. And they do it all while reducing operating costs. How? These lifts use two standard 12v car batteries with their own charger, which eliminates the need for your shop to upgrade to 220v.
  • Trio Arms. Technology doesn’t necessarily mean “computerized.” Take our Trio Arms, for instance. Their patented three-stage design helps you service a wider range of vehicles due to their increased reach compared to regular arms—as much as 20% more reach. The design also allows your techs to more easily position the arms and precisely position adapters exactly where they’re needed.