Crafting Success: A Comprehensive Guide to Workshop Mastery

The thought of implementing new technology like workshop software for a tyre and automotive business or wholesale distribution centre can feel like a wall that if penetrated will only lead to unmanageable levels of newness that no one has the time for. At the same time, it’s easy to convince ourselves that now is not the time, for whatever reason, to focus on any “added extras”.

The truth is, workshop software isn’t an added extra. It’s a critical piece of kit that’s been built because the tyre and automotive industry have suffered under the weight of manual labour for far too long!

So, let’s demystify some of the things about workshop software for retail providers and wholesale businesses that may seem complex but in reality are very simple solutions to a huge number of problems and laborious, repetitive tasks.

 

What is workshop software for?

Workshop software is a computer program designed to automate tasks you typically handle manually. It doesn’t add extra work to your day; instead, it streamlines your existing tasks, freeing you to focus on more important matters.

For example, when you answer the phone and take a booking for a new customer, you might write their name, address and phone number in a calendar or diary of some kind. However, at some point, you’re going to have to issue this customer with an invoice so someone will have to input those customer details again into your accounting system.

Take this small task and multiply it out by the hundreds and thousands of small tasks just like it that you manually do and re-do every day, month and year. This will start to give you an idea of just how labour-intensive it is to manage these microelements year in and year out.

COSTAR’s workshop software enables you to take customer details when they call like you always would, but you type them into the software instead. Now that their details are in the system, every time you need to generate something for them like a purchase order, invoice, receipt, reminder notice, booking confirmation and more, their details will already be there.

Imagine that everything else you also manually enter, you also only have to do once – that after some detail has been entered into your workshop software, it is automatically transferred into other parts of your business operations, ready for you when you need them.

For example:

• When you order a part for a customer, it automatically populates the invoice for them, price and all.
• When you take down details (even photos) of a vehicle inspection, all those details can be automatically emailed to your customers to show them what you found.
• When you pay an invoice, this expense automatically populates your accounting system for end-of-year tax reporting.
• When you sell an item to a customer, it automatically updates your inventory records so you know what you’ve got in store and what you don’t.
• When a customer books themself in (imagine that!) your workshop software automatically sends them a reminder text message the day before their booking.

No double entry, ever again and you don’t have to set it all up because Microhouse will do that for you.

 

Installation and training are easy

COSTAR and Microhouse Australia know that workshop software is for tradies and management personnel in tyre and automotive workshops and wholesale distributors, not computer specialists. That’s why the technology has been built for ease of use and installed with complete customisation.

It’s also why Microhouse Australia provides a top-to-bottom, extensive and hand-held support system to get you from where you are now to seamless integration without rocking the boat or turning your workshop flow upside down. We provide you with:

• An implementation and transition team to get everything set up for you
• A national support team to help you wherever you are
• Training and consulting in-house and online
• Technical and customer support with real people on call
• Day and night support from 6 am to 7 pm Monday to Friday

 

Lighten your load with help from COSTAR and Microhouse Australia.

 

Supplier integrations provide an extensive business solution across the breadth of your administrative and customer service workload. Contact our specialist team at Microhouse to learn more or book a demo and see the difference COSTAR will make to your business.
1800 819 984 (AUS) or 0800 100 913 (NZ).