Appointments. What is the typical monthly cost for shops currently using your software? Name of the individual completing the survey

Transcription

1 Automotive Repair Shop Management Software System Survey Response for: MasterLink Software - timstone@masterlinksoftware.com Completed: 12/20/2017 2:44 PM EST 1 What is the typical initial total cost for a shop to change to your software? $195 / month plus a $300 installation & training f 2 What is the typical monthly cost for shops currently using your software? $84 or $195 if on rental 3 Name of the individual completing the survey Tim Stone 4 Name of your Company and Software MasterLink Software: Auto Shop Writer 5 Your website Appointments 1/20

2 6 Can appointments be displayed in different colors depending on factors such as: Waiting, after hours arrival, loaner car reservation, shuttle required, call to remind, type of service, etc.? Comment: Various types of appointments can also be tracked 7 Can appointments be dragged and dropped on the appointment scheduler? 8 Does a warning occur when making an appointment if the customer has previously not shown up for appointments? 9 Can an appointment for the next scheduled maintenance be generated automatically? Comment: We have a full Preventative Maintenance Scheduler with automatic notifications direct to the clients from within ASW. We also have the ability to track recommendations with auto follow up, and a post service inspection checklist with auto followup 2/20

3 10 When an appointme nt is made, is the time, date and user who made the appointment automatically recorded and saved? 11 Does a warning occur if there ar e other appointments or open RO's for a vehicle when a new appointment is being entered for that vehicle? Comment: There has been no request for this type of information 12 Does an appoint ment change color on the schedule when the appointment time is approaching or past? Comment: Our views on the scheduler are quite clear. We do have automatic warnings to the shop and customer when the service is near, and this is fully integrated into ASW. 13 Is there integrated loaner car reservations and tracking? Comment: Our clients provide rides, but not loaner cars. It would be easy to implement IF it were requested. 3/20

4 Communication 14 Can texting be sent and received within the software? 15 Can status updates be automatically texted to customers when the status of their vehicle changes? 16 Can ing be done directly thr ough the software without having to go into a separate program? Comment: We support (PDF) of everything that can be printed, or directly to the client for communications. We support both integration with an existing MAPI client ( ie. Outlook ), and full direct SMTP ( CDO ) with the client's server. Inspections 17 Are electronic vehicle inspections integrated? 4/20

5 18 Can photos be attached to failed items? 19 Can job kits be attached to failed items? Comment: Job kits can be attached to any service 20 Can inspections be ed and texted to customers? Job Kits 21 Can jobs performed or estimated be saved as vehicle specific job kits? 5/20

6 22 Can job kits include other job kits and multiple labor operations? Labor operations 23 Is there integrated time clocking for technicians? 24 Is there capability for multiple labor rates (10 or more)? 25 Can times for multiple technicians be entered into a single labor operation? 6/20

7 Parts and Inventory 26 Can the software automatically adjust stocking levels according to parameters that have been set by the user? 27 Is there a feature w here the software automatically contacts integrated vendors according to a designated schedule and updates pricing for all part information that is in the software? Comment: We have fully integrated utilities that will update inventory and pricing based on factory supplied data. We also have the capability to report sales, obtain recommended buy lists, and do full restocking orders with specific vendors. 28 Can different matrices be assigned to different types of parts, different brands, different vendors and different customers? 7/20

8 29 When parts are ordered (and w hen they arrive), is the time and the person placing the order recorded? Comment: This feature has never been requested. Usually one person handles parts ordering. Adding this would be very easy IF it is ever requested. 30 When an authorization is entered, is the advisor prompted to order parts that are not in the facility and have not already been ordered? Comment: When a part is not in stock, an alert is provided, and the part can be added directly to a purchase order. 31 Can purchase orders be generated for parts that are needed, but are not in the facility and have n ot already been ordered, for future appointments within a selected date range? 32 Are there different colors assigned to different parts statuses? Comment: This has never been a requested feature. 8/20

9 33 Does the displayed status of a part change automatically when the actual status of the part changes? 34 Are there reminder s which alert service advisors that an expected arrival time for a part is past due. 35 Is online parts cataloging and ordering integrated for all major catalog and ordering platforms? 36 Are parts returns and core returns tracked? 37 Is there a merge feature where duplicate parts can be merged together quickly and easily? 9/20

10 Comment: There are no duplicate parts in the inventory system. They are automatically trapped, and additional units would be added to the existing record. Repair orders 38 Are there different colors assigned to different RO statuses? 39 Does the displayed status of an RO change automatically when the actual status of the RO changes? 40 When someone is working in an RO, will the software block anyone else attempting to work in the RO, and alert them before they attempt to work in the RO? Comment: The system allows multiple people to work on an order at the same time. Record locking assures no problems occur. Thus, a parts counter can be entering parts at the same time a service writer modifies labor, at the same time notes are being added by the management, at the same time techs could be entering notes and recommendations... all without conflict. It is truly multi-user software. 10/20

11 41 Can part or all of an RO be copied and pasted into another RO with a single action? Comment: Actually, this would only make sense for labor descriptions. We use a comprehensive glossary system for labor, and items can be added directly from a work order. Thus, there is no laborious cut and paste needed. In addition, many shops create kits which include unlimited parts and labor entries, and a single code can quickly create a complete service ticket. 42 Is there a profit checker that displays profit dollars and percentages for each individual part, each labor operation, each job subtotal and the entire order? Comment: If minimum margins are not met, alerts show upon entry, and a utility allows for recalculating charges instantly. Full dollar and percentage margins can be viewed instantly at any time during the progress of the work order. 43 When jobs are copied from history, do both the parts and labor prices update automatically? 44 Does an RO change color on the work in progress screen when the technician exceeds the sold labor time? Comment: A large alert shows on the Workorder screen at any time where the charge exceeds the estimate. 11/20

12 45 Can partially completed R O's be split between pay periods so that technicians can be credited with their current progress on an RO even though all work on the RO has not yet been completed? 46 Can documents and photos be attached and saved to RO's? 47 Are the following items optional to display or not display on the customer invoice: Part numbers, individual part prices, labor times, individual labor prices? 48 Can mandatory checklists be cr eated that a service advisor must complete to advance when entering information into RO's and completing RO's? Comment: Service Writers have never seen a need for this. What the system does provide is an Analysis button where a service writer immediately sees all recommendations, approaching or overdue scheduled maintenance, items of concern during the last inspection, full client and vehicle information, and a CARFAX service history, all on a popup, scrollable screen which can remain open while selling these services. 12/20

13 Recommendations 49 Can previous recommendat ions be included on invoices, RO's, estimates, inspections and worksheets? 50 Do previous recommend ations include the name of the advisor and technician who originally made the recommendations? 51 When recommendations appear in a list, can they be reordered by priority. Scheduled maintenance 52 Can a grid be included on a ny RO (or invoice, or estimate or worksheet) that includes all scheduled maintenance intervals, along with when they were last performed and when they are next due (both date and miles) according the service history? 13/20

14 53 Does the software calculate maintenance interval due dates based on actual miles driven for each i ndividual vehicle according to the service history? 54 Are scheduled maintenance reminders generated and sent automatically when the assigned time or projected mileage has been reached? 55 Can maintenance intervals be assigned to job kits so that the services come up as due acco rding to whatever parameters are set by the user. Service history 14/20

15 56 Are Carfax service history reports integrated? 57 Can service history from other shops be integrated with the shop's service history for a vehicle? Comment: Services provided elsewhere could be added by the shop to the system if desired. Of course, CARFAX integration is complete so that might not be needed. Tires 58 Are new tire serial numb ers automatically sent to the manufacturer once the numbers have been entered into an RO? 59 Is there integrated tire cataloging and ordering? 15/20

16 Training 60 Is there a regular schedule of webinars or podcasts for training new users and explaining updates? Comment: A new user is trained at the time of install. There are also videos available 24/7 and a comprehensive manual. 61 Is there a help feature that covers all areas of the software completely? Vehicle information 62 Does the vehicle VIN and other ke y information display on all screens when working in an RO so there is no need to back up or change screens? Comment: The VIN data and key information is available with a single key click in any work order. A user never leaves the work order, but the data does not waste space by being on every screen., 63 16/20

17 Will entering the license plate nu mber autofill vehicle information such as VIN, year, make, model, and engine? 64 Is there a merge feature where duplicate vehicles can be merged together quickly and easily? Comment: Duplicate vehicles are NEVER created. The system checks not only the license, but the VIN and always detects if the vehicle is already in the system. 65 Can documents and photos be attached and saved to vehicles? Other software features 66 Can all functions be performed paperless? 17/20

18 67 Is there integrated electronic signature capture? Comment: We capture signatures on all credit card transactions and automatically place them on the invoice. We may add signatures to the work order itself if requested. 68 Is credit card processing integrated? 69 Is there a caller I.D. feature that displays customer information when an existing customer calls? Comment: That would be provided by the shop's phone system. 70 Is lube (oil change) sticker (label) printing integrated? 71 Are all functions mobile device compatible? 18/20

19 Comment: Auto Shop Writer works on windows tablets via the wireless network of the shop. 72 Can key performance numbers be compared with other users of the software? Comment: There is no automatic system for this, but if a shop wanted to compare the wealth of data they generate with others, it can be done. 73 Can information be exported to spread sheets, and imported from spread sheets? 74 Are there integrated mapping and directions to and from the shop, customers, vendors, etc.? 75 Are there different subprograms or modules for different employees (technicians, advisors, parts, manager)? 19/20

20 Comment: The shop manager assigns each employee a user id and password, and grants rights to all sections of the program. Thus, when they sign in, they only have access ( and see ) those features authorized by management. 76 Can technician assignments be dragged and dropped on a technician assignment screen? Comment: Technicians receive worksheets for each job. 77 Is there a merge feature where duplicate customers can be merged together quickly and easily? Comment: It is not possible to create duplicate customers in this system. A single client can be assigned to multiple vehicles, however, and a click on a client name will immediately display all of their vehicles for review. 20/20