September 2021

T he pandemic has shown the need for businesses to use technology to help them stay agile and profitable. “While many countries across the globe are at different points in their COVID-19 infection rates and as such their bounce-back from the pandemic,” observed TechMan’s Leo Freebairn, ”companies' sales dropped on average by 27% between October and January 2021, which followed a drop of 45% in the period April - September 2020. With many household name brands and well-established businesses going bust throughout 2020 and well into 2021, the time has come for companies to re-think how technology serves the needs of their customers.” Leo observed that the early adoption of digital workshop tools and management systems by automotive businesses has enabled them to weather the storm. “One system that has been a saviour for garages across the country is TechMan GMS. As a cloud-based solution, TechMan allows workshop managers, business owners and technicians to remotely manage everything from parts and vehicle sales, to workshop performance and accounting. In addition to these key features, TechMan comes fully loaded with tools that function to boost efficiency, productivity and profitability, three principal areas businesses have had to focus on to ensure they survive the effects of the pandemic.” Stuart Mackinnon, Managing Director of Angus Mackinnon, a Staffordshire based car dealership with multiple sites across neighbouring counties also spoke on how TechMan has helped the business battle the on-going challenges the pandemic presents: “We’re in really difficult times at the moment and we’ve been dealing staff self- isolation on-and-off for nearly a year now. It’s thanks to TechMan that we’ve been able to keep on top of tasks and maintain efficiencies even despite everything that’s currently happening in the world. In the whirlwind of this pandemic, TechMan has been the one stable.” To find out more visit www.techmangms.com Going digital Improving efficiencies has always been important for garages and workshops and, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, digital tools and technologies have played an even more prominent role in making this happen. Ashley Tankard, Sales Executive at MAM Software, commented: “Garage management software has long been a feature of successful workshops up and down the country. The functionality of these systems has become increasingly more advanced to help facilitate new digital ways of working, while enhancing the core day-to-day processes of running a garage business. Autowork Online is MAM Software’s intuitive, feature-rich GMS. It is designed to manage every aspect of running a busy workshop or garage, while cloud-based deployment helps lower upfront 52 AFTERMARKET SEPTEMBER 2021 ONLINE TOOLS AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS www.aftermarketonline.net All the latest on digital tools designed to help in the workshop, as well as management systems that enable businesses to run more efficiently PUSHING EFFICIENCY cost and the need for ongoing updates and maintenance.” According to Ashley, the Autowork Online GMS has several features and modules to help garages stay efficient and profitable: “Deferred work is especially popular among Autowork Online users. This enables users to postpone jobs to a later date, rather than deleting them. The system will send a reminder via email or SMS about a job they previously turned down. Not only does this help garages recoup income that may otherwise have been lost, but it also cuts down on the manual effort required when following up with customers.” Another feature that is helping enhance garages’ efficiency is TeamView, the paperless job card and technicians’ activity tracking module for Autowork Online. “Designed for garages of all sizes, TeamView provides real- time communication between work that is being undertaken and scheduled jobs. The solution features a mobile/paperless job card for technicians that can be used on a phone, tablet or PC, as well as a workshop manager screen for office use. Real-time status updates allow managers to see if a technician is waiting for a part, or for work to be authorised, making it quick and easy to reallocate future tasks.” Ashley added: “The combination of tools offered by TeamView gives users the ability to act on the here and now, while making efficiency improvements for the future. The module enables workshop managers to overcome bottlenecks and ensure jobs flow smoothly, by providing them with the information they need to tweak their workflow accordingly. This will ultimately improve a garage's bottom line." For more information, visit www.autowork.online Streamline There are a wide range of systems available. Commenting on their first year using CarSys, the cloud-based GMS from LKQ Euro Car Parts, Jack Palmer, Managing Director at Above: TechMan’s GMS in action across devices at one of the Angus Mackinnon outlets