Talk to us about your auto repair software project.
Tell us the workflow problem -- job cards, parts ordering, customer updates, or fleet management -- and we'll tell you what we'd build and how.
Auto Repair Shop Software Development
Custom software for independent auto repair shops, repair chains, and tyre service centres who need job management, parts tracking, and customer communication built around how their workshop actually operates.
Generic job management tools cover the basics. We build the full system -- digital job cards linked to VIN history, parts ordering consolidated across suppliers, and customer status updates that stop the phone from ringing.
Digital job cards and repair orders linked to vehicle history by VIN
Parts ordering consolidated across suppliers with real-time inventory tracking
Automated customer SMS and email updates at each stage of the repair
Bay scheduling, technician assignment, and workshop capacity management
RaftLabs builds custom software for independent auto repair shops, multi-location repair chains, and tyre service centres. We develop digital job card systems linked to VIN-based service history, repair order tracking through each workshop stage, vehicle inspection apps with photo capture and customer approval via SMS link, parts ordering consolidated across multiple suppliers, automated customer SMS and email updates that stop inbound calls, bay scheduling with technician assignment by skill, and invoice generation from the completed job card. Most projects deliver in 12 to 14 weeks at a fixed cost, typically $25,000 to $120,000.
- Products shipped
- 100+
- Industries served
- 24+
- Cost delivery
- Fixed
- Week delivery cycles
- 12-14
Auto repair software built around the workshop floor, not a generic service desk
Auto repair shops deal with a specific operational problem that generic CRM and job management tools don't solve: a vehicle moves through multiple stages -- intake, inspection, estimate approval, parts ordering, repair, quality check, and customer handover -- and information needs to follow it accurately at every step. When that information lives on paper or across disconnected tools, service advisors spend their day chasing updates rather than managing customers.
The parts problem compounds this. Most shops order from three to six suppliers. Without a consolidated view of what's ordered, what's arrived, and what's on backorder, technicians wait on parts with no visibility into when the job can move forward.
Problems we solve in auto repair
- 01
Your service advisors spend two hours a day chasing technicians for job status instead of managing customers
When the service desk has no live view of what stage each vehicle is at, advisors walk the workshop floor or call across the bay to get an update before they can answer a customer call. That time compounds across every job open on the floor. A job card system with real-time status updates -- pushed by the technician from a mobile device at each stage transition -- gives the service desk a live dashboard without the chase.
- 02
Customers call five times a day because there is no automated way to tell them what is happening with their vehicle
Inbound status calls are the highest-volume distraction in most repair shops. Each call takes two to three minutes, interrupts a service advisor mid-task, and produces no revenue. For a ten-bay shop with 20 active jobs, that volume is unmanageable. Automated SMS and email updates at each job stage -- sent when the technician moves the status, not when a staff member remembers -- eliminate the majority of inbound calls without any change to the service advisor's workload.
- 03
Estimate approvals require a phone call that goes to voicemail 40 percent of the time and delays the job by half a day
When the service advisor calls a customer to discuss the inspection findings and get approval, and that customer doesn't pick up, the job sits waiting. The bay is blocked. The technician moves to another job and loses momentum on the first. A digital inspection report with an approval link sent by SMS or email -- where the customer reviews the findings, approves or declines individual items, and responds in their own time -- converts a blocking phone call into a non-blocking event that moves the job forward without the advisor waiting by the phone.
- 04
Your multi-location operation has no consolidated view -- each shop is an island with its own job records and parts stock
When each location manages its own job cards, parts inventory, and customer records independently, a customer who visits a second shop is treated as a new customer with no history. Parts that are overstocked at one location and out of stock at another sit in the wrong place. A multi-location system with shared VIN-based vehicle history, cross-location parts visibility, and a consolidated operations dashboard gives the owner or manager a real picture of the business without calling each shop for an update.
What we build
Job card and repair order management
Digital job cards created at vehicle intake and linked to the customer record and vehicle VIN. Technician assignment with job status tracking through each workshop stage -- received, in inspection, estimate sent, approved, parts ordered, in repair, quality check, ready for collection. Service advisor dashboard showing all open jobs with current status and time in current stage. Mobile-friendly technician view so the workshop floor doesn't require a desktop. Job notes and technician comments captured against each repair order. Integration with your invoicing workflow so billing happens directly from the completed job card.
Vehicle inspection apps
Digital vehicle inspection with photo and video capture against each inspection point. Condition ratings for tyres, brakes, lights, fluids, and visual checks -- with photos attached to the specific item flagged. Inspection report generated automatically and sent to the customer for estimate approval. Customer approval or rejection tracked in the system with a timestamped record. Upsell workflow for additional items found during inspection -- presented as a clear list of recommended work with costs, not a phone conversation the customer can't review later. Inspection history stored against the vehicle VIN for reference on future visits.
Parts ordering and inventory
Parts ordering consolidated across your suppliers in one interface rather than separate logins or phone calls. Parts request raised from the job card so the link between the part and the repair is never lost. Stock level management for fast-moving parts with reorder point alerts. Parts arrival tracking linked back to the job card so the service advisor knows when all parts for a job are in and the technician can start. Supplier comparison for pricing and availability where multiple suppliers carry the same part. Backorder tracking with expected arrival dates updated against the job record.
Customer communication
Automated SMS and email updates sent to the customer at each key stage -- vehicle received, inspection complete, estimate ready for approval, parts ordered, repair complete, ready for collection. Estimate approval handled via a link in the message: the customer reviews the inspection report and approves or declines without calling the shop. Two-way SMS for customers who want to respond to updates. Customer communication history stored against the job record. Configurable notification triggers so you control which events send automatic messages. No customer should need to call the shop to find out what is happening with their vehicle.
Bay scheduling and workshop management
Bay-level scheduling with visual workshop calendar showing each bay, assigned technician, and job duration. Capacity management so the service desk knows before booking a job whether there is a bay and technician available on the requested date. Job time estimates by repair type used to block the right amount of time per bay. Technician skill and certification tracking for jobs that require a specialist. Workshop throughput reporting -- jobs completed per day, average job duration, bay utilisation, and technician productivity. End-of-day status report showing all open jobs with expected completion dates.
Service history and fleet accounts
Full service history stored against each vehicle by VIN -- every job card, inspection report, parts fitted, and technician note from every visit. Service due reminders triggered automatically based on mileage intervals or time since last service. Fleet account management for businesses sending multiple vehicles -- single account with billing consolidated across all vehicles, fleet reporting, and service schedule tracking per vehicle. Customer portal for fleet managers to view job status and service history across their fleet.
How we work with auto repair clients
- 01
Discovery
We map your job lifecycle from vehicle intake to invoice -- every status, every handoff between technician and service advisor, and every supplier your parts flow through. For multi-location operators, we document how job data and vehicle history need to be shared across sites.
- 02
Architecture
We design the data model around the vehicle as the primary entity: VIN-linked job history, parts ordered per job, technician assignments per bay, and customer communication events. Supplier integration approaches are confirmed based on available APIs or ordering portal connections.
- 03
Build
Two-week sprints with working software at each checkpoint. Job card creation, status tracking, and technician mobile view ship first. Customer notifications, inspection app, parts ordering, and bay scheduling follow in subsequent sprints.
- 04
Launch and support
We run parallel with your existing job card system for the first week so no job is lost in transition. Post-launch support covers supplier integration changes, new location onboarding, and workflow adjustments as your operation grows.
Frequently asked questions
Off-the-shelf workshop management platforms work well for straightforward repair shop operations. Custom software makes sense when your workflow has specific steps those platforms don't support -- for example, a multi-brand repair group that needs consolidated reporting across locations with different service types; a tyre centre with a high-volume inspection and fitment workflow that doesn't map to a general repair order; or a business building a software product for other repair operators. The wrong answer is building custom when a platform configuration would handle the requirement -- platform subscriptions carry lower ongoing cost than custom software maintenance.
Yes. Automated customer notifications triggered by job status changes are one of the highest-value features we build for repair shops. The system monitors each job card and sends the configured message -- SMS, email, or both -- when the status changes to a trigger point. Estimate approval links sent with the inspection report allow the customer to approve or decline via the message without calling the shop. The service advisor sees the approval in the system in real time. No manual message sending, no tracking who has been called, no customers falling through the gap because a staff member forgot.
Yes. Integrating with parts supplier APIs or ordering portals to present consolidated parts availability and pricing in one interface is a common requirement for repair shop software projects. The technical complexity depends on what integrations each supplier exposes -- some have well-documented APIs, others require screen scraping or EDI integration. We scope supplier integrations during discovery, because the available integration method for each supplier determines how much time that part of the project takes.
A focused job card and customer communication system typically runs $25,000--$50,000. A full platform with digital job cards, vehicle inspection app, parts ordering integration, customer notifications, bay scheduling, VIN-based service history, and fleet account management typically runs $65,000--$120,000. Cost depends on the number of supplier integrations, the complexity of your multi-location setup, and how much of an existing system needs to be replaced versus extended. We scope every project before pricing -- fixed cost, agreed before development starts.
The VIN is the primary identifier for the vehicle record. Every job card, inspection report, parts fitted, and technician note from every visit -- across every location in your group -- is stored against that VIN. When a customer brings their vehicle to a different location, the service advisor pulls up the full history immediately. Fleet customers with multiple vehicles get a consolidated account view with per-vehicle history accessible at any site. This shared record is the foundation that prevents a customer being treated as a new visitor at a second location.
What clients say
What our clients say
Three-year average engagement. Founders and operators describing the work in their own words. No marketing varnish.
Charles E.
Entrepreneur at Aggie Technologies
All of the sprints were completed on schedule and on budget. We highly recommend RaftLabs!
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- Custom Software Development -- Custom shop management platforms, customer portals, and fleet maintenance tools built for your workshop type