Auto Repair Shop Management Software Development

Digital job cards created at vehicle intake and linked to the customer record and vehicle VIN. At intake, the DVI (Digital Vehicle Inspection) workflow is triggered -- the technician captures photo documentation of the vehicle's condition, tyre tread depth, fluid levels, brake wear, and any pre-existing damage using a structured mobile form. Inspection photos are stored against the repair order and shared with the customer alongside the estimate, giving the service advisor evidence to support recommended work without the customer questioning whether a fault is genuine.

Job status tracked through each workshop stage -- received, in inspection, estimate sent, awaiting customer authorisation, parts ordered, in repair, quality check, and ready for collection. Service advisor dashboard showing all open repair orders with current status and elapsed time in each stage. Labour time guide integration from Chilton, Alldata, or Mitchell provides standard labour times per job type so estimates are consistent and technician productivity is measurable against published hours. Technician diagnostic notes captured against the repair order so the service desk has full context without walking the floor. Mobile-friendly technician view so workshop staff update job status from the bay without a desktop. Completed repair order feeds directly into the invoice without re-entry.

Bay-level scheduling with a visual workshop calendar showing each bay, assigned technician, and estimated job duration based on Chilton or Alldata labour time guide data. Service desk can see bay and technician availability before confirming a booking date, preventing overbooking without the advisor walking the floor to check. Skill-based routing assigns jobs to the right technician: Master ASE-certified technicians for complex diagnostics and engine work, and lube-only certified technicians for oil services and tyre rotations. Attempting to assign a specialist job to a technician without the required ASE certification category surfaces a warning before the assignment is confirmed.

Skill and certification records stored per technician -- ASE certifications by category (A1-A9, L1, L2), manufacturer-specific training qualifications, and safety certifications -- with expiry alerts generated before a credential lapses. Technician time tracking logs clock-on and clock-off per repair order so target labour hours from the guide are compared against actual hours billed. Operations managers see productivity by technician and flag where consistent overruns indicate a training need or a labour guide discrepancy. Workshop throughput reporting shows jobs completed per day, average repair duration per job type, bay utilisation rate, and revenue per technician per period. Loaner vehicle tracking links the loaner assignment to the repair order so vehicles are never left unaccounted for.

Stock level management for fast-moving parts with configurable reorder point alerts before a part runs out. Parts request raised directly from the repair order so the link between part and job is never broken -- a part sitting in the goods-in area with no repair order attached is flagged immediately. Supplier catalogue integration with OEM dealer parts portals, NAPA, AutoZone, and WorldPac allows parts lookup by part number or vehicle fitment from the same screen where the parts request is raised, with current price and availability returned before the order is placed. Supplier ordering raised from the same interface without a separate purchasing login.

Parts arrival tracking is linked back to the repair order so the service advisor sees when all parts for a job are confirmed in stock and the technician can be assigned without a manual check with the parts counter. Backorder tracking records expected arrival dates from the supplier, updated against the job record and surfaced to the service advisor so customers are informed rather than surprised by a delay. OEM warranty claim processing tracks warranty-eligible repairs with the OEM portal claim reference, warranty labour rate, and parts return requirement noted on the repair order so claims are submitted correctly and parts are returned within the OEM's required window. Parts cost is captured against the repair order automatically from the catalogue price so job profitability is calculated without manual entry, and the margin is visible before the invoice is raised.

Full service history stored against each vehicle by VIN -- every job card, DVI inspection report, parts fitted with part numbers, mileage at visit, warranty claim references, and technician notes from every visit at your shop. CARFAX or AutoCheck service history reporting allows the service advisor to pull the vehicle's broader service history at intake, not just what was done at your shop. This is useful for identifying service intervals that should have been done elsewhere but weren't, or for flagging to a customer what a previous owner's maintenance record looked like.

Service due reminders are triggered by mileage interval or time elapsed since last service. The system sends an automated SMS or email to the customer when the next service is due, with a booking link and a reference to what the recommended service is. Warranty tracking records parts and repair warranties with expiry mileage and date flagged when the vehicle returns for a related complaint, so the service advisor can identify in-warranty work before authorising the customer to pay. Manufacturer recall flags are applied at vehicle intake when the VIN lookup identifies a known open recall -- the service advisor sees the recall information and can discuss it with the customer before any other work is authorised. History is accessible to any technician before they open a new job card so repeat fault patterns and outstanding recommendations from previous inspections are visible before the new inspection starts.

Automated SMS and email updates triggered by job status changes -- vehicle received, DVI inspection complete with inspection report attached, estimate ready for authorisation, parts ordered, repair complete, and ready for collection. The inspection report is sent as a formatted PDF or an in-app view with photo evidence attached so the customer sees the fault documentation before the estimate, which significantly reduces the rate of estimate rejection when a fault is identified that the customer was unaware of.

Text-to-approve customer authorisation workflow sends the estimate by SMS with a link to approve or decline each line item. Photo evidence from the DVI is included inline so the customer can see exactly what the technician saw. The customer's approval or decline of each line is timestamped and stored against the repair order. Two-way SMS allows customers to ask questions from the same thread and receive replies from the service desk. The entire communication history -- outbound updates, customer replies, approval decisions, and any verbal notes the service advisor adds -- is stored against the repair order so any team member can see the full context of the customer interaction. Automated post-service follow-up sends an SMS review solicitation 24 hours after vehicle collection, with a service reminder trigger set for the customer's next service interval based on current mileage. QuickBooks or Xero integration handles invoice posting and payment reconciliation.

Invoice generated directly from the completed repair order with parts and labour lines populated from the job card -- no re-entry. Parts cost and retail markup applied automatically based on your configured pricing matrix by part category or supplier. Labour time is pulled from the Alldata or Mitchell guide hours used to build the estimate, with your configured labour rate applied by job type or technician grade. OEM warranty labour is flagged separately at the applicable warranty rate so the invoice distinguishes between customer-pay and warranty-claim lines.

Tax calculation and invoice layout formatted to your jurisdiction's requirements. Payment collected via EMV chip and contactless card terminal integration -- supported terminal hardware includes Square Terminal, Stripe Terminal, and existing terminal providers via Stripe or Adyen gateway -- or via a payment link sent by SMS for remote collection before the customer arrives. Split tender is supported for customers paying partially by card and partially by cash or gift voucher. Fleet account billing for commercial customers generates a consolidated invoice across all vehicles serviced during the billing period at the agreed labour rate, with supporting job card references for the fleet manager's reconciliation. QuickBooks or Xero integration posts the daily invoice batch and records payments against customer accounts without manual re-entry. Job profitability reporting shows parts margin, warranty claim recovery, and labour hours sold versus technician hours clocked per repair order.