The Power of Tracking: Tools, Customers, and Workflow
Tracking your shop workflow makes your life easier and your shop more productive
The Power of Tracking: Tools, Customers, and Workflow
In the heavy-duty repair industry, there are so many options for shop software, yet I see people using pen and paper. I don’t understand that in today’s day and age. You have a phone, you have a tablet, you have a laptop, you have a desktop, maybe you have a drone following you around and documenting everything you do in your shop in hopes you get a Shop reality TV show. You have so much technology at your fingertips, it’s not even funny. Options at your disposal and you’re not using them. Why? This is a question I asked myself a lot. Why? It’s always better to track what is coming into your shop, whether that’s inventory, the work, your customers, your vendors. You want to make sure you’re tracking everything into your system, whether it starts on paper, sticky note (we all do sticky notes even today when we have computers, and I know people that have sticky notes just plastered all over their monitors), or the computer, you have to find a way to organize and track all that information.
What you do in your Shop or in the Field matters. Whether it’s Small Engine, Heavy Duty, Fleet, Auto, Machine, RV, Power Gen or others, it’s important work – work that keeps the world moving. So Track it. Understand what your customers do and why they come to you for service. If you have a vested interest in your customer and you care enough to track their units, and the work that is performed. They see that, they see someone who cares. You also can get them important information they may need to know, quickly. Responding quickly and accurately demonstrates your professionalism and reliability.
Tracking also helps protect your business. How many times has a customer called asking about a previous job, and you’re scrambling to remember who worked on it, what parts were used, or when it was done? When you track everything—jobs, labor hours, parts used, notes on what was done—you have a digital trail that makes your life easier and more organized and keeps your customers confident in your professionalism. It’s not about micromanaging; it’s about creating a system that makes your life easier and your business more productive.
Plus, tracking gives you the power to make smarter decisions. You can see which types of work bring in the most revenue, what parts you burn through fastest, which customers are your most loyal, and even which techs are your top performers. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. The more visibility you have, the more control you have over your time, your money, and your outcomes. And that’s how you build something sustainable.
So, what is it going to be? Track or not to Track? That is the question.
I work for an HD software Company and have used Multiple in my career. So of course, I’m going to choose Pluss Software. However, choose the one that works for you, your business, your day and budget (obviously).
Matt
