Technology can improve a shop’s productivity and efficiency, reduce costs, and make life easier for employees and customers, but only if you choose the right software and use it well. In episode 92 of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey talks with Kirk Mize, director of sales at Shop Boss, and Jesse Meddaugh, founding partner at 360 Payments, about getting technology right.
They discuss why specialization beats a scattered approach, how to choose software that fits your business, why SOPs and systems matter, how to evaluate whether everything you do improves your process, and why staying in touch with suppliers and exploring your tools pays off.
What You Will Learn
- Jack of all trades, master of none
- Why you shouldn’t dabble here and there and create weak branches
- How to pick the right software for your auto repair shop
- The importance of having SOPs and systems in place
- Do everything you do in your business improves the process?
- Stay in touch with your suppliers
- Exploring your software tools can improve your auto shop’s productivity
Jack of All Trades, Master of None
The conversation opens with the old saying “jack of all trades, master of none.” Kirk and Jesse explain why specificity beats broad approaches in business. Shops that try to do everything for everyone often do nothing exceptionally well. Focusing on what you do best lets you build expertise, efficiency, and a clear reputation.
Chris Fraser explores the benefits of focus in Little-Known Benefits of Specializing in the Automotive Industry.
Specialization does not have to mean working on only one make or one type of repair. It can mean being known for something specific, such as diagnostics, a certain vehicle segment, fleet work, or an exceptional customer experience. The point is that customers and technicians can easily describe what the shop does well. That clarity simplifies marketing, because the message is focused. It also simplifies purchasing decisions, since equipment, training, and software can be chosen to support the core work. Owners considering this approach can look at which jobs are most profitable, which customers they enjoy serving, and where their team’s skills are strongest.
Avoid Weak Branches
Around the 7 minute mark, they warn against dabbling in many services and creating weak branches. Each new service requires training, equipment, and attention. Adding too many can stretch resources thin and dilute quality. They also touch on the choice between competing on lowest price or on the best customer experience.
Before adding a service, it helps to ask a few practical questions. Does the shop have the training and equipment to do it well, or will it require significant investment? Will it take bay time away from more profitable work? Is there real demand, or does it just seem like a good idea? Who will own the new service and make sure quality stays high? A weak branch is often a service that was added on impulse and never given the support it needed. Pruning those branches can free up time, money, and attention for the work that defines the shop’s reputation.
How to Pick the Right Software
Kirk and Jesse explain how to pick the right software for your shop. The best system is one that supports your business model and growth goals. Key considerations include:
- Does it handle your workflow, from estimate to invoice to follow-up?
- Does it integrate with payments, parts ordering, and inspections?
- Does it provide reports on the metrics you care about?
- Is training and support available?
- Can it grow with you if you add locations or staff?
ATI’s The Top Five Reasons to Use Digital Vehicle Inspections covers one key piece of the technology stack.
A disciplined evaluation process helps avoid an expensive mistake. Start by writing down how work currently flows through the shop and where the bottlenecks are. Then ask each vendor to demonstrate how its system handles those specific steps, using real examples rather than a generic sales demo. Talk with other shop owners who use the software, ideally ones with a similar size and business model. Ask about onboarding, data migration from your current system, and what support looks like after the sale. Finally, involve the people who will use the system every day, especially service advisors and technicians, because their buy-in determines whether the software gets used well.
SOPs and Systems Come First
Around the 14 minute mark, they discuss the importance of SOPs and systems. Software cannot fix a broken process. It can only make a good process faster and more consistent. Shops should define how work flows before choosing technology to support it. Wendy K. Walters covers systems in Building Systems to Gain Freedom and Get Better Results.
A practical way to apply this is to map one process at a time before touching the software settings. Take vehicle check-in, for example. Write down each step, who does it, and what information must be captured. Once the process is agreed on, configure the software to match it, including required fields, inspection templates, and approval steps. Then train the team on the combined process and system together. Shops that skip the mapping step often end up with software configured around old habits, which locks in the very inefficiencies they hoped to fix.
Does Everything You Do Improve the Process?
Kirk and Jesse ask whether everything you do in your business improves the process. Every step, tool, and task should add value. If it does not, it may be time to cut or change it.
One way to apply this question is to walk a single repair order through the shop from start to finish and note every step along the way. Look for duplicate data entry, waiting time, unnecessary phone calls, or approvals that sit untouched. Each of those is a candidate for improvement. Sometimes the answer is a software feature, such as text-based approvals or integrated payments. Other times it is a simple change in who does what. Asking the team where they lose the most time often uncovers problems an owner would never see from the office.
Stay in Touch With Your Suppliers
Around the 24 minute mark, they emphasize staying in touch with suppliers. Software and payment providers regularly add features and improvements. Shops that maintain relationships with their vendors learn about new capabilities and get better support.
A simple habit is to schedule a periodic review with each major vendor, perhaps once or twice a year. Ask what has changed since you implemented the system, which features similar shops use most, and whether anything in your current setup could be improved. Vendors also hear about common problems across many customers, so they can often suggest solutions you would not find on your own. Keeping those relationships active also helps when something goes wrong, because a vendor who knows your shop can usually resolve issues faster.
Explore Your Software Tools
They close by encouraging owners to explore their software. Many shops use only a fraction of what their systems can do. Taking time to learn features such as reporting, automated reminders, and integrations can significantly improve productivity. A later episode, You’re Paying for Shop Software You’re Not Using, digs into this problem.
Exploration works best when it is structured. Rather than clicking through menus at random, pick one area each month, such as reporting, customer communication, or inspections, and learn it thoroughly. Many vendors offer training videos, webinars, or user groups that make this easier. Consider naming a team member as the shop’s software champion, someone who enjoys learning the system and can share tips with others. Small discoveries, like a report that highlights declined work or an automation that confirms appointments, can save time every single day once they are put to use.
Common Technology Mistakes to Avoid
One common mistake is buying software to solve a people or process problem. If advisors are not following up on declined work, a new system with follow-up features will not help until the shop decides who is responsible and how it should be done. Another is switching systems frequently in search of the perfect tool. Each change brings data migration, retraining, and lost productivity, and the new system often ends up underused just like the old one.
Shops also tend to underinvest in training after the initial setup. New employees learn from whoever is nearby, and shortcuts spread. Finally, owners sometimes overlook how well their tools work together. A shop management system, payment processing, parts ordering, and digital inspections that share information reduce double entry and errors. When evaluating any new tool, ask how it connects to what you already use, and whether it truly improves the process or simply adds another login.
Technology Review Questions
- Which services in your shop are strong, and which are weak branches?
- Are your processes documented before you add new software?
- When did you last review your software’s features with your vendor?
- Are your shop management and payment systems integrated?
Jesse also appears with Lisa Coyle in Put People First and Think About What They Want.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose shop management software for my auto repair business?
Start by documenting your current workflow and the problems you want to solve. Then ask vendors to demonstrate how their system handles your specific steps, from estimates to invoicing to follow-up. Look at integrations with payments, parts ordering, and digital inspections, the quality of reporting, and the training and support offered. Talk with other shop owners who use the system, and involve your advisors and technicians in the decision. Choose a system that fits your business model and can grow with you.
Should my auto repair shop specialize?
Many shops benefit from being known for something specific, whether a vehicle segment, a type of repair, or an exceptional customer experience. Specialization lets you focus training, equipment, and marketing on the work you do best, which can improve quality and efficiency. It does not necessarily mean turning away all other work. Review which jobs are most profitable and which services strain your resources, then decide where to focus and which weak branches to prune.
Why do I need SOPs before adding new software?
Software makes a process faster and more consistent, but it cannot decide what the process should be. If your workflow is unclear or inconsistent, new software will simply automate the confusion. Documenting standard operating procedures first lets you configure the system to support the way you want work done, including required fields, templates, and approvals. It also makes training easier, because the team learns one clear process supported by the tool.
How can I get more out of the software I already pay for?
Schedule a review with your vendor to learn which features you are not using, and ask what similar shops rely on most. Take advantage of training videos, webinars, or user groups. Focus on one area at a time, such as reporting or customer communication, and put what you learn into practice before moving on. Naming a team member as the in-house software champion can help keep learning going and spread useful tips across the shop.
