Why the Future of Garage Management Is Connected, Intelligent and Built Around the Workshop

Running a garage has always meant keeping a lot of moving parts under control.

• Customers need booking in.
• Vehicles need managing.
• Technicians need to know what they're working on next.
• Parts need finding and ordering.
• Jobs need invoicing.
• Payments need taking.

And all of it needs to keep moving when the workshop is at its busiest.

The challenge is that the systems supporting those jobs haven't always kept pace.

Different ways of managing different parts of the business can mean information is spread across multiple places, processes become harder to manage and valuable time is lost to paperwork, manual tasks or switching between systems just to get everyday work done.

The future of garage management needs to be simpler. It needs to connect more of the business in one place, use technology such as AI where it can make a practical difference, and give garages the flexibility to add more as their needs change.

This is the thinking behind Autowork.

One system for more of the garage

Autowork is Klipboard's brand-new cloud-based garage management platform, designed for independent garages, repair workshops, service centres, tyre businesses and growing multi-site operations.

Rather than treating different areas of the garage as separate processes, Autowork brings more of the everyday operation together. Bookings, jobs, customers, vehicles, parts, stock, tyres and invoicing can all be managed within one platform.

This matters because the value of connected garage management is making everyday work easier.

• A customer calls about their vehicle. The information your team needs is there.
• A job requires parts. Your team can check parts, supplier prices and availability and place an order without leaving Autowork.
• The workshop gets busy. Bookings, jobs and technician allocation can be managed with a clearer view of what's happening and what needs doing next.
• A job is complete. The process can move through invoicing and payment without introducing another disconnected step.

It's about helping the garage operate as one business rather than a collection of separate processes.

Bringing the workshop and parts closer together

For many garages, finding and ordering parts is a fundamental part of the working day, but it can also interrupt the job when teams have to move between different processes, websites or systems to find the right part, check availability and place an order.

Autowork brings parts catalogue access, supplier pricing and availability, ordering, goods receiving and stock management closer to the rest of the workshop process.

And the same principle applies to tyres.

Tyre businesses can manage tyre information, stock, quotes and fitted pricing alongside wider service, maintenance and repair work.

Instead of treating parts and tyres as separate from workshop management, Autowork brings them into the same everyday working environment.

Putting AI to work on real jobs

AI is increasingly becoming part of business software. But for a busy garage, the important question is whether AI actually helps somebody get something done.

This is the approach we're taking with Autowork.

Practical AI is built into the platform to help make everyday tasks quicker and easier. For example, Autowork's AI-assisted booking capability helps identify suitable booking opportunities without somebody having to manually work through the workshop diary.

It's a focused use of AI, but that's exactly the point. Saving somebody time on a repetitive task can make a genuine difference during a busy working day.

Start with what you need. Add more when you need it.

A garage shouldn't have to buy every piece of software it might eventually need on day one. Equally, as the business grows, it shouldn't have to start again with another provider every time it wants to do something new.

This is where Autowork's connection to Klipboard's wider range of automotive solutions becomes particularly important. Businesses can start with the capabilities they need today and add connected Klipboard solutions as their requirements grow.

As your business grows, this could mean:

• Adding eCommerce capabilities to support customers online.
• Connecting payments through Klipboard Money.
• Using other Klipboard automotive solutions to support different areas of the business.

Built around the way automotive businesses actually work

Garage management software needs to reflect what happens in the real world, from the moment a customer gets in touch through to completing the work, ordering the necessary parts, raising the invoice and taking payment.

Autowork draws on Klipboard's extensive experience across the automotive aftermarket to bring those everyday requirements together in a modern cloud-based platform.

It's designed to be straight forward to set up, learn and use, while supporting different types of automotive businesses as they grow.

• For an independent garage, that means having the tools needed to manage more of the business in one place.
• For a tyre specialist, it means being able to manage tyre sales and fitting alongside wider service and repair work.
• And for a growing or multi-site business, it means having a platform designed to support more of the operation as requirements develop.

A more connected future for garage management

Garages need technology that helps them keep customers, vehicles, jobs, technicians, parts and payments moving, particularly when the workshop is busy.

This is where we believe garage management is heading: more connected, increasingly intelligent and built around the everyday realities of running the workshop.

Autowork has been created with this future in mind.

One garage management system for more of your business. Practical AI that makes everyday work easier. And the flexibility to add more connected capabilities when you need them.

See how Autowork brings more of your business together and makes everyday work easier.

Explore Autowork