How to manage a mechanical workshop: system and control

The backbone: the digital order of service

Every car that enters the workshop must have a service order from minute one. The order is the work file: customer and vehicle data, reported failure, receipt inventory (with photos of the car's condition — your insurance against "they scratched it here"), diagnosis, quote, spare parts, progress and delivery.

The digital version changes the game: the order is opened on the cell phone with photos at the reception, the customer signs in agreement on the screen, and anyone in the workshop can see what condition each car is in without asking the master.

Quote with evidence and get paid without discussions

The classic workshop dispute ("I didn't authorize that") is eliminated with a simple flow: diagnosis with photos and video of the failure, itemized quote (parts + labor) sent by WhatsApp, and written customer authorization in the same chat before touching the car.

If an additional job appears in the middle of the repair, the cycle repeats: photo, price, authorization. Each peso charged has its evidence and the client's yes. Workshops that work this way charge more — because the customer who SEES the damaged part authorizes it without haggling.

Spare parts: the black hole of the workshop

• Each part that comes in is recorded to a service order or to stock — it never "lies around." The spare part without destination is the #1 leak in the workshop.
• Separate spare parts from own stock (filters, oils, common pads) from those purchased by order. Stock ones need minimums and reordering; the order ones, linked to your order and your advance payment.
• Margin on transparent spare parts: define your policy (cost + 20-40% is standard) and apply it evenly in the system, not by memory per client.
• Returns and Warranties with Recording: The part that went wrong should be traced to your supplier and your invoice in seconds.

Communication that generates trust (and repurchase)

The anxiety of the workshop customer is not knowing: have you seen my car? How much is it going to cost? When will it be available? Each order status should trigger an automatic WhatsApp: received, diagnosis ready (with quote), authorized and under repair, ready for delivery — with photos of the completed work.

And the cycle doesn't end at delivery: the automatic service reminder (by mileage or time — "your Versa is 6 months since its last oil change") turns a one-time job into a repeat customer. The workshops live on recurrence; the system must manufacture it.

The numbers you should see every week

• Cars received, delivered and average days on the floor (the car parked without authorization is dead capital taking up space).
• Value of open orders by status: how much money is in diagnosis, awaiting authorization or awaiting replacement.
• Actual margin per order: charged less spare parts less mechanic hours. You will discover that certain jobs (and certain clients) leave nothing behind.
• Productivity per mechanic: billed hours vs available hours.
• In Aura, service orders, spare parts inventory, WhatsApp quotes, collection and CFDI billing operate in a single system, with these reports included. Try 14 days for $14 USD.