Well-written mechanic work orders help technicians stay on task and efficiently move jobs through to completion. With Tekmetric’s Job Board, mechanic work order templates, and Tech Board, you can craft and manage highly detailed work orders, strategically assign work, and track progress all from one intuitive shop management software.
If you're a service advisor, you probably know the ropes of preparing a work order like the back of your hand: you get the technician to perform an inspection, put together an estimate, get approval for the work, and then prompt the techs to complete the work. And if you’ve read our digital vehicle inspection guide, you know that Tekmetric makes drawing up mechanic work orders that much easier. But what happens when it’s time to assign work, and it seems like all the technicians are already stacked with jobs?
Without the right tools, assigning work evenly across your team of technicians can come with a serious learning curve. Fortunately, Tekmetric can simplify work order creation and job distribution, too. Small details and adjustments intentionally designed into our system can make a big difference in how efficiently the work is completed.
Technicians and service advisors, you know the pace and organization of a shop depends on the efficiency of its work order process. If you don’t know what to do, what to use, and how long you have to complete a job, it’s difficult to fix a car and get it back to the customer on time. And as your shop scales to take on more work, the management challenge increases exponentially. So let’s dive into how to streamline mechanic work orders and get more work done without it seeming like, well, work.
Evenly Distributed Workloads For a More Efficient Workplace
Imagine it’s summer and you come in one sweltering day to a slammed schedule and not enough help. Juggling all that work can be challenging enough with an evenly distributed workload, but when the workload isn’t balanced, work can become downright frustrating.
It can also mean turning away customers.
Ultimately, it’s impossible to sustain and grow a business if keeping up is a struggle and panic sets in when a sudden influx of jobs comes through the shop. Changing up how work orders are drawn up and issued can make a big difference and turn a chaotic workplace into an efficient one.
In a well-balanced workplace, technicians tend to be happier and more efficient at their jobs. The quality of their work goes up, leading to more satisfied customers. Everyone is safer in a well-balanced workplace, too, as they are not constantly required to rush to finish their jobs.
Contrast our example of a garage in chaos with one where each technician knows exactly what tasks are on their plate and how many hours they need to get in, or have left, on a particular job. Now imagine that they also have an easy way to track and communicate their progress to the rest of the team.
With Tekmetric’s work order tools, you can fine-tune your team’s timing and bring order back to your shop.
Generating a Mechanic Work Order on Tekmetric’s Job Board
Exploring the Job Board
Service advisors, get ready to meet your new command center: Tekmetric’s Job Board. The Job Board provides a launching point for creating new work orders and integrates with other aspects of managing mechanic work orders. The Job Board lets you see work order cards under Estimates, Work-In-Progress, and Completed jobs columns. Each job card displayed shows the customer’s name, car description, and estimate.
You can initiate a new work order by clicking “CREATE REPAIR ORDER'' in the upper-right corner of the Job Board. Creating a new repair order will pull up a new repair order form where you can record the details of the new work order. If you’re helping out a customer that has already been in the shop, you can search the customer by name, plate, VIN, email, or phone number to quickly populate their information. If they are a new customer, simply click “ADD NEW CUSTOMER” and gather their information to save into the system.
Inside Tekmetric Mechanic Work Orders
Every new work order starts with an estimate. Service advisors and technicians can collaborate within Tekmetric, leveraging Digital Vehicle Inspections to capture even the most minute details about the vehicle and the reason it's in the shop. Parts and labor time needed can also be documented. If you’re a service advisor, Tekmetric will prompt you to provide details on each job needed for the work order, including labor hours required and a cost-estimate based on what the techs find.
With Tekmetric’s Repair Orders, which function like digital mechanic work order forms, you can say goodbye to the days of guestimates and incomplete work orders. From within the work order, you can send estimates and information to the customer for approval. Once an estimate is approved by the customer, you can begin distributing jobs within a work order to different technicians You’ll also have easy access to car and customer history from each work order.
Tips for writing a useful work order
Be sure to read through the customer’s history and highlight any important details in your notes. In the auto repair world, customer care is just as important as caring for the car itself.
Don’t be afraid to add details to the automotive repair work order template once a job starts. The more information technicians have access to, the better.
Think of the repair order (or digital mechanic work order) as another tool in your toolbox. It’s only useful if you know how to use it. Make sure everyone on your team is trained to use the work order feature.
Write for your audience. If you’re a service advisor, remember that technicians aren’t mind readers, so your shorthand or abbreviations may not make sense to them. The same goes for customers reading your estimates and digital vehicle inspections.
Technicians and Service Advisors—Meet Your New Best Friend: Tekmetric’s Tech Board
If the Job Board is where the work is estimated and tracked, the Tech Board is where the work is divided and completed. Switching to the Tech Board from the Job Board is simple: the icon for Tekmetric’s Tech Board is found directly below the Job Board on the left navigation panel.
Think of the Tech Board as your team’s digital playboard. The Tech Board is a place for everyone to come together and strategize.
If you’re a service advisor or shop foreman, you will act as an account administrator to assign and arrange tasks by job and team member and choose whose accounts to show on the Tech Board at any given time. If you choose to give viewing access to all technicians, your whole team will be able to view all the work assigned across the shop, or you can adjust Tekmetric’s settings to only show each individual their own task list when they login.
Technicians, the Tech Board will let you see exactly what is on your plate at a glance and how many hours you need to put in. It will also show you exactly what jobs to prioritize.
Orienting Workloads with the Tech Board
The Tech Board displays mechanic work order cards divided by columns according to their assignment status. The first column to the left of the interface displays No Tech Assigned jobs, and technicians are represented by separate columns to the right. Each column representing a technician also shows Assigned, Complete, and Incomplete hours, and displays any assigned work order cards. Each card shown on the screen displays information about the customer, the vehicle, and the promised completion date, time, and hours for the work order.
If you’re the service advisor, the wrench in the lower right corner of each card allows you to assign specific jobs within the work order to the technician of your choice. You can assign all of the jobs to one technician or divide the jobs within the work order between multiple techs by clicking the wrench, hovering over individual jobs within the work order, and then clicking on technicians’ names for each job listed.
When you distribute jobs within a work order between multiple technicians, a purple split-arrow icon will appear in the upper left corner of the work order card to indicate multiple technicians are assigned. You can hover over the purple icon to view the names of the technicians assigned to the work order. You can also monitor how many hours a coworker has completed for a specific work order by checking the hours listed at the bottom of each mechanic work order card.
Want to prioritize one job over another? Simply drag and drop the mechanic work order card in question to the top of the column.
The Tech Board integrates seamlessly with the rest of the Tekmetric shop management system as changes made within the Tech Board are automatically reflected across the entire system. Need to make changes to a Repair Order while working from the Tech Board? Just click on the work order card in the Tech Board to open the full repair order.
Tips for Efficiently Distributing Mechanic Work Orders
A poorly balanced workflow introduces unnecessary stress in a workplace. Finding balance with Tekmetric’s Tech Board can help you alleviate stress and streamline the flow of work.
Here are our seven tips for leveraging the Tech Board to create an efficient, well-balanced work environment:
Adjust account settings so that everyone on the team can see who is working what job. This increases transparency and trust and reduces resentment between workers.
Split up jobs within a work order between technicians to provide natural breaks in their day.
Remember that you can always reassign a job or an entire work order. If one technician has a lot of work on their plate, and is nearing a deadline, pull other technicians in to assist by assigning incomplete jobs to any available (or less busy) techs.
Adjust your Tech Board settings to temporarily hide technicians who are on vacation or out sick. This will make seeing who is available to work much easier.
Save time by using the search feature to quickly display who is working on a specific job.
Use the Tech Board in group meetings to strategize and analyze performance. You can also run a variety of reports, from financial to employee to customer and parts reports.
The Tekmetric Difference
Tekmetric’s Tech Board and automotive repair work order templates are designed specifically for the automotive industry and are uniquely suited to help shops stay organized and on task. We are constantly adding new features, too, making life easier for service advisors and technicians like you.
We know your team works hard to get the job done right, and with Tekmetric, you’ll be able to comprehensively document and track mechanic work order details to see repairs through to completion faster than ever, whether you’re logging in from a laptop, tablet, or your phone.
Best of all, our customer service team is always available to help!
FAQ
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Selecting the right business name for your auto repair shop can be a challenging task. Your business name will be the first impression your potential customers have of your shop and will determine how memorable your shop will be. Use the ideas below to brainstorm the perfect name for your auto repair business.
Creative auto repair shop names
On The Road Again Repairs
NextGear Auto Service
Check Engine Repairs
Torque of the Town
The Engine Room
Chrome & Steel Auto Care
Axle & Alloy Repair Co.
Peak Performance Garage
Smooth Ride Mechanics
Driven Dynamics
Velocity Auto Shop
ClearPath Automotive
Funny automotive repair shop names
The Brake-Up Shop
Motor Mouth Mechanics
Hit & Run Body Shop
Exhausted Mechanics
Hot Wife Automotive A/C Repair
Don’t Tread On Me Auto
The Laughing Lugnuts Auto Repair
Wheel Be Alright Auto Repairs
Motor Mouth LLC
Rust in Peace Repairs
Tek-Tip: Have you thought about how you will market your new business? We reccomend Shopgenie for all automotive marketing needs including websites, CRM, reviews, and more.
Cool mechanic shop names
The Car Whisperers LLC
RoadReady Mechanics
StreetSmart Garage
GearShift Garage
Velocity Motors
Gearhead Garage
The Repair Authority
PitStop Pros
Full Throttle Repair
Trackside Garage
Unique and catchy names
Car Medic Garage
Nuts & Bolts Car Mechanics
Unleaded Car Repair
Honest Engine Repair
Auto Barn Car Care
Iron Horse Garage
Blue Ridge Auto Works
RevSync Mechanics
The Auto Vault
Summit Auto Haven
Rust & Revive Repair
Simple auto shop name ideas
Car Surgeons
The Car Guys
Engine Experts
Quick Fix Automotive Repairs
The Brake Brothers
One Stop Auto Shop
Auto Solutions Inc.
Pit Stop Garage
Turbo Tires & More
Wrench Wizards
Service-Specific shop names
Brake Check Repairs
Oil Be Back Automotive Repairs
Vivid Vehicle Body Shop
1 Hour Heat and A/C Auto Repairs
Battery Solutions LLC
Actually Discounted Tires
Renew Collision Center
30min Oil Change Shop
Restored Right Auto Body Shop
Mobile mechanic business names
Repair on Wheels
Roaming Automotive Repairs
One Stop Repair Shop
One Call Repairs
Wheels On The Way
(Insert last name) Mobile Mechanic
The Leaky Gasket Mobile Repair
1 Hour Mobile Mechanic
24/7 Mobile Mechanic
How to select the right auto repair shop name
Once you have your list of potential shop names narrowed down, it is time to do a final round of research to make sure your name is legal, optimized and ready to launch. Check out our final 6 tips and tricks below.
1. Legal checks
Before you can launch your new automotive shop name, you should check for Trademarks by visiting the US Patent and Trademark Website. Simply search your pending business name to see if it is taken or if you can proceed.
Search engine optimization for auto repair shops is an important avenue for driving brand awareness and new customers. To maximize your new business name, aim to include common keywords like “automotive”, “repair”, and “shop”. Also, try to use local terms like “Houston” to help search engines know where your services are located. Lastly, check to see if any competitors are using a similar name and determine if your name will be unique enough.
GoDaddy can check if your new automotive repair shop name is available to use. You will also be able to see how much the domain name will cost and whether it would be cheaper to use a variation of your business name.
4. KISS
Keeping your new shop name simple will help you in the long run. Potential customers will find it easier to remember (and share via word of mouth) if you keep it short and simple. Plus, shorter business names are easier to fit on business cards, advertisements, and social media.
5. Marketing
Looking down the road, your new business name should fit within your overall automotive marketing strategy. Are you planning to use a certain logo or color scheme? Make sure your name fits the theme you are aiming for and attracts your target audience. If you plan to use social media marketing, check to see if your business name is available as a social handle.
6. Set the tone
Your name is likely your first impression with your customers. Once you are ready to launch, give it one more review to make sure it conveys the right brand identity and message. Lastly, have a friend or colleague offer feedback on your business name and see how it resonates with them.
Closing Thoughts
Finding the right name for your business is a daunting task and we hope this guide has helped you brainstorm new business name ideas and narrow down your list. We recommend taking the extra time to make the right choice up front so you don’t have to rebrand down the road. As always, there is wisdom to asking for feedback from your community. Select your top 5 names and ask for help picking the best shop name for your business.
Building a startup takes time, effort, and a lot of determination. You and your team have invested in a great idea, and everyone works diligently to bring new team members, investors, and customers on board. However, the process doesn’t end once the product or service has taken off and gained popularity.
A startup can operate on a lean team, with people wearing multiple hats and taking on extra responsibilities. But as the company grows, it will be time to hire more employees and scale the company to meet demand.
How to scale the business is an enormous question that causes hesitation for many leaders. How do you expand your business offerings and your team without losing the heart and inspiration that helped the startup succeed in the first place?
In my own business, Tekmetric, which offers shop management software for auto repair businesses, I have relied on a few tactics that enabled me—and our whole team—to scale sustainably. Here are four of the most vital.
Thought Leadership
Shop Management
You’ve Built a Successful Auto Repair Shop Startup. Now What?
In auto repair, there are many moving parts to keep track of—both the literal parts your shop uses to repair vehicles, and the parts of your business that determine your shop’s efficiency, security, and ability to grow. If you want your shop to flourish, it’s crucial to devote part of your business to keeping track of the parts you order.
Many shops track parts in terms of cost of goods sold. The parts you need for the job are included on every repair order, so it’s easy to see what parts your customers are paying for as long as you have a solid process for building repair orders.
But what about in terms of accounts payable? How does your shop track how much you’re spending for parts from the supplier?
Thought Leadership
Why Match Parts from Repair Orders on Purchase Orders?