Discover the Benefits of Electronic Repair Orders (EROs)

Managing the repair order process in any shop is, unfortunately, one of the more daunting tasks of the shop. From missing time punches to sloppy handwriting, the problems on a repair order can lead to a loss of productivity, as well as create an unneeded source of aggravation in an already hectic day. Streamline your repair order process and improve your workflow with the ERO (Electronic Repair Order) program from Autosoft FLEX DMS.

The ERO program is a complete repair order dispatching and management system that runs outside of the Service module in the DMS. Service advisors can dispatch repairs to specific technicians from within the Service module. Technicians then log into the ERO program (with his or her specific login), view all assigned repairs, log on and off of each repair, and manage the 3 Cs (Concern-Cause-Correction) of each repair electronically.

Let’s highlight some of the features and benefits of the ERO program:

Dispatching

A manual dispatching process that is used in a lot of dealerships can be confusing and inefficient, especially if more than one person is dispatching work to technicians.

Using the ERO program, everyone will be able to see what repairs have been assigned to which technician, how many repairs are in each technician’s queue, as well as the estimated and actual time needed for each repair. This overview will allow the shop to be loaded correctly and improve production and use of capacity.

Repairs can be dispatched to technicians in either the Service Schedule application, or from within the repair order in the Enter Conditions screen. From within the ERO Dispatch screen, individual repair order job lines can be assigned to technicians (either all to one technician, or individual lines to separate technicians).

Job priority can also be designated. “Priority 1” jobs will show as RED in the technician’s job list, indicating that this repair should be completed first. “Priority 2” will show as PINK in the technician’s job list, indicating this repair should be completed second. Repairs flagged as “No Priority” will appear in the technician’s list with no special formatting.

Punch Times

Punch times are a critical part of the Service business. They validate that the time charged was actually spent on the repairs since time is not a tangible item.

Punch times are even more important when making warranty repairs, as punch times are mandatory and often one of the first things inspected in the event of a warranty audit. If they are not reported correctly, they can cost the dealership in debited claims.

Autosoft’s ERO program automatically records punch times when the technician logs on or off of a repair. The program will record multiple punch times on each repair line and calculate and display the Total Actual Minutes and Total Actual (labor) Units when the job is logged off.

“Minimum Dispatch Times (minutes)” can be set in the system setup which indicates the minimum amount of minutes that must be logged onto a repair to record the punch time. This setup reduces unwanted punch times in the event a job is logged onto in error or logged off of shortly after starting, with no work completed.

With the ERO program, you also have the option to print time flags on a thermal sticker using a Zebra LP2844 or GC420D printer. These time flag stickers can then be affixed to a hard copy repair order if desired.

The 3 Cs

In the rush to complete jobs and move all the work through the shop, the technician’s handwriting is typically the first thing sacrificed. This sacrifice often creates hardship, especially for the service advisor who is trying to read the technician’s handwriting and translate it to the DMS for invoicing.

In Autosoft’s ERO program, the technician can now type the 3 Cs (Concern – Cause – Correction) on the job lines directly in the program. When finalizing the repair, the technician’s notes will be pushed back into the DMS on the repair order job line. This flow reduces any time the service advisors would have had to take to review poorly-written notes with the technicians and manually enter them into the DMS.

If there are repairs in which the technicians would type the same information frequently (i.e. oil change), they can set up QwikLines. QwikLines can be created using up to 45 characters and saved to be easily selected when working on these common repairs. QwikLines are custom for each technician under his or her individual ERO login. They save time and increase productivity by eliminating the need to type common information over and over again.

Parts Requests

How much time does a technician spend in a day walking from his or her bay to the Parts counter, waiting in line, requesting a part, receiving the part, and walking back to the bay? Now, what if we multiply that time by the number of technicians in your shop? You will see that the time really adds up and it’s time that is not typically charged to the customer, which makes it unproductive time and an additional expense to your bottom line. What if you could reduce this time?

With the ERO program, you can! The Parts Request option within ERO provides a communication tool between the technician and the parts counter person. The technician can create a list of parts required for each repair and submit the list to the parts counter person.

The ERO program parts request is linked to the parts master inventory, so the technician can see the “On-Hand” quantity as the individual part numbers are entered into the list. The technician can list the quantity needed of any part on the list and can enter a text message to convey any additional information.

A notification will appear on the Parts Department work stations that will notify them that a parts request has been received. The technician will receive a message on the ERO screen when the parts are ready, as well as any text message sent back to the technician by the parts counter person. All of this communication occurs without the technician ever leaving the bay, ensuring that when heading to the parts counter, the parts are pulled and ready, decreasing any wasted time.

Extras

Some additional features of the ERO program include:

• View Service History: View the service history for the vehicle currently being repaired from within the ERO application without having to use multiple screens.
• Print LOF Sticker: Once set up, you can print an LOF sticker from directly within the ERO application. Forgetting to replace the LOF sticker is a commonly reported source of customer dissatisfaction and loss of trust. Now a new LOF sticker is only one click away.
• Print Dispatcher Time Flags: A summary of the time for each technician can be printed for daily review and reporting.

Autosoft FLEX DMS ERO (Electronic Repair Order) program is no additional charge for current customers.

For more information, contact your Autosoft sales representative or contact customer support at [email protected].

Author

Debby Palmiter

About Debby Palmiter