The last 5-10 years have seen leaps and bounds in mobile technology that is making nearly every aspect of our lives easier. Tom Barnes, solutions manager with CDK Global Heavy Equipment, explains how mobile solutions are increasing efficiency in dealership service departments.
Apps developed for dealerships abound today and many integrate directly with the dealership’s business management system. Barnes says apps exist that allow service technicians in the shop and on the road to check work orders, clock time and view time cards, add photo and video files to the work order and enter notes on the project directly into the business management system. As these work orders are updated via a smartphone or tablet by technicians, others at the dealership can immediately see the job progress in real-time.
Barnes says mobile technology greatly increases service department efficiency by eliminating the redundant task of typing up hand written time cards and notes. “Technicians used to have to write notes on a job by hand and then go back and type them into the dealer business information system,” Barnes says. “It could take hours or days before that would happen so everyone was looking at old information in the meantime.”
For field service technicians, mobile technology has the added benefits of keeping the tech up to date with what’s happening at the dealership. The technician can look up real-time customer data and history from their smartphone or tablet in the field without returning to the dealership.
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