Industry innovations and evolving trends continue to reshape how shops operate. Make sure you’re not just ready to navigate changes in the industry, but also to leverage these innovations so you can work smarter (not harder) in your shop!
1. Going Digital with an SMS
First things first, to fully leverage industry innovations in your auto repair shop, it’s important – even critical – that your shop embraces technology if you have not already. Currently, there’s a multitude of shop management systems (SMS) in the marketplace available for all the different shop sizes and scales of operations, yet some shops are still choosing to opt out. In a recent survey conducted by OEC of auto repair professionals, when asked why they choose to not use an SMS, shop responses included:
Pen and paper work just fine
Not having time to decide on a system to use
Data security concerns
Using other software like QuickBooks
While these concerns are valid, shop management systems provide data security while offering more tools tailored for auto repair businesses compared to basic accounting software. For shops to fully embrace current (and upcoming) industry advancements, they need an SMS that they feel comfortable using in their day to day, or they risk getting left behind by shops that do.
2. Reclaiming Time through Automated Processes
If we think about serving customers in the automotive industry, time is of the essence. You only have a certain amount of time in the day, and failing to leverage software solutions means your shop is wasting time on unnecessary manual tasks. Finding a way to automate those repetitive tasks is essential for reclaiming precious time that can be spent on repairs or customer service. However, software alone is not going to automatically pull shop operational procedures out of thin air. You still need to lay the groundwork for your shop’s processes, but software tools are great for automating those processes. For example, just look at your shop’s financials; you can automate invoicing, payroll, parts, auto bill pay, memorized reports, etc.
Shop owner and industry expert, Maryann Croce, found that oftentimes it wasn’t the addition of software that did the trick for this, but rather better utilizing software shops already had in place. By simply understanding the capabilities of the tools and processes in a shop’s current software stack, Crouse found that she could help them optimize workflows enough to save approximately two hours a day in a given shop.
3. Connecting All Your Systems
While it’s important to get your shop’s software solutions up and running, it’s just as important to figure out how to connect them so they can all work together. When it comes to parts procurement specifically, many shops continue to struggle to get the right parts the first time. Without the right information or visuals to help, getting the wrong parts can become a repeated mistake. And the mistake of repeatedly getting the wrong part compounds into a huge time waste, a roadblock for the techs in your bays, as well as a detriment to your customer relationships.
An SMS does a good job of providing a basic management system to run your business, but it’s still on you to look up parts, perform diagnostics, and create labor rates. Some shop management systems do have software add-ons built in, but most don’t have procurement components. This is where the power of connection comes in. By pairing your SMS with solutions like PartsTech for aftermarket parts and tires and RepairLink for OE parts, shops can run part searches in one place, making ordering the right part faster and easier.
4. Using VIN for Part Accuracy
Make/model/year doesn’t always cut it when you need part certainty. Finding a part with make/model/year can be a lot like throwing a dart at a board thinking you hit the bullseye, but once you get up close, you realize you’re not even close. Shops need to find easy and intuitive ways to ensure they are getting the right part by accessing all the part data they need.
That’s where VIN comes in. A vehicle VIN has 17 digits, but the last six are the DNA of that vehicle. That’s what tells you everything from the color of the front quarter panel to if it has turbo or not. With the influx of technology inside today’s cars and trucks, there are now sensors everywhere as well. From windshields to seats, you name it. That’s why those last six digits of the VIN are so vital, because they get into those details of a vehicle that are needed more than ever for safe repairs.
5. Creating a Supplier Diversification Strategy
If you don’t know how many suppliers (on average) that you use, now is a great time to figure out that number. If you’re relying on less than three suppliers for inventory, you’re exposing your shop to operational risks. While using fewer suppliers may simplify inventory management, it also makes your shop vulnerable to a slew of business disruptions from shipment delays to sudden price fluctuations. Plus, what if your sole supplier goes out of business? Diversifying your supplier base, and creating a strategy around it, helps ensure long-term stability for your shop.
In our recent survey , it was found that most shops have about 5-6 suppliers, both OE and aftermarket, that they rely on. At the end of the day, having more choices readily available means making informed decisions, so you spend less time looking for a part, and more time servicing your customers and moving cars out of your bays.
It’s also important to note, you should be strategic in how you manage your diversification strategy. In this industry, the relationships you build mean a lot. You may have a main supplier you do most of your business with, but you can introduce secondary suppliers to supplement parts your primary one either doesn’t have, doesn’t have the best deal running at the moment, or as one-off occasional orders. This way you build a diversification strategy without sacrificing the business relationships your shop has cultivated.
Want to learn more about industry trends sure to impact how shops operate in 2026? Watch our webinar: Scaling Smarter: Parts Procurement Trends Every Shop Owner Needs to Know to dive even deeper into this topic!
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6. Looking at ALL Your Options (More to Come Soon…)
Whether you’re ordering parts online or over the phone, you’re having to go through separate systems to look across all part types. Typically, most shops look for both aftermarket and OE parts, which in today’s world may require separate logins or multiple phone calls. In the ideal state, however, shops can find both part types in one lookup instead of going through multiple systems to find all the parts they need for an RO.
And that’s our next step – creating a connected parts ordering platform, so you can drop the hassle of switching between tabs/systems and find all part types you need in one simple lookup. While we’re working to make that a reality, make sure you have your free accounts with PartsTech and RepairLink set up and, where possible, integrated with your management system. Both apps currently work independently of one another, with PartsTech showcasing all your preferred aftermarket parts suppliers and RepairLink with OE parts backed by VIN lookups.
