20/11/2013
Graham Goode Motors
Posts: 43
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Hello Guys and Girls, I thought this a good place to post a question and see what advice you can all give us regarding Garage Management software, based on your own experiences. This should also be interesting for other members.
After many years of hand-written workshop invoices we installed and ran the MAM Autoworks software about 5 years ago. This was a pretty good stock control management and accounts package which was particularly useful for our trade and retail parts sales shop and it has a workshop system (called Quote Job Invoice) sort of tacked onto the side.
Now, although this system has proved to be better than what we had before (i.e. nothing!), it does lack a number of useful features, it now feels very out-dated (no text or e-mailing facilities for example) and as it's more of a sideline of a parts management system, this shows too.
We are looking to upgrade to a more modern and therefore more useful system in the New Year, but like most things, every salesman selling every system tells us that their software is the one that we want - it would be ideal for us, but I'd like to hear from you people out there, what you use, and what you like about that particular system.
What we need is a system to produce workshop quotations and invoices, that will retain work and customer information and that will also give us the ability to produce work reports and generate multipe mailings such as service & MOT reminders which can then be sent to customers by text or e-mail (or expensive printed letter if they do not have that access).
We do not need stock management or bodywork repair information.
The one system which we have looked at closely so far is also an MAM product which they call Autoworks Online, this looks like it will suit our requirements, but I'm interested to hear your thoughts.
Thanks in advance
Alastair
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22/11/2013
Guest
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Hi All,
We have no preferred supplier of management systems, however we have had feedback via our field teams who meet members on a regular basis.
2 systems which have been discussed by members are Unipart's KiS system and a system called GA3 marketed by SWS solutions.
If there are any users of the forum who have experience of these systems please can you post a response for Alastair to assist him with a decision for his company's future.
Many Thanks
edited by MichaelB on 22/11/2013
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19/12/2013
ACC01
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Hi We use Garage Data Systems it's got everything you will ever need. Contact them for a free demo disc.
Keith
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14/01/2014
Graham Goode Motors
Posts: 43
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ACC01 Wrote:
Hi We use Garage Data Systems it's got everything you will ever need. Contact them for a free demo disc.
Keith
Hi Keith, thanks for taking the time to reply.
We're now looking quite seriously at using MAM Software's Autoworks Online. The software we currently use is an MAM product (Autopart), and by staying with the same provider we should be able to get them to transfer our current customer information into the new system which will give us continuity by keeping 6 years of service & repair details.
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26/03/2014
Graham Goode Motors
Posts: 43
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Just to update our situation (if anyone is interested).
We've decided to go with the MAM Software product Autowork Online as it seems to do everything that we want it to do (apart from fixed priced jobs!). We had a free trial for last month and played at using it alongside our existing system.
We've now bitten the bullet and bought the system, but (again) to start with we will run it alongside our existing system for a while before changing over to it exclusively when we feel that we're ready.
It will prepare the usual invoices and estimates, has VRM lookups so the vehicle details can be found just by entering the registration number, and post code look ups for customer addresses. The integrated technical information in my opinion is far superior to Autodata, plus, unlike our old system it includes the facility to e-mail, or text customers, so no more costly postage bills for MOT & Service reminders!
If anyone would like to hear more about what I think of the system, please contact me directly.
alastair@grahamgoode.com
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25/01/2015
markmeredith
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Hi Alastair by far and we have been using for last 6 years is uni part kis 3 online it does everything you need even runs along side sage for accounts ask for a demo definitely
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08/04/2015
Spanner
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We've been using Garage Data Systems for a few years and it has never really satisfied us. Of particular irritation is the poorly written stock control system that doesn't allow any customisation to make it fit your particular business; either you are a big organisation using purchase orders or you have no stock control, there's nothing in between and the attitude of GDS is "tough".
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20/11/2017
Jobsons
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Anybody heard of Accelerator which is marketed by Technopoly, or TechMan? We do recovery as well as repairs and getting a system that can cope with efficiencies and costs of vehicles used on recovery jobs is nigh-on impossible. Have looked into creating my own program but got talked into a ready-made system - Sales people have turned out to be better at their job than the product unfortunately!!
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