How KMS Mechanics Uses ShopView to Cut Time to Bill From 63 Days to 12
Learn how KMS Mechanics in Bakersfield, California, a 22-truck operation, runs its work orders and invoicing through ShopView, with mechanics entering everything right on the job site.
Results with ShopView
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| About 63 days to bill | About 12 days to bill |
| Writing down every part number for every job | Parts itemized as mechanics enter them |
| Paperwork turned in, sent back, and redone | Work orders entered on the job site, without getting a hold of the office |
| Fewer invoices processed each month | 580 invoices last month, roughly 20% more than before |
"Last month we processed 580 invoices, which for us is a pretty significant increase, maybe 20% from what we were before ShopView. But really what it allowed us to do was take our time to bill down from 63 days to about 12 days."
Mason, Operations Manager - KMS Mechanics
Paperwork on Every Job and a Learning Curve on the Old Program
KMS Mechanics is a heavy equipment service and repair company in Bakersfield, California, running 22 trucks.
Before ShopView, it was all paperwork for every job. Mechanics had to write the entire job down, every single part number, and turn it in. Then it had to be okayed, came back, and got redone.
The old program was its own problem. One team member says it was a learning curve for them, and it took a lot longer.
Leaving Money on the Table
KMS puts a lot into the field. As the team puts it, it's very easy to invest $400,000 in a service truck, pay market-leading wages, employ an office full of people, and have all the best tools in the field.
Their point is that all of it falls flat in an antiquated system that can't capture all the costs that need to be charged out, or all the time that needs to be invoiced. And at 22 trucks, managing things with a group chat is impossible.
ShopView's Familiar Tale for Heavy-Duty Repair Shops
- Paperwork for every job, with every part number written down
- Paperwork turned in, sent back, and redone
- An antiquated system that can't capture all the costs and time that should be invoiced
- A group chat that works for three people and falls apart at 22 trucks
- Software with a learning curve
Implementing ShopView: One Place for Work Orders, Field Notes, and Invoicing
ShopView is the backbone of the shop. It's where KMS manages all of its work orders, where customers see what's being worked on, where mechanics see their work, and where the office sees what can be invoiced. The team can quickly see what everyone is working on, what they were working on, and the progress of each job.
In the field, mechanics add notes and parts right on the job site, and ShopView itemizes the parts as they go. Nobody has to get a hold of the office. They put it all in and go to the next one.
Getting started was quick. One team member says Mason, the operations manager, sat down with them and ran through one quote, and after that it was simple. When questions come up, the support chat responds in a timely manner.
"The hardest thing is between an employee and an employer and a billing. ShopView right there brings all three together. That way it's simply done. It's from step one all the way to the very last step, and it's already completed for you."
Ryan, Service Technician - KMS Mechanics
580 Invoices in a Month and 12 Days to Bill
Last month KMS processed 580 invoices, roughly 20% more than before ShopView. The bigger change is billing speed. Time to bill dropped from 63 days to about 12.
The team says the ROI on the transition was immediate. Their advice to other shops: throw away your old program and jump over to ShopView.
KMS Mechanics' Favorite ShopView Features
Work Orders in the Field
Mechanics add notes and parts on the job site and go to the next one, without having to get a hold of the office.
Parts Itemized Automatically
Parts get itemized as mechanics put them in, so nobody writes down every part number.
Customer Visibility
Customers can see what KMS is working on, the same way mechanics and the office do.
Responsive Support Chat
When mechanics have questions, the support chat responds in a timely manner.
"I would recommend ShopView to anyone that's outgrowing, anyone that has more than two trucks. For us, we're at 22 trucks. Managing things with a group chat is so easy when it's three people. For us, it's impossible. And the ROI on the transition was immediate."
Mason, Operations Manager - KMS Mechanics