Shop-Ware

Pros

Easy to use. Intuitive. Felt familiar from the first use. Conceived of and built by an actual shop owner. Provides very useful data at a glance without having to run a bunch of reports. The complicated stuff is built in so the operation is simple. Digital inspections, in RO photos and videos, direct texting between RO and customer are all built in which means I saved money by dropping other stand alone services. Cloud based means I can access from anywhere I have internet access and this expands my ability to serve my customers. Cloud based means I can access from anywhere I have internet access and this expands my ability to serve my customers. Digital inspections, in RO photos and videos and text direct between RO and customer bulit in so I saved money by dropping other stand alone services. Recommendations that didn't get approved on current RO are saved and included on following work orders. Cloud servers are more secure than my shop server. Been a long time since I've been this excited about a work software.

Cons

I would like the pricing displays a little different. I would like to have true menu/package pricing options. Texting abilities are slim. BUT all of these are already being worked on, so not really a big issue just a field that required an entry.

Pros

Ease of use is incredible. After having ROWriter and then being sold Protractor, ShopWare is in a class of its own.

Cons

I haven't really experienced any cons. I can run it with my iPad from anywhere as long as I have cellular signal.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

The Digital inspections.
Communications with customers via text.

Cons

The program has many quirks that should be worked out before charging nearly $300 per month.

Pros

Customer facing sms with powerful features to paint the value picture to your customers.

Cons

Weak on parts inventory management and editing control.

Pros

shop-ware is very easy to use and learn and is extremely up to date. Making the switch from an old platform which didn't seem like it was updated since 2005 to Shop-Ware helped with speed of service and modernizing how we do things. One of our favorite parts is the ability to take pictures and notes and the ease of being able to send it to the customer. The parts ordering process is quite nice and easy as well.

Cons

The reports could be a little easier to pull data from and it would be nice if they could make them accessible to read through the software and not to have to use Excel or Google Sheets.

Pros

Cloud based and simple. The ability to use it from any device.

Cons

Lost some features like two way texting appointment reminders

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

I love the clean user interface and the continual improvements being made.

Cons

I would love to see a labor matrix for older cars, and better tracking of time completed on open RO's (AKA Labor Inventory). Also, I'd love it if the inspection would allow the images/videos to be inserted directly into the line items with which they are associated.

Pros

Really Love the customer support! The people are very friendly and have always helped me get things figured out!

Cons

Not the most mobile friendly. Although it is very easy to use and navigate on a cell phone, the issues I have is just related to being a mobile technician, so not having a clickable phone number or being able to easily get the address of the customer, since I drive to their locations. That being said, it is still fairly easy to do but they could make it easier!

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

- Ease of use
- Flexibility of the ENTIRE program
- Customer Support!!!

Cons

Sadly, the things that we did not care for have all been completely revamped and upgraded. Now we LOVE them!!! (Sorry)

Pros

Shop-ware is very user friendly. I like that the program is cloud based for ease of connecting to what's going on in my business if I am not physically in the shop. I also like the parts ordering integration. Being able to quickly create estimates has been a huge time savings.

Cons

The flaws in the partnerships that shop-ware has, such as parts tech and the labor guide.

There is a glitch in the software for the camera the that deters my technicians from taking photos, which is a huge drawback for us. The software won't allow use of the flash on the tablet, the tech has to use the attachment icon to get into the tablet software to access the flash mode - too many clicks to add a photo.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

This is a system designed by a high performance business, and has great usability at many different scales. The structure of the system lends itself well to seamless information transfer from the back of the shop to the front, and out to customers. Software updates arrive pretty consistently with truly usable features.

Cons

Some of the modules are a little under-developed. Internal notes vs external notes need to be a thing. The inventory module needs more flexibility for any business with a high volume of inventory. The integrated labor guide is poor, requiring us to maintain separate subscriptions for labor times without a direct integration.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Switched From

Pros

Remote payment has been crucial during this pandemic. Adding photos and notes helps a client confirm what repairs are needed, allowing them to make informed decisions while never having to be on sight.
The service history is easy to access and laid out in a way that allows for speedy research of prior appointments.

Cons

The only areas that I feel can be improved is the change of layout from my screen as the advisor to when a remote link is sent to the client. As I try to talk them through the paperwork remotely that are times that the notes, pictures or inspection results are in a different not or further away on their screen then mine.

Pros

Save time, save money, and most importantly Shop Ware helps you save time and FRUSTATION!

Cons

No cons really other than its so easy...its hard. We had a big learning curve in the beginning accepting the fact that YES ShopWare is that easy to use.

Pros

From entering a customer, vehicle to completion of work and billing out, Shop Ware really does have it all. I'm impressed by their responsiveness to the admin/user community, and the constant improvements to the platform.

Cons

The thing I like least is I am having to take several other platforms and try to consolidate them down to 1 as best as possible. This happens with any software, but in this case, ultimately having a one-stop platform is great.

Pros

The customer support is phenomenal they are always willing to listen to new ideas.

Cons

Some inventory features are being updated. We do not have the ability to change the order of recommendations, also being worked on

Pros

I love the silent communication between the service advisors and myself. I also love how willing the Shopware team is to accepting our input and ideas and implementing things we need.

Cons

The service advisors use at the VIN details and service specifications occasionally which I find inconsistently correct. You can rarely trust the engine code in the VIN details because it almost always picks the one that is first alphabetically. I have found that some of the fluid capacities are wrong as well.

Pros

We were looking to move toward a paperless format and Shop-Ware made that easy. It alos enhanced the communication process with our customers and integrated a DVI from the jump.

Cons

I am hopeful that they can take over some of the CRM functions that are currently supported by outside vendors. I would love to see an automatic text reminder sent to upcoming appointments.

Pros

The accountability. Love the log so that you can tell who adjusted what customer invoice, i.e. adding or removing parts, adjusting pricing, etc. Setting up users and permissions is easy. It is very easy to flip between screens while working. Love the adding vehicle features and searches. Love the ability to add repair pictures right to the invoice for the customer.

Cons

So much information is available in some areas that you have to use sort features to limit information received. Not all sort/search features are obvious. Correcting received invoices is an issue if the vendor is selected wrong or the wrong amount is entered, there is no way to go back into the purchase to make a correction. All corrections have to be made in accounting.
Another issue is current day schedule. Once cars start arriving for the day and are checked in, they no longer show on the current day schedule so you have to flip between work in shop and the schedule screen to tell if you can take in more cars for the day for quickie services.

Pros

Working with the people of Shopware. They all seem to be very willing to help, and precise in their information/help.

Cons

We've had some issues with knowing how much time a technician has remaining, but shopware has improved on this dramatically.

Pros

Shop-Ware makes project management for long term custom car building quite nice. The individual services are a good way to break down the overall cost of a big project like that for client. It is a very transparent system.

Shop-Ware is a very efficient and convenient way to keep track of customers work orders and transfer work between technicians.

Cons

Sometimes shop ware is slow to process work orders with large amounts of content.

The parts search function could be better in finding parts that don't follow an exact description or part number. Doesn't work quite like I would expect a good search engine to work.

Pros

It saves us time with pricing out jobs where we were using a system for labor and then another for invoices.

Cons

Would need to add one or both when selecting labor times.

Pros

Moving to Shop-Ware, the transition was very manageable. We have 2 locations that made the switch coming off our previous system that we had been on for almost 30 years. One of the biggest things noticed that i wasn't expecting is the amount of paper and toner cost that was reduced moving towards dispatching work orders and moving them through out the shop electronically. The amount of data and kpi's that are available also gave us the opportunity to make much needed and over due changes in our business and to update our business model.

Cons

We are an independent Goodyear Dealer, So the Tire aspect of the system is really the only thing lacking in my opinion. There could be a seprate tire catalog but we are making due using the parts inventory for now.

Pros

The ease of implementation, with a very short learning curve, makes this product amazing.

Cons

Minor deal, but it doesn’t integrate repairlink

Pros

What's not to love. My team loves it. My clients love it. Shop-Ware allows us to offer the transparency that we need, our clients need and the industry needs. Shop-Ware allows our clients to interact with the software. This gives them an opportunity to be a part of the repair process. After our clients participate with their repair, they are hooked. They have confidence in our team and they tell their friends.

Cons

I can't think of one thing that I don't like about Shop-Ware.

Pros

The ability to share photos with a customer is great. They can see what is wrong with their vehicle

Cons

Difficult to edit a workorder. Once a name is on a ticket it cannot be removed. If there are two [SENSITIVE CONTENT] in your system and you pick the wrong one you need to delete the entire ticket and start over

Pros

I like the billing and invoicing but it’s not as well set out as others I’ve used.

Cons

The layout isn’t as good as other billing programmes ive used

Pros

Some of the most impactful features shopware offers is the ability to add media to repair order and being able to send work orders to customers via text. That makes sales happen without even having to talk to the customer.

Cons

The lack of orderable recommendations in the context of being able to drag/drop, while shopware has been saying this feature is coming it has been over a year and we are all a little impatient.

Pros

What we liked most is how easy it was to start using. Everyone adapted very quickly. We really like the ability to communicate with our customers with much more than just a phone call. We also really like the customer approval option. It is nice to see the customer actually have to approve estimates physically; There is proof of approval.

Cons

We would recommend a few changes:
1. When customers approve recommended jobs, the email tittle just reads APPROVED when in fact..it will read that even if the job has been declined.
2. The ability to customize the calendar.
3. The ability to customize the payroll report. currently it adds up anything over 8 hours in a day is OT..but it would be great to have any hours over 40 hours a week is OT.
4. It would be great to be able to decode very old VIN's
5. It would be great to be able to color code the status bar on the top of a work order.
6. It would be great to have one more sync option to accounting link so it matches my QB when customers pay their bill.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

Accessibility for customers and all employees helps keep the flow of the shop moving and everyone informed, very easy, and quick to build estimates.

Cons

The aforementioned inability to unlink with WorldPac, causing parts to wrongly "shoot" onto repair orders already linked.
Would also like the ability to end access times to the software for employees after-hours, so they can't access customer information after-hours.

Pros

The integration of our business processes was so easy, efficient and fluent. This product is so easy to use that even senior staff that don't welcome change have been very pleasantly surprised by the ease of use.

Cons

When you go to open balances in an account, it shows the notes when I really need the R.O. total instead. I made this suggestion, but haven't heard anything back. Also, I feel the label of the R.O. is irrelevant when viewing balances.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

I have been an advisor in many places and used many different softwares and they are always a chore to use. It's like you need a secret code to do things. This is user friendly, neat, clean, professional looking, and super easy and it MAKES SENSE!!

Cons

The ONLY thing I just don't agree with is the way the inventory works. Sure it has glitches here and there, but it is a software and that's how software is so I don't consider that a con, just the nature of the beast.

Pros

I love the fact that the customer can approve the work if they are unable to speak on the phone. I like the user friendliness of the program that allows for easy training. I like the fact that we can communicate easily with the customer. I also like that there is a record of everything. The log feature really helps hold my team accountable when it comes to issues with use or customers. I like that just about everything in the program is customize-able. I like the abilities of multishop where we can transfer a technician from shop to shop with ease.

Cons

I strongly dislike the inventory system. I do not like that any time a part is purchased that it adds it to inventory making it very difficult to manage our internal inventory. it would be nice if inventory could be divided into internal and external. I don't like that when texting a customer they have to click a link. Currently with certain phone providers, it prompts the customer to the log in page instead of their RO. I wish there were a way to have a text message conversation with the customer and log it like other programs use. I wish some of the reporting was easier to use and more customizable. I wish there was a way to transfer internal inventory between stores. It would be nice if repair link could integrate.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

Easy to learn, WIP screen for the whole shop is AMAZING!

Cons

Sandboxy at times. Wish it was more A to Z platform so no steps can be missed.

Pros

Customer interaction, ease of use, ACCURATE inventory, superb customer support, uncanny reception to customer input, hi-tech image for any level shop, incredible customer reception, true gross profit optimization, user friendly, and reasonable terms with no contracts. They believe, as I do, that if you like the software, you’ll never leave hence, no contracts.

Cons

Still new and a few growing pains but really, very few, and they are punching through real working updates and features at the speed of light.

Pros

User friendly. Customers enjoy it and feel more in the loop. Easy to post info I research to the techs when they are doing something new.

Cons

Inputting the Vin. Does not recognize older cars and in Hawaii, we have a lot of old cars on the road so it gets frustrating having to take the extra steps to manually override the system when it is not accepting a vin that is the vehicle's actual vin.

You should add the function of being able to take a picture of the VIN, license, and odometer and having the software input that into the vehicles profile.

Pros

My customers love the transparency of my auto repair business as a result of Shop-Ware. The ability to add comments, upload photos, and communicate directly with my customers also keeps things organized. Instead of looking through texts, emails, and writing down notes from phone calls, all of the communication is kept neatly in the comment thread. Customers upload media as well, such as images of ROs of previous shops, or video of a car misbehaving that they were able to catch in the moment. My customers also love the constant updates, which keeps them from calling the shop. As much as I love talking to customers, I do not like to be disturbed while I am working on a car. The customer is able to log on to their online RO, and then see which items have been completed and which items are in the works.

Cons

I am looking forward to a phone app, so that I do not have to open up my internet browser on my cell phone and log on every time. I think that's the only con I can think of at this point, and it's very minor.

Pros

Customers love the presentation of pictures and recommended repairs as clean line items with totals. Get ready to increase ARO 50%

Cons

I wish there was more color for the user interface and ability to flag recommendations as “customer concern” “safety” and “maintenance”. As well as more in depth visuals for capacity in the workflow area. Like quickTrac shows how many hours are sold but waiting to be produced by individual technicians and the shop as a whole. I understand both of these are in the works.

Pros

Digital work board. I can check in on the business or help out where ever I have internet service.

Cons

1. I can not share an inspection with recommendations without sharing price at the same time. This has been a big concern of mine since day 1 and still not changed. Its frustrating because I am essentially not using the digital inspection to make any sales. I'm certain my ARO would increase with this feature.

2. I can not break down labor cost by technician. This is again frustrating because the labor cost is NOT ACCURATE on any one ticket or job on a given ticket. It's just not accurate.

Pros

Easy to use. Having multiple windows open to navigate the system. Being able to track inventory with ease.

Cons

Some of the minor glitches are annoying, but are repaired fairly quick by your IT team

Pros

The ease of pricing parts and ordering parts through Shop-Ware is TONS better than our previous software, Mitchell. Being able to pull up multiple vendors at one time compare exact parts instantly and then order from online has saved our shop countless hours of time as well as thousands of dollars in parts savings. On a side note, the software gets updated on a REGULAR basis which is a huge bonus and large help as they account for the fast changing auto repair industry.

Cons

Labor times within Shop-Ware are not always accurate according to what recommended book time is as well as they do not have all repairs in the system. We have been working with the development team very closely on improving this issue though and have already seen changes.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

We had different shop management system for 14 years I wanted to add the DVI but I didn't want to buy a separate program so we switched to shop-ware. It's cloud-based so it would work for a multi shop location, It has improved productivity and customer satisfaction because of the capability to share information with the customer. Service writers and the tech's love it because of its simplicity and the learning curve is very quick. Customer service is absolutely amazing. If there is an issue they will return an email or phone call quickly compared to previous experiences with other software. They will take the time to listen to an issue and explain how it works or if there needs to be an improvement, it will be addressed.

Cons

I am struggling to come up with cons. There are little things that I feel could be improved but it does not interfere with the programs capability.

Pros

Shop-ware is still flexible since they are rigid like a RO Writer. They truly work to help their customers have success using the software. They are still young, so features are coming out still and some more abilities are being added. They have a ways to go on tires.

The inspections portion of the software is great. I think this is what attracted is at the start and keeps us happy every day we use it.

Overall they will work with you to get a product you want to use.

Cons

Doesn't not work well for tires. You must use Quickbooks and it's hard to "balance" at the end of the day to know you have the correct cash and credit cards.

The way they setup parts is difficult. There is no pricing matrix and parts all link to a main nomenclature. They works well in certain instances, but not well in others. Everything is a give and take. Overall you can work fast within the software.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

Ease of use and overall integration with our CRM system.

Cons

Pricing is a bit high for a small shop and need to examine tiered pricing of subscriptions for smaller v. larger shops

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

Although not an original feature, I really like the cloud based software and the ability to use it on multiple platforms. This also allows most operations to work very fast and very smoothly! Another stand out feature are the built in digital vehicle inspection.

Cons

As a counter person/service advisor my biggest complaint is the lack of auto-fill. There are many fields that must be filled every time a ticket is opened and it would be much more convenient if most if not all of them would auto-fill.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

After using the system for a short while, it has proven to increase sales as we set up invoicing that parts have to be billed out and received prior to closing an invoice. No more parts going out the door without being billed.

Cons

It was confusing as first as the terminology is different then what I was used to. Also the preset canned jobs were difficult to modify.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware

Pros

I love the way we can share the estimates with the customer via email and text. Inspections are easy to set up and are 100% customizable. Right now I’m a new start up and running my shop with the help of my wife. Being able to share with customers gives us 15 minutes to set up our game plan for what’s coming in next. The digital inspections gives the customers more info to make an educated decision and most of the time they have approved repairs before we ever get that call into them in that 15 minute window. Hands down the best program I’ve ever used!

Cons

There’s really not much I can say. A lot of the things I disliked about this program have been fixed or upgraded. I would love to see the ability to add more than on canned job to the ticket at a time, and be able to apply payments to accounts receivable for fleet customers easier.

Pros

The system does work well in the sense it's not glitchy

Cons

The Lack of organization and features. Difficulty to use on a basic mobile device

Pros

Shop-Ware is leading the way with this user friendly software. Their main goal is to be clear and informative to the customer. It is a real help to be able to structure a repair order so well with pics and notes. It is very easy to explain repairs and review to customers and they become very well informed about the vehicles needs. Makes it easy to sell service and continued maintenance.

Cons

There really should be improvements to the inventory system for estimate building. Wasting an average of 30 min per day, searching for an item we stock because the system will often search correctly or prioritize the correct parts. This is even an issue with parts we use daily for estimate building.

Pros

There are so many things I LOVE about this software that I probably couldn't even list them all. Not only do I love them, but our team loves Shop-Ware and our clients LOVE it as much as we do (maybe more). It is easy to use from anywhere. It integrates all of the components of our business into one package. Shop-Ware is easy to work with as a company and understands our needs. They are constantly upgrading and developing based on users' needs and wants. When you have a question or suggestion, they reach out, listen, and respond promptly.

Cons

The only item I wish could be different is accessing other labor guides than MOTOR. That is honestly it.

Pros

Ease of use from the digital inspection process & building estimates to the text to pay feature & text approval process we love what Shop-Ware offers. The customer support is always fast, friendly and helpful. Very client friendly, ease of use for clients is a plus. One system takes care of what we used to need 2 or 3 systems for.

Cons

Lack of ability to add text or symbols to photos, hard to navigate the initial approval process for clients, no texting options, cannot delete duplicated parts, cores being a separate part vs included in the same line.
Estimator hours could be improved by using a better estimator, the hours are off when compared to Alldata.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Shop-Ware

Reasons for Switching to Shop-Ware