I’ll never forget the first digital platform I attempted rolling out in my shop. Introducing it to my chief technician was a nightmare.

This was largely due to the fact that one of the features on that platform was a time tracking piece which was intended to provide a means of reporting on the tech’s activities that were not spent on vehicles (e.g., cleaning shop, break time, etc.). It was heavy on clicks.

Seeing his resentment for this function, I jokingly mentioned that I could help by adding a selection for “clicking around on a tablet.” It was funny because there was some truth to it. It was counterproductive to take time to report on things that were taking time!

WHY?

• The old system required too many clicks to accomplish simple things.
• Transitions between tasks became more complicated and clunky.
• The feature didn’t do anything to solve wasted time.
• It didn’t add value to our clients’ experience.

The goal should be to minimize wasted clicks or automate inputs based on meaningful actions.
Our next chapter in digital systems felt much more informed.

Autoflow’s status updates are an example of a design approach that simply works.

• It’s one click (or zero clicks by being fully automated based on key behaviors).
• Transitions are reflected in real time and occur seamlessly.
• Focused aim at increasing efficiency while simultaneously reporting on it.
• Value is added to clients through automatic text updates, keeping them informed.

Ask yourself, are there wasted inputs in your software? How many clicks does it take to accomplish a task in your shop? One? Two? Three?