Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI) continue to catch on in auto repair shops across the country. With the gradual increase in software platforms offering basic digital forms, the number of shops that feel they are benefiting from DVI, however, is highly exaggerated compared to high-performance shops that actively manage their inspection process in concert with their workflow.

Active management requires detailed reporting. With Autoflow’s DVI and sales reporting, there is one metric in particular that has become the #1 KPI our clients have come to focus on.

The KPI: Tickets with inspections Viewed vs. Not Viewed.

Were you surprised to see that? Does this mean other KPIs aren’t helpful?

• More pictures!
• More videos!
• More line items on inspections!
• More sending!

Not entirely. Those items by themselves are still great things to have goals and monitor. If you are ignoring views, however, you miss the goal. Getting the client to consume the information! The fact is, technicians can do great DVI’s, advisors can send them, and you gain nothing… Unless your client is viewing and understanding the results.

What is the best metric to know this is happening? Tickets with the viewed inspections.

The impact on the bottom line is measurable quickly and easily in the Sales Report in Autoflow.

Figure 1: Case Study – Autoflow Sales Report – Month After Initiative to Increase Views

Figure 2: Case Study – Autoflow Sales Month Before Initiative to Increase Views

Figure 3: Spreadsheet used by Autoflow Training Team for consultations

In this case study:

• Car/ticket count was almost identical between the two months where this shop first focused on the view metric.
• Keyed in on that KPI, we worked with this shop to begin identifying areas to improve their process and communication.

The Realization:

• Techs were doing good inspections, advisors were sending them.
• Clients weren’t opening!

The Behavior Change:

• They began setting expectations to receive the inspection upfront at check-in.
• Later during the sales call began inviting the client to open the inspection while they were on the phone during the sales call.
• Advisors started to leverage the inspection in the conversation rather than just go through the estimate.

The result:

• The following month grossed $60,000 more with only 9 additional tickets over the previous month.
• 187 additional billed hours sold. (Yes. Techs were quite pleased!)

It’s cases like this that remind us, and our clients that there is a difference when DVI is a thing you have as a convenience compared to a thing that you do with a clear purpose.

While the ROI is always appreciated, the far more challenging items to measure are the impact on motorists’ increased safety, reliability, and efficiency thanks to this focus on guiding clients to make more informed decisions to maintain their vehicles properly. Still the greatest win-win for all parties.