You’re not alone if you feel quickly overwhelmed while attempting to add digital procedures to your shop.

It’s easy to see other people doing something a certain way and then deciding you should hop on board, too.

Good news! There isn’t anything wrong with you or your team. If you are overwhelmed, you are probably just trying to do too much at once. In your well-placed excitement, you might be skipping a key foundational step. That foundation is workflow. Any change you make is simpler if you start here.

Sequence? That may explain why ordering a tablet and tossing it into the swirling vortex that is our daily routine isn’t working. While many service facilities make a unique environment to observe chaos theory, plotting a course to a desired outcome needs far less data points.

In my experience with workflow consultations, I use four simple statuses to get things off the ground.

Defining the steps is easy. Next, we identify the responsible party for moving the vehicle from one status to the next. After that, determine how this handoff will occur.

In being involved with software that also does inspections, I see a lot of people who want to start with the DVI (Digital Vehicle Inspection) before defining their inspection process. Starting with workflow instead will feel like you’re removing that swirling vortex from the shop altogether. There may still be gusts, but at least your facility now has a defined process. It’s easier then to take the next step with this solid foundation.