There’s a cost hiding in your shop that doesn’t show up on any invoice. You won’t find it in your parts spend or your payroll. But it’s real, and it’s eating into every job you do. It’s the time your team spends working on process instead of production. Death by a Thousand Clicks Trace a … Read more
John Polonchak had been using the same shop management system for 18 years. He knew it inside and out. He’d built his entire operation around it. And it was holding him back. “Sourcing parts and building estimates were taking far too long,” John explains. In a busy shop, those delays compound. Technicians wait. Customers wait. … Read more
The automotive industry is in serious transition. Technician shortages, rising costs, EVs, ADAS — for a lot of owners, selling the shop and cashing out has never looked more attractive. If that’s you, here’s the critical question: Are you treating your shop like an asset to build up, or a business in maintenance mode as … Read more
“Half my advertising budget is wasted. I just don’t know which half.” That quote is over a century old, and most shop owners are still living it. They spend money on ads, mailers, and digital campaigns—then cross their fingers and hope something sticks. There’s a better way. The Question Nobody Asks When a new customer … Read more
You already know which tech is your best producer. You already know which service writer closes the most sales. You already know which days are busiest. At least, you think you do. The Problem With “Knowing” Gut feelings are built on what you notice—and what you notice isn’t always what matters. You notice the big … Read more
Every service writer knows there aren’t enough hours in the day. Your boss keeps adding things to the checklist, parts are always across the country, and customers never call back when you need them to. But here’s the thing: most of that wasted time is preventable. The shops that run smoothly aren’t working harder—they’re eliminating … Read more
How many hours have service writers lost this week because of a missing wheel lock? How many frustrating hours wasted getting wrong parts because of incorrect VIN numbers? Little stuff like this really adds up. And the busier you get, the faster your systems break down. The Hidden Cost of “Good Enough” As a shop … Read more
How many hours have service writers lost this week because of a missing wheel lock? How many frustrating hours wasted getting wrong parts because of incorrect VIN numbers? Little stuff like this really adds up. And the busier you get, the faster your systems break down. The Hidden Cost of “Good Enough” As a shop … Read more
Here’s a question for shop owners: Do your service writers know their gross profit on parts from yesterday? Not last week. Not “pretty good.” The actual number. If they don’t, how are they supposed to manage it? Doug Melton, owner of Melton’s Automotive, admitted something most owners won’t say out loud: “I wasn’t watching the … Read more
John Polonchak was struggling. His shop in Denison, Texas was busy, but sourcing parts and building estimates were taking far too long. Essential functions were bottlenecking his entire operation. Then he made a change — and never looked back. The Results After switching to Shop4D, John’s shop is on pace for 128% sales growth over … Read more