No matter how great the shop management system May sound, one of the main problems you are going to have at the implementation phase is your employees getting used to change. Since you’ve invested all this money in a new system, it can be tempting to lose your cool with non-compliant staff; however, you have to remember that your employees are your most valuable asset. Here are some of the issues you will need to consider when enforcing your new software.
Long or short term
When putting a new system in place, there are going to be pros and cons when dealing with short and long-term employees. Staff who have been with the company for several years can be a significant help because they understand the inner workings of the organization. However, they may also be resistant to change, no matter how problematic old systems have become, they know how to manoeuvre around them. On the other hand, new employees won’t know anything else other than how they have been trained; however, they may still be reluctant to abide by company policy.
Flexible or fixed
Whether your staff are old or new, it is the character of the individual that will determine how well they adapt to new technology. Some people are flexible and don’t have a problem with change, while others are more resistant and set in their ways.
Leadership roles
All organizations are mixed with leaders and followers, and they automatically take on these roles. A good manager will know who the leaders and the followers are; therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that the leaders stick to their roles when it comes to implementing the shop management system. What tends to happen is that leaders understand that management views them as leaders, and so they take their roles very seriously. Therefore, when it comes to any changes in the company, they will make sure they have a firm understanding of it so that they can lead the others. If management can trust the leaders to get everyone else on board, they can spend time on other important aspects of the business.
There are many benefits to an effective shop management system; however, it is important that you find one that is suitable to your auto shop. Before you make a financial investment, do your research. There are many companies providing software, so find out what they are offering.
Before narrowing your search down, you want to make sure that the company offers a free trial with their shop management system, the worst thing you can do is sign a contract only to discover that the system is of no benefit to your auto shop. Tekmetric is offering a long free trial until the end of 2018, there are no hidden costs, you are not bound to a contract and there is no cancellation fee if you decide that you don’t want to continue with it at the end of the year. Of course, there are many other companies offering a free trial and probably with similar perks, so go for whatever will be best for your company.
