Management reports for your repair shop: which to track
Deciding whether you can hire another mechanic, whether a piece of equipment is worth buying or why cash got tight last month: none of these answers can safely come from gut feeling. They come from the numbers. Management reports for your repair shop organize those numbers into documents that show what is working and what needs to change. Here is what they are and which ones to track.
What management reports are
Management reports are documents that bring together information on services performed, profit, on-time delivery and other operational data. The owner uses this information to assess service efficiency, identify costs that can be cut and plan next steps. In repair shops, where many customers and jobs move through the operation every day, they are essential. To learn about other formats, see our content on types of reports.
The most important reports for a repair shop
Cash flow
The cash flow report shows money coming in and going out and how each transaction affects your balance. With it, you can plan future expenses and choose the best time to make them, without being caught off guard by a bill due in the middle of a slow week.
Inventory turnover
This report tracks the parts, products and materials used in jobs as they come in and go out. It keeps important items from running out and the shop from turning work away, and it shows what is sitting idle on the shelf. To learn more, see how to handle repair shop inventory management.
Business growth
To know whether the shop is growing, you need to compare periods. The growth report brings together data such as:
- number of sales
- number of jobs completed
- number of new customers
- number of returning customers.
Satisfaction
When the shop asks customers to rate the service at the end of a job, those responses can be compiled into a satisfaction report. It shows whether customers were happy with the result and where the most frequent complaints are. The same logic applies to the team: internal surveys help you understand how employees rate their working conditions.
Payment analysis
The payment report brings together expenses and accounts payable. It makes controlling spending simpler and helps you spot costs that can be cut.
Generate reports without building spreadsheets
Onmotor offers auto repair shop software that makes it easier to register customers, create estimate templates and put estimates together, while also compiling reports to support management. If you want to try the management software before you buy, visit the plans page and start a free trial, or talk to our team.