Digital multipoint inspection and video

What to check before you decide

The adoption problem is the technician. Flat-rate technicians are paid to turn hours, and a thorough photo inspection costs time they do not get back, so the test is how few taps each item takes and whether the inspection is faster than the paper sheet. Ask for a live inspection by one of your own technicians, find out whether pay plans need to change, and confirm that the inspection, the estimate and the customer's approval all write to the repair order in your DMS.

Check the inspection template as closely as the software. Manufacturers and warranty programs often specify items that must be checked and recorded, and a store that changes its form should confirm that the vendor can carry those items, print a customer copy and keep the record for the period the store needs.

Ask how photos and video are stored and for how long, who in the store can see them, and whether a customer can be sent a link that works on any phone without an app or a password. Find out what happens when the connection on the lot is poor: can the technician finish offline and sync later?

Finally, ask how an inspection that finds nothing is presented, since a tool that only produces red items trains customers to distrust it.

Measure the tool the way the service manager will: inspections completed per repair order, the share of inspections that include a photo or video, time from inspection to customer response, and approved dollars per inspection. Ask the vendor for these four numbers for each advisor and technician from day one of the trial.