Familiar FoxQUOTE

One of the key work elements in a panel shop is quoting. FlexiQuote addresses efficiency of that element with its latest software offering, the Off-Site module. It allows you to use a small palm-size computer to quote in front of the car, then transfer the information instantly into your office computer. No longer do you have to write the quote on a note-pad or tick-sheets, and then have to punch the same quote details into the computer; no fuss, no duplication. If you used to depend on your secretary to enter the quote from your notes to the computer, you are now independent. You can cut the number of office staff employed, or reduce their work load and make substantial savings.
More and more insurers are turning to online techniques for claims and assessing. This means that more and more panel beaters are spending time using the internet to send and retrieve job messages & digital images. FlexiQuote has always been looking for efficiency in this segment. By streamlining the program flow, attaching images to a quote is a breeze. Sending a quote or invoice is a couple of mouse clicks only. Loading a quote adjustment is hassle-free. In fact FlexiQuote was the first quoting package to be certified for Online Repair Management(ORM) and currently has more than 500 repairers online-quoting with I.A.G. alone. FlexiQuote is now setting its sights on online tendering, expected to be ready soon.



NEW SALES TEAM
FlexiQuote recently rejuvenated its sales team. There are three new appointees. Ron Ashley is now servicing Victoria and Tony Hayes is servicing ACT and the surrounding regions. Nicola Court is servicing Sydney - reaching west of the Blue Mountains, up to Newcastle and north. All three are experienced professionals in the smash repair industry.

(Insert Ron Ashley has spent over 30 years in the motor body repair industry. He has been an insurance assessor, body shop owner & manager, and brings with him a wealth of experience in installing panel shop software and training of repairers.

(Insert Nicola Court has worked with body shop quoting software for over five years and has extensive experience in repairer training. She has an out-going personality and should be a breath of fresh air to the repair industry.

(Insert Tony Hayes has been associated with the panel trade throughout his entire career. He did his apprenticeship and later became the co-owner of a panel shop in Canberra. As such, he has no problem in understanding the hardships faced by repairers.
Enquiries, Tel: (02) 9411 6297


Dh1:Eautoparts makes ordering easy
Melbourne based Eautoparts claims to be 'the world's first 100 per cent interactive and multi supplier auto parts locating system'.
Using the SMS mobile telephone capability, buyers simply send a car's make, model and required part to a pre-arranged phone number and the names of three nearby suppliers who have that part is quoted on SMS.
Eautoparts began as a consumer service but has been so successful that it has been extended to cover parts required by mechanical and body repairers. The service can also be accessed via the internet. The website is www.eautoparts.com.au.
Eautoparts has created a direct electronic market between auto recyclers and companies or individuals who need parts.
The suppliers, known as members, must be autoparts recyclers. The service extends across Australia to every suburb in every state.
Enquiries, Tel (03) 9357 4580.


Because FoxQUOTE's 2005 program follows a familiar format, it means repairers can easily switch to this product without learning how to use a confusing, new Windows program. All the well-known, industry-standard program hot-keys and function keys work the same way in FoxQUOTE. MSDOS DAT files can be quickly and easily converted and transferred into FoxQUOTE which means repairers who make the switch can be up-and-going from day one.
FoxQUOTE 2005 is keenly priced, based on monthly licensing from $39. Furthermore, repairers have the flexibility to choose and pay only for the plug-in modules that are required. Modules such as FoxDEBTORS, FoxCREDITORS, FoxGL, FoxJOBCOST, FoxIMAGE, FoxBMS, FoxEXPORT, FoxORM, FoxARNIE, FoxESTIMAGE and FoxQUICKBOOKS cost only $9 per month per module.
Repairers can choose whether or not to upgrade the program. This means a significant cost saving because they are not forced into paying for something that they don?t want or need at the time.
Repairers can relax about insurance work because FoxQUOTE 2005 is certified to support all three major, online insurer assessing systems including IAG?s ORM, Suncorp/GIO?s ARNIE and Stelvio?s ESTIMAGE.
FoxQUOTE has two new products on the drawing board. Its new Service Pack Upgrade Version 4 will showcase IAG?s new QDE v3 supporting its new WRM tendering assessing model. www.genuineparts.com.au is an integrated, highly-accurate, online parts pricing and ordering product. It will save repairers many hours with telephone and faxing parts quotes and the painstaking typing of parts information into the quote. www.genuineparts.com.au is being made available to repairers using the industry-leading program as well as users of the FoxQUOTE 2005 Program.
Enquiries, Tel: (02)9580 3898.


:PPG's complete bodyshop management system.
Development focuses on achieving efficiencies in the administrative functions while measuring the efficiency and productivity on the shop floor.
Latest technology that improves office efficiencies include: Smashlink parts pricing and ordering system provides current parts prices and electronic supplier invoices. This eliminates the need to enter creditor invoices, saving hours of work each week. Recent development work allows for the pricing and ordering from almost 100 suppliers, including Commercial Transport, PPG Paint and consumables.
For vehicle quoting, using tablets computers and wireless technology eliminates the need to retype quotes. The system also allows the latest parts prices to be included using the Smashlink parts data system. Shopfloor data capture interface records time spent by workshop staff on various tasks during the day. Management reports detail the efficiencies and productivity figures for each employee and job, highlighting areas where supplementaries may be required. Electronic quoting and assessment for all the major insurance companies? systems are included, including ORM, ARNIE, Estimage and general email delivery
Business Manager is also MVP Ready. Body shops that have taken the step to be involved with PPG?s MVP programme benefit from the close working relationship with the MVP team. Specific data that is required by the MVP process can easily be extracted from Business Manager. Where further analysis is required, most of the reports allow export to popular packages such as Excel.
Enquiries, Tel: 0412 548 405

:BMS promises lower cycle times
Bodyshop Management Systems claims that WebSchedule is the most comprehensive scheduling and planning software ever released for the Australian crash repair market. It's simple to use and easy to understand screens means it suits all size bodyshops.
Cycle time improvement is one of the key indicators of business performance. WebSchedule directly focuses on improving cycle time and taking the drama out of managing shop floor production control.
The crash repair industry is one of the harshest industries to schedule for. There is no such thing as a fixed amount of time to perform any given task; a quoted five hours could take three hours to complete or it could take eight hours.
BMS also understands the benefits that scheduling can have on a workshop through improved job cycle times, increased production flow, visualisation of future capacity and increased customer satisfaction (through meeting of deadlines). Scheduling provides the necessary information for each technician, supervisor, production manager and customer service representative to seamlessly work together.
Working along side the market leading WebTRIM system makes it even more
powerful, enabling performance assessment of employees, instant key
performance indicators on business activity, detailed analysis of profitability by insurer, customer service monitoring plus a range of incentive schemes to suit any employee.
Enquiries, Tel:(03) 9809 8200.






:The packet in your pocket
Motex Australia believes that estimates should be completed while the estimator is at the vehicle, not sitting behind a PC screen. Many insurers now want the bodyshops to come to the car, as in the case of assessing centres, and to be in a position to quote on multiple vehicles.
It makes sense to have a system where the bodyshops can take their estimating system with them wherever they go. This is what Motex has developed.
Mobile Motex has been designed to offer all the functions of a PC based estimating system but running on a handheld computer or Pocket PC, otherwise known as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). Imagine visiting an AAMI assessing centre, doing five quotes on Mobile Motex and delivering 5 estimates before you leave the building. Mobile Motex will enable you to do just that. The software developed by Motex is simple to use, cheap and powerful. You do not need to replace your existing estimating systems; Mobile Motex will give you the freedom to prepare an estimate while on the move. When you get back to the office you can print it and enter it into your existing system if you wish. Motex will even provide the files to make this process automatic.
The Pocket PC has a powerful memory to store the latest vehicle files and all ticksheet items. It can have a inbuilt 1.3 MPixel camera for taking quality photographs for attaching to estimates, plus a voice recorder for comments about the estimate. Many PDA?s are now sold with mobile phones incorporated.
In your pocket you can carry an estimating system, mobile phone, digital camera, dictaphone, email and contact details. Enquiries, Tel:(03) 9555 2942



:Profits from the inside.
Is is possible to work within the current rates allowed by insurers and still make good profits? The majority of repairers say no, and go looking for increases in either money or hours. But Danielle Stuart, utilising her new Repair Tracking system does not agree. One of her users has achieved a return that competitors simply would not believe. She says it is not so difficult if you take the right measurements and implement the right management decisions.
"Repairers have been wanting real time and real money for years and now, with more insurers opting to use tendering programs to allocate work, it is finally a reality," she says.
"But do you really know what you have got yourself in to? How do you calculate your actual shop rate? There is no magic formula. No two shops are the same so no one equation will work for both.
"Does your current quoting system allow you to measure your efficiency and productivity? More than likely, it doesn?t. But it is these exact measurements that are the key to determining a sustainable shop rate within a competitive environment such as tendering."
Repair Tracking System (RTS)is an affordable bodyshop management system that integrates easily with your current quoting package. It enables you to not only measure your efficiency and productivity, but to drive it upwards, enabling you to increase the profitability of your business while ensuring you maintain a competitive average repair cost.
For example, when one bodyshop began using RTS it identified that the average efficiency of the repair department was 300 per cent. For every one hour that it was productive, it completed three estimate hours. This meant that each employee produced an average of 22.8 estimate (funny) hours at the estimate (funny) rate of $30.90, equating to a real shop rate of $92.70 based on a 7.6 hour day. However, it turned out that while the repair department was 300 per cent efficient it was only 70 per cent productive. This meant that instead of producing an average of 22.8 estimate hours it was producing only 15.96 estimate hours. Hence, if the repairer had charged out at $92.70, his real shop rate, this was only $64.89 when you took unproductive hours into account.
Utilising the Repair Tracking System this particular body shop has since been able to increase its repair efficiency to an average of 500 per cent. Because it can repair cars more efficiently, its chargeable shop rate has gone up to $154.50 with no impact to the final price of the repair. In addition to this, the shop has also increased its productivity to 90 per cent, meaning its real shop rate has increased to $139.05.
At 300 per cent efficiency and 70 per cent productivity each technician is producing $493.16 per day. At 500 per cent efficiency and 90 per cent productivity each technician now produces $1056.78 per day. That is more than double, and this is with absolutely no impact to the amount the repairer charged to the insurer for the repairs. This is due to the ability of Repair Tracking System to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, streamline production and provide staff incentives. The system creates a sustainable and competitive bodyshop that can operate successfully and even profitably in a tendering environment.
Enquiries, Tel: 0412 215 649









:Car Quote is online
Car Quote online automotive management repair system supports all automotive trades, with new and recycled parts pricing and ordering - all online in real time from anywhere.
Smash repair work, electrical, trim, as well as paint, may now be comprehensively listed in one concise quotation. Secure parts pricing and online ordering for new and recycled parts are provided via the Internet anytime with the very latest prices, all linked directly from the manufacturer ? no phone calls, no chasing anyone up.
In one view you can itemise all parts needed to fully repair damage or service any current vehicle. It?s all right in front of you.
Car Quote is supported with a comprehensive national online database of motor vehicles and parts, all accessible in real time. Backed with a support team of industry specialists that keep updating parts, prices and vehicle types to ensure you have the most accurate quotation for your customer.
With imaging, business management, and NRMA ORM, and Arnie support, you will know at a glance what is happening to any vehicle in your shop. There
Ask about the Car Quote free competitive upgrade offer, and check out the web site to see how competitive it is: http://www.carquote.biz. You'll see Car Quote's unique online price comparison calculator and how much it costs you per shop. Car Quote claims to be up to 500 per cent cheaper than its competitors.
Car Quote is an all australian owned, developed and distributed company. It is 100 per cent SQL based and developed in Microsoft Visual Studio by professional software developers: reliable, fast, simple to use, and SQL Server 2005 ready right now.
Some general features:
Enquiries, Tel: 0425 772100.