3M's new RepairStack Performance Solutions is a connected platform tailored to aid shop owners and collision repair general managers with critical information relating to shop performance, invoicing, and materials usage, according to a company news release. Combining hardware and software to optimize shop efficiency and performance for shop owners and collision repair general managers, the 3M RepairStack Performance Solutions is 3M’s digital backbone for the automotive aftermarket.
Following a beta testing period which drew enthusiastic feedback from early adopters, 3M RepairStack Performance Solutions formally launched at the 2022 SEMA Show. 3M RepairStack is currently available in the United States.
Today, collision repair shops face challenges that include a reduction in gross profits due to labor shortages, increased complexity of repairs, decreasing parts discounts and increased replacement work. Additionally, new repair processes are disrupting established routines and test body shop capabilities. As a result, shop owners must grapple with a lack of visibility and a clear understanding of their shop performance, while experiencing increasingly tight margins in a complex repair environment. These new challenges demand greater agility, strategic planning and collaboration.
3M is committed to providing innovative and differentiated solutions that enhance customer processes and profitability, and with 3M RepairStack Performance Solutions, the company is now pioneering the era of connected body shops to help businesses unlock opportunities for profit, efficiency and growth.
“Operational efficiency inside a shop is critical for long-term business and customer success,” said Dave Gunderson, president, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “That operational efficiency is what we’re striving to simplify with 3M RepairStack Performance Solutions. In an increasingly digital landscape, this customized, connected solution provides the fast clarity and transparency needed to drive optimal value from materials and labor.”
3M RepairStack Performance Solutions features hardware that houses all 3M allied materials. As an integrated and automated platform, shops can enjoy three key benefits: an inventory management system ensuring materials needed for safe and reliable repairs are always available, a streamlined blueprinting and billing process, and real-time insights into business performance.
Improved Distribution Efficiencies
With 3M RepairStack Inventory Management Software, shop owners can easily manage their shop materials and maintain consistent inventory. The software tracks material usage by technician, shop, RO, and more, while also enabling automated re-ordering of products based on inventory stock levels and direct connection to preferred distributors. This tracking and auto-replenishment improves a shop’s inventory turns while reducing waste and emergency orders. Better managed inventories empower technician training and increased technician performance and satisfaction, allowing hands-on work to remain with the vehicles.
Integrated Invoicing
3M RepairStack Billables Invoicing Software automates scanning and invoicing to ensure project procedures and materials are accounted for and billed. The software comes with a simple scan and assign process to add materials to press orders. Both 3M and non-3M materials can be added to repair orders so that payments are made for materials that are used. Shop owners can choose invoicing options that best fit their needs, whether that’s CRiMP, 3M RepairStack CRiMP 1.0, or 3M RepairStack Integrated Invoicing.
Real-Time Performance Insights
The 3M RepairStack Performance Analytics Tool tracks shop performance, overall sales mix and materials, costs, and profits all in one place. The tool tracks labor, materials, costs, sales per tech and invoices. Robust data and reporting capabilities provide real-time snapshots of shop performance, and shop owners are given insights into opportunities for improvement. This allows shop owners to better understand gaps in throughput, identify areas for additional training support, and leverage real-time data to optimize their business.
“One of the biggest reasons I would recommend 3M RepairStack Performance Solutions would be for shops to get paid for materials and labor they are providing,” said Brian Martin, director of auto collision, Craig Zinn Automotive Group - Lexus of Pembroke Pines & North Miami.
Mike Anderson, president and owner, Collision Advice Group said, “We have seen shops that use 3M RepairStack go from losing money on materials to becoming a profit center, allowing them the opportunity to reinvest in their business.”
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