While the auto repair software may be unsexy

On a warm morning in May, a group of students is huddled around a white Chrysler Cirrus parked outside the garage at the Excel Institute, a Northeast Washington job training facility that prepares participants for careers in auto repair. Innovations in the automotive industry have gradually transformed what it means to be an auto repair worker. As the cars on our streets have become more computerized, so, too, has the job of maintaining and fixing these vehicles. And so a trade that was once largely mechanical is today primarily technical, and therefore requires workers to be skilled computer users, strong readers and able mathematicians.
     
There are multiple technology tools  and Auto Repair Software systems available to address all of the auto mechanics’ repair shop management needs and challenges. Some of the tech tools also help auto mechanics diagnose issues with vehicles and repair them, reducing the amount of time spent on each customer’s vehicle. Direct Capital has searched mechanics’ blogs and reviews, as well as tech company reviews, to determine our top 50 tech tools for auto mechanics. We have included only those tech tools that are easy to use, include features that enhance shop management, and are flexible and customizable enough to adapt to auto mechanics’ most pressing shop manage.

While the auto repair software may be unsexy, Furniss tells us, it’s also probably likely that the town or city you live in has at least one auto repair shop. In fact, there are about 45,000 in the U.S. today, the co-founder says, and most of them are using the same tools for inventory, interfacing with insurance companies and data entry they have for years.

Car manufacturers have not used DMCA to prosecute anyone yet, but they have been putting more and more protective measures in place to lock down control over the cars they build. Farmers know all about this new reality: Manufacturers like John Deere use DMCA to maintain tight control over diagnostic tools needed to repair modern tractors. Farmers previously accustomed to DIY repairs now face a costly and time-consuming nightmare that requires flying in manufacturer-approved technicians to repair their tractors’ very proprietary computer systems.