Fix Auto Stoke-on-Trent director Dave Willett is a man on a mission.

“I’m constantly walking around our expansive bodyshop operation and looking for ways to improve process and give people tools to work more efficiently”, explains Dave.

It was this drive which led to the creation of Fix Auto Stoke’s very own Management Information Console or MIC.

The bespoke software package provides paperless, efficient management of the vehicle repair process whilst offering huge savings on workplace hours, office stationery and consumables.  It was also a direct response to the change by insurers and work providers to rely less on site inspections, moving more to image inspection.

MIC was built on the basic tenet that all PC users who set up folders, into which they store images and documents etc., are effectively generating a basic document folder structure to allow them to easily store, retrieve and expire document content. The difference between this type of document management and that provided by MIC is in the scale. MIC is designed from the ground-up to assist bodyshops seeking to manage the creation, storage, retrieval and expiry of information stored as documents. Unlike a file structure on your PC, MIC revolves around a centralised repository that manages the storage of any type of information that could be of value to an organisation, whilst also protecting its loss.

Originally launched around 2007, MIC conforms to BS 10125 and all the standard’s documentation is fully incorporated into the system. MIC has since proven to be an effective application to minimise administration and give a more transparent feel to the repair process, this allows customers, fleet operators and work providers to track their repairs online inclusive of all images and documentation. A fully functional online audit facility is currently utilised which is both effective and secure. The simplicity of use and the obvious efficiency savings mean that MIC has been sold on licence to several other bodyshops around the country including other FIX Auto operations, namely Cardiff, Swansea, Pontypridd, Fix and Go and Manchester East.

Testimonials include:

James Gore, MD at FIX Auto Manchester

East commented: ” MIC allows us to amalgamate our existing procedures and helps streamline our entire process from first notice of loss (FNOL ) to invoicing. Within a month of installation it had already proven to be beneficial for every department and is now an integral part of our business.”

Steve Peart – Fix Auto Cardiff

“MIC has totally transformed our operation. If we went back to how we were before we used MIC it would seriously cost us in both costs and efficiency.” Looking forward Dave is finalising a cloud based version of MIC which is already fully compatible with all Android, Apple and desktop devices, hoping testing to be completed in the coming months. The new version incorporates all the functionality of the desktop version and is fully responsive to any operating system or web service.

Dave Willett says, the changing pace of repair management has made a dramatic impact on all bodyshops. Utilising technology proves to be the way forward in ensuring the correct tools are at hand to reduce complication and at the same time ensuring profits are not affected. There is still a massive gap in what we have available, the aim is to simplify what we do to enable maximum utilisation.

Mick Whitehead MD of Fix Auto Stoke-on-Trent and Fix Auto North Staffordshire has been delighted with the way in which MIC has helped drive the businesses forward. “As a business our turnover has grown year on year. I can confidently say that MIC has played no small part in this growth. Dave Willett has put a tremendous amount of work and effort into developing MIC and I’m really excited by the next phase of its development and the way in which this will push our business on.”