"To be successful, you need to understand your business today, not a month from today. NAPA TRACS gives me the information I need to know now to make the decisions that grow my business."

Tyler's Automotive is a full service auto care center with 13 bays, six technicians and three advisors -- split between two locations. The company has been using NAPA TRACS since 1999, after leaving behind a management system characterized by frequent software crashes and poor tech support. As owner Tyler Ellenson puts it, "We felt NAPA TRACS was the best opportunity. If you're going to be a NAPA AutoCare Center, it makes perfect sense to implement TRACS into your business plan since everything works so seamlessly."

Old business runs better, new business increases
Tyler's Automotive is committed to being a top quality, one-stop-shop that's easy to work with. Using NAPA TRACS NET is one of the ways Ellenson delivers on this promise. He states, "We're an engine/mechanical shop. But I never say 'No.' I may not do it, but I'll get it done. In fact, subcontracting can be a profit center, and NAPA TRACS helps me quickly and easily track it.

Ellenson is always looking for ways to improve operations and is very proactive with the system. If he finds that he'd like to be able to run a different kind of report, he knows he can call TRACS support to talk about new ways of doing things. "The reality is I don't need the TRACS Support team often," he says. "But when I do, they're always happy to show me how to work the program to its fullness."

Benefits gains throughout the business process
In fact, Tyler's Automotive uses the entire NAPA TRACS solution. Ellenson advises, "If you don't use the whole capability of the program, you're missing out on a lot of benefits." For example, he has found that labor matrixing was a huge instant moneymaker for his business. "NAPA TRACS makes it very easy to charge for labor according based on the labor skill required by the job."

Ellenson also networks with other TRACS users in the area and around the country, sharing tips that help them maximize the effectiveness of NAPA TRACS. For example, if a colleague comes up with a new service description, this can be easily emailed and copied-and-pasted right into NAPA TRACS as a new service code, estimate or invoice. This saves me and my TRACS email group a lot of time as we continue to add new, more detailed labor service codes to TRACS. "TRACS is tailor-made for the way today's business runs, and, if you use it, it's going to help you manage the business and make a ton of money," says Ellenson.

Reporting that reflects the pulse of the business
"I use TRACS every day. If you understand the industry benchmarks, NAPA TRACS enables you to be profitable." Ellenson monitors key business indicators like Hours per Repair Order, Dollars Per Repair Order, Technician Productivity, Technician Efficiency, Availability of Parts, and Number of Vehicles Per Day Written By Service Advisor. "The reporting is absolutely crucial-from accounts receivables, technician productivity, vehicle history, you have to have a pulse on the business. I couldn't imagine not running my business without NAPA TRACS."

Results and rewards can be measured instantly
For Ellenson, being effective is all about being able to make the management decisions that cause positive change. He says, "This is what TRACS gives you. You can make educated decisions about advertising, equipment purchases, sales and technical staff training."

As Ellenson puts it, "To be successful, you need to understand your business today, not a month from today. NAPA TRACS gives me the information I need to know now in order to make the decisions that grow my business today."

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