Paintless Dent Repair and QuickBooks

Most of our PDR (paintless dent repair) customers use QuickBooks as their office accounting software. For that reason, we have integrated the FieldSync Automotive application including the PDR auto inspection, mobile invoicing/service ticket application for handheld PDAs with QuickBooks. This allows for PDR companies to complete mobile service tickets on handheld computers in the field and immediately synchronize all the information with QuickBooks in the office. No more re-typing paper forms at a later time.

IBM and MobileDataforce for Mobile Software Applications

MobileDataforce has recently completed a mobile software development project that integrates the PointSync Mobility Platform with IBM's Maximo application. This project was developed by MobileDataforce and completed in Australia and implemented in both Australia and New Zealand. Our customer is a very large engineering and construction firm that works throughout the Asia/Pacific region.

The software application is a mobile work order management application.

Paintless Dent Repair and Service Estimates on PDAs

I attended the NADA (national auto dealers association) conference a couple of weeks ago and met with a number of large paintless dent repair franchises. They were very interested in our FieldSync Automotive software application for the PDR industry. This application runs on mobile handheld devices and allows the service technician to complete all of their inspections, service estimates and work orders on the handheld device and synchronize the data with the office accounting system or work order system.

While attending the NADA conference, I learned about some work flow processes that we are now adding to the FieldSync Automotive application. Often the service technician will inspect a number of vehicles at the sames time and create a list of estimates. Once the inspections and estimates are completed, the service technician will meet with the auto dealership manager and review the service time and costs estimates associated with each car and decide if the services are necessary and justified. We are adding a view that allows all of the estimates to be on one list and screen. Just tap the specific estimate and it opens. This allows you to quickly review all open estimates, edit them, approve them and move to the services phase.

MobileDataforce offers both customized and out-of-the-box mobile software applications for the PDR industry. These mobile applications synchronize with the software in your office called FieldSync Manager which integrates directly with QuickBooks and other accounting applications.

Paintless Dent Repair & Auto Interiors on Handheld Computers

My sales team just returned from the Mobile Tech Expo in Florida. We learned that our mobile software for paintless dent repair companies was very much in demand. There were many times when we would have a dozen companies surrounding our booth and asking questions about our mobile software solutions.

We also learned a few things that we need to add. We need to develop a version of our FieldSync Automotive that addresses the specific needs of mobile techs that focus on repairing the interiors of cars. My team is already working on that now. This image shows how you can click on a specific area of the interior and associate an inspection and service with it. Call us at 208-384-1200 or email us if you would like more information.

Mobile Tech Expo - Paintless Dent Repair Software

My team at MobileDataforce will be attending the Mobile Tech Expo2008 in beautiful Clearwater, Florida on January 17th-19th. We will have a booth and will be demonstrating our mobile and desktop software designed to manage paintless dent repair services businesses.

Our solution for paintless dent repair services companies is called FieldSync Automotive and more information is available here.

If you would like to speak to a representative please call 208-384-1200 or for email click here.

Paintless Dent Repair & Mobile Windshield Repair

There are a number of mobile automobile service businesses that can take advantage of mobile handheld computers and wireless sync technologies:

• Paintless Dent Repair


• Mobile Windshield Repair


• Auto Appraisals & Auto Inspections


• Mobile Bumper Repair


• Mobile Headlight Restoration


• Mobile Auto Detailing or Smart or Valet services in Europe


• Mobile Auto Interior Repair

All of these businesses could benefit from having a desktop application in the office that is used to enter new service requests and synchronize the work orders out to the service technicians' rugged handheld computer in the field. Once the work is completed, the information can be instantly and automatically wirelessly synchronized back to the office using a rugged PDA phone or a handheld computer with a data card where it is automatically imported into QuickBooks or other accounting systems.

Although the businesses above focus on different kinds of services, the underlying data and and business processes are very similar.

• Receive a request for service


• Schedule and wirelessly dispatch the service request to a specific location and/or service technician
• Inspect the vehicle
• Provide a cost estimate to the customer and document approval
• Document the work (labor time and parts)
• Get customer's signature to approve the work completed
• Synchronize the completed service order, payment methods and parts or materials used back to the office
• The data is automatically integrated with the accounting system (most in the USA use QuickBooks)
• The service order information is stored both in the accounting system, and in the desktop work order management software

MobileDataforce's FieldSync Automotive software application includes both the desktop work order management component, and the mobile handheld computer application.

VIN Decoding for Paintless Dent Repair Services

MobileDataforce has developed a technology that allows most any bar code scanner to capture the VIN (vehicle identification number) of an automobile. The significance of this technology is that you can easily capture the 17 digit number, uniquely identify the vehicle, automatically bring up the description of the automobile on your handheld PDA, inspect it and get approval from your customer to work on it.

One of the biggest complaints auto dealers have against PDR companies is duplicate billing. For some reason auto dealers do not like paying twice for work done. They want accurate billing that can be verified by using the VIN to uniquely identify vehicles, approvals and work completed for invoicing.

Growing and Scaling a Paintless Dent Repair Business with Mobile Technologies

One of the biggest challenges a small paintless dent repair business has is growing beyond the a single owner/manager. The owner/manager has a passion for building the PDR business and providing the very best services possible to please the customer and grow the business. The owner/manager paces the floor at night thinking through all the business processes, customer service issues, sales, marketing and accounting processes. Often times an employee does not have this same level of commitment.

As the PDR owner/manager begins to hire additional service technicians to expand the number of customers and locations that can be serviced, quality assurance, and effective business processes quickly become a problem. How do you ensure that you aren't immediately buried in paper, duplicate billing disputes, late payment issues, customer complaints, payroll confusion, etc. These are the problems that often stop small PDR businesses from expanding.


Deploying a field services management application in the office that synchronizes with a mobile handheld computer is a very effective tool for helping to ensure a quality and controlled growth pattern. One can answer calls, dispatch work orders and synchronize completed work orders for instant invoicing all from a PDA. New services can be dispatched, work completed and invoiced, again from the handheld computer. When the handheld computer is synchronized all of this information is immediately imported into the accounting system in the office.

The key to managed quality and growth is to automate the business processes. Take out the uncontrolled human factors. Mobile handheld applications can direct the user to complete the forms correctly. They can alert managers when incomplete processes or data is submitted. There are all tools for assuring quality in the field.

MobileDataforce's FieldSync Automotive is a good example of this kind of solution in action.

Mobile Work Orders for Paintless Dent Repair Services

Many owner's of small paintless dent repair services companies ask me how a paper based work order or service request document can be condensed to fit on a small handheld computer screen. Good question! Let me explain some of the ways the team at MobileDataforce would layout the screens in an easy to use manner.

Most automotive service or work order documents are divided into common sections:

• Date, Service Technician name, service ticket number


• VIN number of the vehicle


• Customer Name, address, phone number


• Auto inspection


• Work Performed and description


• Identify equipment that was serviced


• Cost of work performed


• Cost of parts used


• Status of Work (complete, incomplete, outstanding)


• Payment information


• Customer and Service Technician signatures

We use the ability to pre-load the mobile work order application with all the dispatched customer information from the office. Most of the data the service technician enters into the mobile application can be done using:

• Check boxes


• Pick lists


• Radio buttons


• Pull down menus with multiple choice


• Digital signature capture


• Pre-determined labor rates


• Pre-determined parts' pricing


• etc.

We are able to automatically compute the cost of labor and parts and you can even swipe a credit card from many of the handheld PDAs. What is the value of mobilizing a work order or service request service?

• Faster dispatch from the office


• VIN scanning and decoding for unique identification of automobiles


• Prevention of duplicate work orders


• Competitive advantage over paper based competitors


• Pre-populated work orders synchronized to the handheld PDA


• Less data to fill out on work orders


• Instant invoicing for work complete


• Faster collections


• Complete and accurate work orders synchronized back to the work order or accounting system in the office


• Less admin work in the office


• Less dispatch work in the office

The benefits list is very long. If you would like to discuss your business requirements with a mobile solutions expert, please contact MobileDataforce by email or by visiting http://www.mobiledataforce.com/.

Here is another article on mobilizing work orders/service requests using handheld computers.

Optimizing a Paintless Dent Repair Business

Once a service technician is proficient at paintless dent repair services, the next issue is how do they grow a profitable PDR business. There is a finite amount of time and energy in a day, and one service technician can only do so much. As the service technician gets busier with more dealerships and customers, they will need someone to help provide additional services, process invoices, schedule work and market/sell services into more dealerships, etc. This is when the question generally arises as to what technologies should be used to optimize the business.

Since PDR, by its nature, is a mobile business - mobile software and mobile PDA devices are good places to start. Customers/dealerships need to schedule work. MobileDataforce has developed an application called FieldSync Automotive with a desktop FieldSync Manager and a mobile software application called FieldSync Mobile. This is a solution designed for paintless dent repair specialist to optimize their business, provide instant invoicing, document all services and inspections, and develop quality processes that enable you to expand your business and integrate with your accounting software in the office.

The purpose - grow and scale the business. Develop business processes that allow you to efficiently grow the business, ensure quality services and project a professional image.

PDR companies that show up at a dealership with a water stained paper form, don't present the same quality and credibility as a professional PDR service technician that is carrying a rugged handheld computer that is syncing wirelessly with the office scheduling and accounting system.