System Steers Smaller Repair Shops

SAN RAMON, Calif.--To meet the unique needs of growing body shops, ADP Collision Repair Services and Akzo Nobel Coatings Inc. have released Stellix Essentials--a modified version of its collision repair management system now known as Stellix Pro.

Stellix Essentials is primarily designed for collision repair facilities doing less than $1 million in annual revenue. As shops grow and their management needs increase, the system can be upgraded to Stellix Pro without any loss of data or any need to learn a new application, according to the companies.

The system monitors technician production and job costing on screens that closely resemble the ones already used in body shop offices.

The ShopView feature provides instant at-a-glance views of all repair orders, including the status and alerts in parts, labor, production and sublet work.

Created specifically for growing body shops that require three or fewer users, Stellix Essentials is an upgradeable entry-level shop management system. “It goes beyond traditional ‘job costing’ systems, and focuses, instead, on total operational efficiency,” said Anthony Spina, the Stellix product manager for ADP Collision Repair Services.

Reports through the system give users “a commanding position” for tracking parts, production and labor, as well as analyzing repair delays.

“We have spoken to a number of shop owners who have been impressed by the management tools contained in Stellix Pro, but don’t necessarily experience the volume of business for which the system is designed,” said Spina. “With Stellix Essentials, we have created a version of Stellix to better fit the needs of smaller body shops,” he added.

“Stellix Essentials contains the critical features found in our Stellix Pro system, so users can be sure that they will have access to those powerful operational tools,” said Spina. “Moreover, this new offering also comes with the option to add some features for additional costs, such as an interface to the other leading vehicle repair estimating systems and an interface to the primary accounting systems used by body shops in the U.S.”

Stellix was developed jointly by ADP and Akzo Nobel.

For more information, contact www.csg.adp.com.