From the get-go, we’ve built Auxo Workshop with input from real mechanics and workshop owners, to make sure we were creating something that was truly fit for purpose. These industry experts have helped shape the product from its infancy through to today. We recently caught up with one of these integral people, Hamza Jawed, to see how his journey started and how things are going today.
It all started around 6-7 months ago, when Hamza purchased White Swan Autos, around the same time we were on the hunt for Auxo Workshop beta users. The stars aligned while Hamza was looking for a new Workshop Management System, and he managed to get through to our very own Head of Product, James Chang. One thing led to another, and Hamza became one of the very first Auxo Workshop users. From there, a kind of symbiotic relationship developed with the new software and White Swan Autos: Hamza would share the learnings and pain points of his new business, and in return would watch features and updates flesh out from his insights.
“James was really interested in my opinion.” Hamza said. “He would always ask whether a feature was something I would like, or something that I would use personally, and I was able to take stuff from him as well. I feel like since I was there from the start this software really feels like something I helped create, and I know where everything is in it.”
One of the first things that Hamza noticed once they introduced Auxo Workshop, was the improvement in data management. “The previous owner was an older guy, and he liked to do things old school,” Hamza laughs. “He liked to do things by hand, which worked for him, but for us it meant that all the customer and vehicle “data” was just a big pile of paper.”
Hamza and his accountant struggled at the start, trying to sort through the stacks. “We were dumping everything in Xero and my accountant wasn’t too happy with me. Once Auxo Workshop came along it made my life 100 times easier. It was easy to use, integrated with Xero and I could quickly tap in and tap out of it.”
Hamza also noticed a financial benefit to having more organised data. Being new to the ownership of the business, Hamza pretty much needed to build his clientele from scratch. The Auxo Workshop Reminders feature has helped him to quickly grow and retain a customer base.
“Being able to call up a customer and say “Hey, your WOF is coming up,” is a great way to build more of a bond with them,” Hamza says. “The system automatically reminds us, and then we can either send them a quick message, or we can give them a call. I love having the flexibility to keep things personal because it helps us bring back customers. Everyday there’s new faces and names, and we just keep building on that.”
Hamza was also pleasantly surprised by the addition of an Inventory & Parts feature, which arrived earlier than he expected. “I thought that would be a while away,” he said. “But the guys at Auxo have gotten it out fast. I thought it would be quite basic – like dropping a part into a job and done – but it’s more sophisticated than that. It’s got all the separate tyre size options in there, and things like that. I like Smart Templates too: as soon as I start typing, it’s already making suggestions about what I need and pulling those suggestions from past jobs. It saves me a lot of time.”
The intuitive and simple design of Auxo Workshop was also a huge selling point for Hamza. He’s tried to implement apps in the past with his team, most of which ended up in the “too hard” basket. “With apps we’ve used in the past the technology was just too complicated for some of the older guys to learn. We never had that issue with Auxo Workshop, it was easy for us from the get-go. It is super important for me that the techs are comfortable doing their jobs, and Auxo was able to make their life easier and my life easier.”
Overall, Hamza has been most impressed with how much more manageable the business has become since moving the business onto Auxo Workshop. Invoices and admin can be completed in a few clicks, and all his staff are comfortable using it, which has freed up his time to focus on the bigger picture. His team is under their own steam, and he’s no longer bogged down in the day-to-day. “The Live chat and support from Wesley, and the rest of the Auxo team means my staff can get quick help if they ever get stuck. I don’t have to be there all the time now and it’s freed me up massively. If you’re looking for something to help with time management and organisation, I really recommend it. It’s great!”
Auxo Workshop helps you organise and grow your business. Set goals, stay on top of your jobs, margins and communicate easily with customers. Say goodbye to paperwork and say hello to an easier way to run your workshop.
