MCP Technologies is confident its AutoFlow bodyshop management system can take conquest business from rival systems, which it says are outdated.

AutoFlow director Richard Mountford, a former Audatex UK sales manager, said: “There have been many changes in the industry with consolidation and rising customer expectations. Many of the existing management systems have not adapted to meet these changes – they are working on the precis of five years ago.

“We have identified the areas in the bodyshop where problems could be expected to arise. AutoFlow catches the costs from the moment of notification, not from when the car enters the bodyshop.”

Despite the difficult trading environment, where a lack of profitability means repairers are struggling to reinvest, AutoFlow has secured five bodyshop sites – in line with its forecasts. The system, which costs £15 a week for each terminal installed, expects to breakeven within 18 months.

The system – which managers can access externally via the internet – monitors the real time progress of every job via an electronic T Card. Repairers can prioritise work queues, pre-empt problems and assess profitability from each work provider.

“Management systems need to analyse the overall collection of vehicles from any one work provider so a bodyshop can decide whether the work is profitable,” said Mr Mountford. “Some bodyshops are subsidising insurers because they have not got their facts in hand.”