Auto repair shop management software, module by module
Published · Vendor facts checked · Locomotion Editorial Team
The nine modules, and what to ask of each
Every shop management system is a bundle of modules. Below, each module carries the practical question that separates a surface-level demo from a workflow that holds up on the floor, followed by how Locomotion OS approaches that job.
1. Intake and scheduling
Ask: Can the front desk capture the customer complaint in their own words, decode the VIN, and schedule the bay without losing context?
In Locomotion OS, intake captures the customer complaint by voice or typed entry and requires a decoded 17-character VIN before a managed diagnosis case can open or Analysis A can run. Shops can also add the optional 24/7 Voice telephone assistant ($199 USD/location/month) to answer incoming calls and capture structured intake details.
2. Estimates and customer approval
Ask: Does the customer approve from a clear link, and does the record preserve what was approved as teardown findings evolve?
In Locomotion OS Full OS, estimates connect directly to the diagnosis case and work order. Customers receive a dedicated approval link to review and authorize the scope, and supplements raised after teardown stay tied to the same case.
3. The work board and bay coordination
Ask: Can you see every open job, its current phase, who is assigned, and what blocker is holding a bay?
Locomotion OS tracks each job across intake, diagnosis, parts staging, build/repair, and post-repair QC verification, with role-specific queues for diagnosticians, builders, R&R technicians, parts staff, and managers.
4. Inspections and diagnostic evidence
Ask: Are road-test findings, OBD-II trouble codes, and teardown evidence structured on the case, or buried in free-text notes?
Diagnosis is the primary object in Locomotion OS. Analysis A produces ranked initial hypotheses and testing directives from the complaint and history; Analysis B refines the hypothesis with road-test telemetry and live OBD-II scanner trouble codes. Both expose their supporting evidence, missing inputs, and confidence rationale, and require human confirmation.
5. Parts, inventory, and cores
Ask: How does the system separate required parts, likely needs, and teardown discoveries, and how are cores tracked?
Locomotion OS builds a staged parts packet from the confirmed diagnosis — keeping required items, likely needs, and teardown discoveries distinct — and connects purchase orders, receiving status, and core returns to the job. See our Parts Matrix overview for details.
6. Verification, invoicing, and closeout
Ask: Can an invoice be sent out before a complex rebuild or repair has passed its road test and code recheck?
On Locomotion-managed diagnosis cases (including Tekmetric jobs adopted into the diagnosis workflow), a passing post-repair road test and OBD-II verification record is required before invoicing, delivery, and closeout are unlocked.
7. Customer communication and CRM
Ask: What customer communication happens automatically, and what requires a separate marketing suite?
Searches for "auto repair shop CRM" usually refer to customer history, status updates, and follow-up campaigns. Locomotion OS keeps customer, vehicle, and communication records tied to the case and offers optional 24/7 AI phone intake (Voice), rather than acting as a bulk email/ad-campaign marketing suite.
8. Accounting and external integrations
Ask: Can the software coexist with your existing shop counter and accounting tools without destructive overwrites?
Locomotion OS supports an additive two-way Tekmetric mirror (adopting active orders into diagnosis cases when your team chooses) and connects with shop accounting and parts workflows. Integration scope is reviewed during onboarding.
9. Shop reporting and comeback tracking
Ask: Do reports start from operational reality — where jobs stall and which transmission families come back — or only from billed totals?
Locomotion OS reports on verification compliance, workflow bottlenecks, and comeback patterns by transmission family so owners and managers can address root causes on the floor.
Users, roles, and what it costs
When comparing shop management software, check whether the vendor charges per seat. For example, Shopmonkey includes 3 to 5 users depending on the tier and charges $20/month for each additional user (read from shopmonkey.io/pricing on 22 October 2026). Locomotion OS charges per location, not per seat: every plan includes unlimited staff logins and role-appropriate views for diagnosticians, technicians, builders, parts staff, and owners.
Locomotion OS Intelligence is $149 USD per location per month (diagnose alongside your current shop system) and Full OS is $499 USD per location per month (diagnosis plus full shop operations). Both include 1,000 completed Analysis A/B and refinement generations per month and a 7-day card-on-file trial with no annual commitment. For a full vendor price table, read our pillar guide on auto repair shop software costs.
Common questions
What is auto repair shop management software?
It is the operating system a repair shop uses to run daily work across nine modules: intake and scheduling, estimates and approvals, the work board, inspections and diagnosis, parts and cores, verification and invoicing, customer communication, accounting integrations, and shop reporting.
How is Locomotion OS different from general shop management software?
General shop management systems center on the counter repair order. Locomotion OS centers on the managed diagnosis case — enforcing a 17-character VIN gate, providing two-stage advisory diagnostic AI (Analysis A and B) with human confirmation, staging parts packets across teardown, and requiring post-repair verification before invoicing and closeout.
Can we keep Tekmetric and use Locomotion OS for diagnosis management?
Yes. With the Intelligence edition ($149 USD/location/month) or Full OS ($499 USD/location/month), Locomotion OS maintains an additive two-way Tekmetric mirror so your team can adopt active Tekmetric work orders into managed diagnosis cases without overwriting your counter system.
Does Locomotion OS charge per user?
No. Pricing is per location per month ($149 USD for Intelligence, $499 USD for Full OS) and includes unlimited staff users and unlimited stored cases.
What does the mandatory verification gate do?
For jobs managed through a Locomotion diagnosis case, the system requires a passing post-repair road test and OBD-II code verification record before unlocking invoicing, vehicle delivery, and case closeout.
Sources
Read next
Auto repair shop software: what it costs
Published October 2026 prices across Tekmetric, Shopmonkey, Shop-Ware, AutoLeap, Protractor, Mitchell 1, and Locomotion OS.
AutoLeap pricing in October 2026
Plan-by-plan breakdown of AutoLeap Essentials, Pro, and Elite, plus setup fee and Tekmetric comparison.
Tekmetric & shop integrations
How Locomotion OS connects with Tekmetric, PartsTech, Transtar, and QuickBooks.
Bring your last transmission comeback to a walkthrough.
See how Locomotion OS connects intake, Analysis A/B, parts staging, and post-repair verification — alongside Tekmetric or as your full shop OS.