ARI (Auto Repair Software)

Pros: ARI is making moves in the positive direction. They are always taking input and making changes and adjustments. I own a powersports shop and it works pretty good for what is needed.
They are adding more powersports units all the time. The system is pretty easy to use as well and self explanatory. Payment integrations work well. Inventory system works good.

Cons: A lot of shops run off desktop and while it works well on desktop some features are geared toward the mobile app. Such as scanning parts to add to inventory..
I use the SMS part to let customers know their order is done, but I would like to be able to customize what it says to the customer by using code to pull certain things out of the invoice. As of right now its all manual typing

Overall: I like ARI, they are making changes so i see huge potential coming down the pipeline sooner then later.

Pros: ARI is hard to beat. The team is constantly rolling out improvements, and support is genuinely responsive when we need help. It makes our independent shop look organized and put together to customers, especially with license plate recognition and Carfax integration built right in. Sending digital estimates via text message has been a great feature for customer convenience, and having full customer history on hand makes every interaction smoother.

Cons: It took a little time to understand the workflow at first, figuring out job cards, estimates, invoices, and how to group items properly. Once we got the internal language down and settled into a routine, it's been great.

Overall: It's been exactly what our business needed. Very happy we found ARI early on. As a small business, finding a software solution like this at a fair price has been a game changer. Competing solutions were outrageously expensive and beyond our reach. ARI gave us everything we needed, and at this point, we'll stay with them as the business grows. Great experience, keep it up ARI.

Pros: the app is user friendly and very detailed. we love the app because it keeps us caught up & keep everything in one area for our customers & our employees

Cons: the email connects & the terminal situation. the excel spreadsheet for timeclock reports could be better too.

Overall: we love the app because it keeps us caught up & keep everything in one area for our customers & our employees.

Pros: Excellent customer services
Constant beautiful updates
Always willing to help
Fantastic team of experts

Cons: Sometimes the loading of the website is slow and we lose some data occasionally.

Overall: ARI customer service is second to none. The speed and the attention they pay to every customer is amazing. Despite the numerous customers, they still find a way to meet everybody's demand.
Secondly, the constant upgrade of their services is superb. Since I started using ARI, I have loved it. sometimes they add features that are so important, even when we do not request for them. Our work processes have been easier and more and more professional.

Pros: Had been doing invoices on paper for some years and would be hard to find previous repairs even being organized since it was per month/year so moving to ari helped a lot with just being able to pull up all previous repairs electronically but it also shows on carfax

Cons: Only issue I see if being able to link proceed with it which I do but doesn’t work it’s just blank

Overall: Love it and worth the money to keep using it monthly. Don’t have to deal with any paper copy’s anymore

Pros: ARI is mobile device friendly and is best used for a small shop or mobile mechanic or road service.

Cons: The software cannot handle large inventory parts, if you have over thousands of inventory items it will crash at times and be slow to load. Also it would be nice if ARI could accept ACH/Zelle.

Overall: ARI is everything I am looking for as Mobile Mechanic. It makes my business professional and stand out from everyone else.

Pros: We've been very happy with this software since purchasing it. It's user-friendly and easy to learn, which made the transition smooth for our team. One of the biggest advantages is how much it reduces the manual work involved with inventory management, saving us time and helping improve accuracy. The customer communication features are also excellent, making it easy to send updates, estimates, and keep customers informed throughout the repair process.

Cons: There are a couple of areas that could be improved. The diagnostic section can be slow to load at times, which can interrupt workflow. We've also found that the recommended oil capacity isn't always accurate for every vehicle, so it's important to verify the amount before completing a service.

Overall: Overall, this software has been a great investment for our shop. The time savings, ease of use, and customer communication tools far outweigh the few minor issues we've encountered.

Pros: Low cost compared to other shop management softwares. Good inventory tracking. Easy billing creation and monitoring, nice interface. Constantly updated with new features.

Cons: Needs a better employe/employer system for time punches on jobs.

Overall: Overall happy with the product. For the price point it offers great features. The employee section and job punches need some work.

Pros: ARI has enabled our auto service unit to standardize every step of repair from inspection to final invoice mirroring the same structured approach we use in GMP-regulated environments.

Cons: Compared to enterprise GMP platforms, ARI’s integration ecosystem is still growing. Sync with specialized diagnostic systems or advanced asset management tools is either manual or requires API workarounds.

Overall: ARI may be built for auto repair, but its structure and transparency align perfectly with our GMP work culture. It streamlines task accountability, supports detailed digital service records, and keeps workflows lean qualities we value deeply in regulated environments.

Pros: Appointment booking is a very nice feature, I like how it is set up in a way where it send automatic reminders to customers.

Also, the Motor integration is very helpful to find the specifications of all of the different fluids

Cons: I wish there was a way for me to click a button to clock out all of the technicians at the end of the day given that unfortunately they always forget to clock out.

Overall: Before ARI, it used to be very hard to manage tire storage however now it's way easier to enter the tire storage details as well as complete an inspection for the tires.

It's easy to locate the shop billed hours and the technician productivity and efficiency

Pros: It's mobile-friendly, features AI data extraction, license plate recognition, and a client portal. Robust reporting and work order tools boost efficiency.

Cons: Mobile experience, while useful, may have occasional performance issues depending on device compatibility. Integration with third party tools could be improved for smoother workflows.

Overall: While there’s a slight learning curve, its comprehensive functionality and ongoing improvements make it a top choice for shops seeking to streamline operations and grow their business effectively.

Pros: I like that I can easily look up a customer's history. I also like that I can both email and text them information about their cars. The online billing options are good too.

Cons: There really isn't anything I dislike per say. Sometimes the system goes down but that is a server side, not software, issue. I honestly don't have any suggestions for change.

Overall: Communication with customers is the biggest problem solving benefit. It is also nice that we can see our customers information across all of our shops as sometimes they like to go to different locations.

Pros: ARI has streamlined our process and allowed us to go completely paperless.

The transparent interaction with the customer really helps get the repairs sold.

Cons: Inventory reporting exports need to be more detailed. Need to be able to export by vendor.

Overall: Speed of estimate approvals much improved. Less time on the phone and easy implementation of the device

Pros: ARI is browser-based, so I can access it anywhere! This is super helpful so that I can check the status of things even if I'm out of the office at an appointment or even taking the day to work from home. I don't need to feel guilty about taking a day off of work or even a week for vacation when I know I can check in and help out if needed.

Cons: It seems like every time an update is pushed out, the system crashes the next day or there are other features that stop working because a new update was pushed out. This is very frustrating!

Overall: ARI is helping us save the planet! We are essentially 100% paperless after switching to Shop-Ware. We are able to do everything with the use of a desktop computer, laptop, cell phone, or tablet. We no longer have to worry about keeping the technician's paper work orders in the correct orders in racks in the shop because we can switch things up with a simple "click and drag!

Pros: Very easy to use, has excellent training resources, and the response time from the software development team is amazing. It's almost like they can read my mind as to what needs to be changed and added!

Cons: We also integrate with 360 Payments and it would be great to be able to have a customer make a parts deposit via text link on an estimate. A "Favorites" for analytics would be great for organizing often viewed stats and graphs, along with the ability to toggle between bar graph, pie chart, and line graph.

Overall: Comprehensive, easy to maneuver system that gives us all the information we need throughout the day.

Pros: It's easy to use and easy to access. Also, from a manager's position, it's easy to keep track of the workflow.

Cons: I want an option to revert an open Work Order to an Estimate.

The numbers in Reports - Technician Report do not match the numbers in the Analytics - Technician Report Card.

I need Technicians and advisors separate or advisors taken out of the Reports - Technician Report.

Add in a Service Clocks tab under Reports.

Add in a delete option for Shift Clocks and Service Clocks.

In Analytics, I want the option to export data to excel.

In Analytics, I want the option to change graphs between line, bar, pie.

In Analytics, I want the option to look at graphs between weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually.

A search option in the Estimates calendar is needed to find customer's appointments and ROs.

In Analytics - Duration of Service, add in a graph to track "No Status, Checked In, Needs Estimate, Waiting for Approval, Needs Parts Ordered, Waiting for Parts, Work In Queue, Work In Progress, Quality Control, Ready for Pickup, Completed and Contacted, Waiting for Dispatch, Problem, Waiting for Sublet, Needs Scheduled, and Needs Deposit Paid".

Overall: The problem of transparency in the industry that is typically not seen as trustworthy. Trying to track KPI's and learn about how the business is performing is also a challenge that we are able to overcome with ARI.

Pros: ARI is built around a modern shop; they are focused on the customer interaction and constant updates and improvements. The community of ARI users is strong and very helpful. The business seems to be founded and run by shop-owners, and it shows in the details. The integration with PartsTech makes it a one-stop system. An entire shop can be run with just this system.

Cons: ARI doesn't have the best digital vehicle inspections. As a user, you can build from scratch, but I've demoed other systems with a very useful and technician-friendly interface.

Overall: Increasing efficiency across the board by tracking all parts purchased, optimizing the price based on revenue projections, increasing average RO prices and making sure technician hours are tracked accurately.

Pros: I love that we can have one program for many different functions. It is helpful to be able to communicate with customers from their profiles and it is all documented for reference back if needed

Cons: I do not like that I cannot custom name the fee categories. I would like to add Waste Disposal instead of EPA or for us we do not deal with Tires so it could take the place of "tires" as a fee as well.

Overall: It assists me in communication with customers, service writing and price comparison with the parts tech system

Pros: The program has a ton of features. It easily links with QuickBooks and has a variety of reports. It covers my inventory needs and makes ordering stock parts very simple. I have my main vendors set up for one push ordering.

Cons: My computer is the master, I often lose connection to my employees' computers which becomes incredibly irritating.

Overall: The reports the program offers are far more valuable than any report I can create I'm QuickBooks as it offers me more detailed information based on each technician or each department separately. I have 5 repair departments that all work on different types of vehicles and this allows me to categorize them for reporting purposes.

Pros: So glad we made the switch to ARI! We were nervous about the transition, but it was incredibly smooth, and their customer service was top-notch every step of the way. If you're considering it—do it, you won't regret it! From service advisors to technicians and even our customers, everyone benefits.

Our customers especially love the text feature, allowing them to review inspection results, check estimates, and approve repairs with just a click of a button. The system is streamlined and fully integrated, making our workflow smoother than ever.

Another huge plus is that ARI is constantly improving based on customer feedback. They have a feature request system, so they actually listen to shops and make updates that matter. Highly recommend ARI for any shop looking to improve efficiency and customer experience!

Cons: There’s always room for improvement, and one feature that would be extremely helpful is the ability to account for core inventory. Having a more streamlined way to track cores would make inventory management even more efficient. That said, ARI is always evolving based on customer feedback, so we appreciate their commitment to continuous improvement!

Overall: From an internal perspective, the system has made it much easier to manage work orders, track parts, and stay organized. The integrated texting feature allows customers to easily review inspection results, check estimates, and approve repairs with a click of a button—eliminating back-and-forth phone calls and speeding up the approval process.