Start Here: Tell Us Who You Are and What Keeps You Up at Night

• Which role best describes your primary responsibility at the dealership? Options: Fixed Operations Director, Service Manager, Dealer Principal/Owner, IT/Integration Lead, Parts Manager, Other
• On an average weekday, roughly how many repair orders does your service department process? Options: <40, 40–59, 60–79, 80–99, 100+
• Which three outcomes are you most under pressure to improve right now? Options: Revenue per RO, Advisor throughput / time per write‑up, Inspection compliance, Parts gross profit, Customer retention / return visits, Reporting visibility / accuracy, Technician productivity, Other
• Which of these tools or workflows do you currently rely on in the service lane? Options: Dealer Management System (DMS), Paper write‑ups, Spreadsheets / CSVs, Tablet inspection app, Phone / text approvals, Proprietary dealership tools, Other
• Describe a recent shift that felt 'typical'—what ran smoothly and what repeatedly caused friction?

Are You Quietly Accepting Revenue Leakage?

• How much revenue do you estimate is lost each month because inspections, pricing, or approvals fail to convert? Options: <$5k, $5k–$15k, $15k–$50k, $50k–$100k, >$100k, Not sure / haven't measured
• Where does that leakage show up most often in your shop? Options: Declined recommended services, Parts price markdowns or errors, Missed upsells at write‑up, Lost follow‑ups / no-shows, DMS sync failures, Other
• Thinking of the last month, give a concrete example of a lost sale or margin event—what happened and why did it slip through?
• How do you currently track 'lost opportunities'—is it ad‑hoc, spreadsheet-based, reported from DMS, or not tracked? Options: Ad‑hoc notes, Spreadsheets, DMS reports, Third-party reporting, Not tracked / unknown
• If we could automatically capture one data point that would reduce this leakage, which would you choose? Options: Inspection decline reason, Photo/video evidence with RO, Time from inspection to customer approval, Parts cost variances per RO, Advisor offer/close rates, Other

What’s Turning Advisors into Bottlenecks?

• What if advisor write‑ups are the single biggest brake on your ability to sell—how true does that feel in your operation? Options: Completely true, Somewhat true, Rarely true, Not true
• How long does an advisor typically spend on a write‑up from customer greeting to final RO submit? Options: <10 minutes, 10–15 minutes, 16–25 minutes, 26–40 minutes, 40+ minutes
• Which parts of the write‑up process absorb the most time or cause the most confusion? Options: Customer history lookup, Estimating labor/parts, Inspection review with customer, DMS entry/sync, Getting photos/video attached, Customer payment/approval flows, Other
• Tell a recent story where an advisor lost momentum with a customer—what broke down and what was the outcome?
• How do advisors feel about digital tools—are they early adopters, resistant, or somewhere in between? Options: Enthusiastic early adopters, Cautiously optimistic, Resistant / prefer old ways, Mixed across team
• What training or incentives have you tried to speed advisor throughput, and how effective were they?

When Inspections Don't Happen, Who Pays?

• How often do inspections get skipped, rushed, or returned without usable photos/video? Options: Almost always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never / don't know
• What percentage of ROs would you estimate include complete inspection evidence (photos + notes) today? Options: <25%, 25–49%, 50–74%, 75–89%, 90–100%, Don't know
• When technicians don't capture inspection evidence, what's usually the root cause? Options: Time pressure, Workflow complexity, Device issues, Lack of buy‑in, Unclear expectations, Other
• How does missing or low‑quality inspection evidence affect customer approvals, callbacks, or dispute resolution?
• Describe a recent incident where poor inspection capture led to a negative outcome—what happened and what did you do?

If One Metric Could Change Everything, Which One Is It?

• Which single KPI would you bet the business on to represent success for this platform? Options: Revenue per RO, Inspection compliance rate, Advisor time per write‑up, Parts gross profit %, Declined service recovery rate, Customer return rate, Other
• What is your current baseline for that KPI (please give a number or range)?
• What is your realistic target for that KPI within 90 days of go‑live? Options: <5% improvement, 5–10% improvement, 10–20% improvement, 20%+ improvement, Unsure / need baseline
• How is that KPI currently measured and who reviews it weekly or monthly? Options: DMS native report, Third‑party dashboard, Manual spreadsheet, Not measured regularly, Other
• How confident are you in the accuracy of the raw data that feeds that KPI? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Not confident, Don't know

Who Holds the Keys to Saying Yes (and No)?

• Who are the essential stakeholders who must approve this project—and who tends to block deals? Options: Fixed Ops Director, Service Manager, Dealer Principal, CFO / Finance, IT / Security, Parts Manager, General Manager, Other
• Which stakeholder groups care most about integration and data security, and what are their top concerns? Options: IT / Security - access & credentials, Finance - ROI and cost, Operations - disruption to shop, Service Advisors - usability, Technicians - time to complete inspections, Other
• What's the typical timeline from initial interest to signed agreement at your dealership? Options: <30 days, 30–60 days, 60–90 days, 3–6 months, 6+ months
• Have you required legal, compliance, or vendor security questionnaires for integrations before? If so, any sticking points?
• Tell us about a past technology purchase that stalled—who pulled the emergency brake and why?

Is Your Go‑Live a Handoff or a Shared Win?

• Are you planning for user adoption (day 30/60/90) or just a technical cutover—what matters most to you after launch? Options: Adoption and KPI lift, Technical stability only, Pilot first, then scale, Unsure / need guidance
• Which acceptance criteria would make you call the deployment a success? Options: RO sync within X minutes, Inspection evidence attached on >X% ROs, Advisor time reduction of Y minutes, Parts pricing accuracy within X%, User adoption rate >X%, Other
• Do you have sample ROs and parts catalog data available for testing now, or will we need to request them? Options: Samples ready and available, Need to extract / request, Partial samples available, Not sure
• Who on your team will own integrations, training, and go‑live communications (please list names and roles)?
• What devices and connectivity will advisors and technicians use (dealership‑owned tablets, personal devices, kiosk, etc.)? Options: Dealership‑owned tablets, Technician personal devices, Advisor laptops/desktops, Fixed kiosks, Mixture of the above, Other
• What is your ideal go‑live date or window? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, 3+ months, Flexible / TBD

What Could Break This — and How Will We Catch It?

• If you had to name the single failure mode that worries you most after deployment, what is it? Options: DMS integration failure, Low advisor adoption, Technician resistance to inspections, Parts catalog mismatches, Data accuracy issues, Other
• Which of these mitigation measures are you willing to commit to ahead of go‑live? Options: Designated integration owner, Device provisioning and testing, Advisor & tech shadow training, Pilot with small team, Dedicated success manager, Other
• Do you have the necessary DMS credentials and API access, or will we need assistance from your DMS provider/IT? Options: Credentials & API access available, Need IT assistance to obtain, Require vendor coordination, Don't know yet
• Describe a recent integration or deployment that encountered problems—what failed, who resolved it, and how long did it take?
• Realistically, how quickly can your team commit the people and time needed for testing, training, and initial adoption work? Options: Full time for several weeks, Part time availability, Limited availability (weeks/months), Only after other projects complete
• What early warning signals should we monitor in the first 30 days to decide if we're on track? Options: RO sync errors, Inspection attach rates, Advisor login/adoption, Parts pricing exceptions, Customer approval times, Other

• Solution Experience — Pre‑Work Alignment
• Advisor Workflow — Contextual Live Walkthrough
• Technician Inspection & Parts Workflow — Contextual Live Walkthrough
• End‑to‑End Repair Order & DMS Integration Validation
• Validation & Consensus — Outcomes, Acceptance, and Next Steps

• Agree acceptance pass/fail for integration and a remediation plan for any failures.
• Identify any advisor workflow exceptions or configuration gaps that would block achieving the future state.
• List required UI/config changes (service menus, pricing templates) and assign owner for each.
• Customer to nominate 1–2 advisor pilot users and provide access to their devices for a pilot run.
• Product team to provide estimated time savings calculation based on observed advisor flow for this customer's volumes.
• Recap & Focus Areas
• Prove that inspection capture with media enforces compliance and provides defensible evidence.
• Validate parts selection and pricing flow preserves expected GP and synchronizes reliably to the DMS.
• Confirm the technician workflow is realistic for existing device types and shop pace.
• Customer to supply sample parts catalog extract and identify any non‑standard SKUs for mapping.
• Technical team to run a parts sync test and share log of SKU mappings and price differentials.
• Operations lead to schedule a small technician pilot (2–3 techs) and capture time per inspection baseline during pilot.
• Integration Scope Recap
• Confirm RO records are accurately created/updated in the DMS from platform actions.
• Validate that parts ordering preserves pricing and GP in the DMS and downstream reporting.
• Intro & Objectives
• Integration engineer to provide sync test logs and list of any field mismatches found during the session.
• Customer IT to approve a remediation window and assign resources for any required DMS-side fixes.
• Define monitoring alerts and the process for reconciling GP or SKU mismatches post‑deployment.
• Stakeholder consensus on which acceptance criteria are satisfied and which require remediation.
• Clear decision to proceed to pilot, solution scoping, or commercial review with owners and deadlines.
• Summary of Validations vs Future State
• A prioritized remediation/action list for any unmet acceptance items with assigned owners and dates.
• Prepare a concise 'Validated Outcomes' summary document that maps evidence to acceptance criteria.
• Create a prioritized remediation backlog and schedule any follow‑ups required before the Mutual Commit stage.
• If approved, schedule Solution Scope and Mutual Commit meetings with proposed timelines and required decision makers.
• A single agreed current‑state sentence that frames all demonstrations.
• Quantified consequence metrics (time, $) that make the problem urgent.
• A one‑sentence future state that defines what 'better' looks like operationally.
• All pre‑work artifacts and DMS access confirmed to enable live, contextual walkthroughs.
• Customer to deliver 3 representative sample ROs and current KPI baseline (revenue/RO, hours/RO, inspection compliance).
• Customer IT to provide DMS credentials with agreed scope and a sandbox or sample API logs.
• Assign customer validation owners for advisor and technician sessions and confirm device availability for live demos.
• Recap Preconditions
• Prove advisor write‑up time reduction using the customer's own RO data.
• Validate that the customer‑facing inspection preserves trust and drives approvals.
• Single‑Sentence Current State
• Live Technician Inspection (Proof)
• Live Check‑In & VIN Capture (Proof)
• Acceptance Criteria Review
• Live RO Create/Update (Proof)
• Parts Order & Pricing Flow (Proof)
• Technician Handoff & Advisor View
• Write‑Up Flow Using Customer Data (Proof)
• Open Issues, Risks & Mitigations
• Quantify Consequence
• Inspection Presentation to Customer (Trust Test)
• Decision & Next Steps
• Parts Selection, Pricing & Order Flow (DMS Sync Proof)
• Status Sync & Reconciliation
• Define One‑Sentence Future State
• Acceptance Criteria Walkthrough
• Tiebacks to Problems
• Feedback & Close
• Exception Handling & Offline Scenarios
• Pre‑work Checklist & Data Confirmation
• Plan Walkthroughs & Roles
• Validation Checkpoints
• Forced Validation Checkpoints
• Next‑Step Escalation & SLAs

• Deploy Online Appointment Booking Portal
• Install Tablet Check-In with VIN Scanning
• Enable Digital Multi-Point Inspection (Photo/Video)
• Activate SMS and Email Customer Approval Links
• Integrate Parts Ordering with Dealership DMS
• Sync Repair Orders and Customer Records to DMS
• Enable Service Menu Pricing on Advisor Tablets
• Deploy Technician Mobile Inspection App
• Activate Post-Service Follow-Up Automation
• Enable Reporting Dashboards for RO Metrics
• Deliver Advisor and Technician Hands-On Training
• Activate Parts Cost and Gross Profit Tracking

Deploy Online Appointment Booking Portal

• Do you want online appointment booking enabled for customers today? Options: Yes, No
• Which channels should accept online bookings? Options: Dealer website, Google/Maps booking, Facebook/Meta, Third-party marketplace (e.g., Yelp), In-dealer kiosk
• What are your standard service types and typical durations (list by service name and minutes)?
• What operating hours and appointment window rules should the portal enforce? Options: Same hours every day, Different hours by weekday, Custom blackout dates/holidays
• What customer/vehicle fields must be captured at booking (e.g., VIN, phone, reason for visit)? Options: Customer name, Phone, Email, VIN, License plate, Appointment notes/reason
• Do you require real-time availability syncing with your DMS or calendar? Options: Yes - real-time, Yes - nightly sync, No

Install Tablet Check-In with VIN Scanning

• Will advisors use a dedicated tablet for check-in or shared devices? Options: Dedicated per advisor, Shared pool of tablets, Advisor mobile devices (BYOD)
• Do you want VIN capture by barcode/QR or manual entry? Options: Barcode/QR scan, OCR from license plate, Manual entry only, Both scan and manual
• What customer verification fields are required at check-in (e.g., phone, last name, loyalty)? Options: Email, Phone number, Last name, Loyalty ID, Odometer
• Do you need check-in flows for walk-ins, appointment arrivals, and shuttle/loaner requests? Options: Walk-ins, Appointments, Shuttle request, Loaner request, Vehicle pickup scheduling
• Are there branding or consent screens (e.g., photos, terms) that must be shown at check-in? Options: Yes - legal consent, Yes - marketing opt-in, No
• Describe any integrations required at check-in (DMS appointment lookup, CRM, loyalty).

Enable Digital Multi-Point Inspection (Photo/Video)

• Should inspections be required for every RO, or only selected service types? Options: Every RO, Selected services only, Optional by advisor/tech
• Do you require photo and/or video capture for each inspection point? Options: Photo only, Photo + short video, Photos optional
• Do inspection templates need to be vehicle-specific (make/model) or generic? Options: Vehicle-specific templates, Generic templates by service type, Both
• What approval/decline flows should be available to customers for inspection findings? Options: Approve via SMS link, Approve via email link, Discuss with advisor in-person, Decline and mark as declined
• Are there required fields or compliance checkpoints technicians must complete in every inspection? Options: Yes - required checkpoints, No - freeform
• List any file size, storage retention, or privacy rules for storing inspection media.

Activate SMS and Email Customer Approval Links

• Do you want approvals delivered by SMS, email, or both? Options: SMS only, Email only, Both SMS and email
• What is the required content of approval messages (price, photos, tech notes)? Options: Price + images, Images only, Price + images + technician notes, Custom message template
• Do approvals need digital signatures or simple click-to-accept links? Options: Click-to-accept link, Digital signature required, Phone confirmation acceptable
• What auto-reminder cadence should be used for pending approvals? Options: No reminders, One reminder after 1 hour, Multiple reminders (1hr, 4hr, 24hr), Custom schedule
• Are there regulatory or privacy consent statements to include in messages? Options: Yes - include consent text, No
• Do you need approval events to automatically update the RO and trigger parts ordering? Options: Yes - auto update and trigger, Yes - update only, No - manual update

Integrate Parts Ordering with Dealership DMS

• Which DMS vendor and version does your dealership use for parts and RO management?
• Should parts ordering be automatic on approval or require advisor confirmation? Options: Auto-order on approval, Advisor confirms before order, Tech initiates orders for parts
• Do you require parts vendor integrations or only DMS-based internal ordering? Options: DMS internal ordering only, Direct vendor ordering (e.g., local distributor), Both
• How should parts pricing (list vs cost) be handled when creating orders? Options: Use DMS list price, Use provided cost overrides, Apply store markup rules
• Are there parts approval workflows for high-cost items or special order parts? Options: Yes - threshold approvals, No - no thresholds
• Describe required mappings between platform SKU/part IDs and DMS part numbers.

Sync Repair Orders and Customer Records to DMS

• Do you require one-way (platform→DMS) or two-way sync for ROs and customer records? Options: One-way platform→DMS, Two-way sync, DMS→platform only
• Which RO fields must be synced (customer, VIN, labor, parts, approvals)? Options: Customer contact, VIN, Labor ops, Parts lines, Approval timestamps
• What is your acceptable sync latency for RO updates? Options: Real-time (seconds), Near real-time (minutes), Batch (hourly/daily)
• Are there existing DMS custom fields or modifiers that must be preserved during sync? Options: Yes - custom fields present, No - standard mappings only
• Who will own DMS credentials and connectivity (IT, vendor, third-party)? Options: Dealer IT, Third-party integrator, CustomerNode support team
• Describe your rollback or reconciliation expectation if a sync fails (manual fix, auto-retry, alerting). Options: Auto-retry and alert, Manual reconciliation required, Automatic rollback

Enable Service Menu Pricing on Advisor Tablets

• Do you maintain a service menu with pre-defined prices today? Options: Yes - up to date, Yes - needs cleanup, No - not using service menu
• Should service menu prices be editable by advisors at write-up? Options: Editable by advisors, Locked - HQ edits only, Editable with manager approval
• Do you want tiered pricing or loyalty discounts applied automatically? Options: Yes - tiered pricing, Yes - loyalty discounts, No automatic discounts
• What product/services should appear on the tablet menu (list key categories)?
• Are price lists synced from DMS or maintained separately in the platform? Options: Synced from DMS, Maintained in platform, Hybrid
• Do you require audit logs or price change history for compliance? Options: Yes - audit required, No

Deploy Technician Mobile Inspection App

• How many technicians will use the mobile inspection app initially? Options: 1-5, 6-15, 16-30, 30+
• Do techs need offline capability when Wi-Fi/cellular is unavailable? Options: Yes - offline support required, No - always online expected
• What device types will technicians use (company tablets, phones, BYOD)? Options: Company tablets, Company phones, Technician BYOD
• Should technician app enforce required inspection steps or allow flexible notes? Options: Enforce required steps, Flexible notes with optional checks, Hybrid (required critical steps)
• Do you want skill or certification tagging for technicians in the app? Options: Yes - skill tags, No
• Are there integration points from the tech app to parts ordering or RO updates? Options: Direct parts ordering, Push to advisor for approval, No integration required

Activate Post-Service Follow-Up Automation

• Which post-service actions should be automated (survey, review request, follow-up offer)? Options: Customer satisfaction survey, Review request (online), Service reminders, Retention offers
• What timing should be used for follow-ups (immediate, 24 hours, 7 days)? Options: Immediate (0-1 day), 24 hours, 3 days, 7+ days
• Do you want responses to follow-ups routed to a shared inbox or individual roles? Options: Shared inbox, Assigned to advisor, Assigned to service manager
• Should follow-up workflows include automated recovery for negative feedback? Options: Yes - escalate negative feedback, No - only collect surveys
• Are there branding or legal constraints for outbound follow-up messaging? Options: Yes - must include legal text, No
• Do you want campaign reporting (open rates, NPS, conversion) included? Options: Yes - include reporting, No

Enable Reporting Dashboards for RO Metrics

• Which KPIs must be visible on dashboards (select all that apply)? Options: Revenue per RO, Hours per RO, Inspection compliance, Advisor throughput/time per write-up, Declined recovery, Customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS)
• Do you require role-based dashboards (advisor, manager, dealer principal)? Options: Yes - role-based, No - shared dashboard
• What reporting cadence do you expect (real-time, daily, weekly, monthly)? Options: Real-time, Daily, Weekly, Monthly
• Are there existing reports you need duplicated from the DMS into the new dashboards? Options: Yes - specific DMS reports, No
• Do you need exportable reports (CSV/PDF) or scheduled email delivery? Options: Exportable CSV/PDF, Scheduled email reports, Both
• List any custom metrics or formulas (e.g., effective labor rate calculation) required.

• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Commercial Terms & Pricing
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Payment & Invoicing Schedule
• DMS/API Access & Integration Checklist
• Roles & Responsibilities (RACI)
• Implementation Timeline & Milestones
• Acceptance Criteria & KPI Validation Plan
• Data Processing Agreement (DPA) & Security Requirements
• Training & Support Commitment
• Go‑Live Governance & Escalation Plan
• Change Order & Scope Management
• Final Go‑Live Signoff

• Success Review — KPI Outcomes & Business Impact
• KPI Deep Dive & Data Validation
• Continuous Improvement Retrospective
• Enhancement Prioritization & Shared Backlog Governance
• Monthly Operations Health Check (15-30 min)

• Ensure alignment between dealer priorities and the product team's roadmap capacity.
• Document any data limitations and update the KPI definitions registry.
• Set the Frame
• Generate a prioritized set of operational improvements tied to KPI lift and assign clear owners.
• Capture training and enablement needs and set dates for reinforcement sessions.
• Establish a cadence for follow-up on improvement items and measure impact.
• Create an improvement backlog item for each agreed change with acceptance criteria and due dates.
• Schedule short role-based coaching sessions for advisors/technicians within 2 weeks.
• Update SOPs and quick-reference job aids to reflect the process changes.
• Backlog Review & Triage
• Create a clear, prioritized backlog with accepted SLAs and owners for each item.
• Welcome & Objectives
• Define communication and release plans to minimize operational disruption.
• Move prioritized items into the tracking system with owners, priority tags, and target release windows.
• Publish the upcoming fixes/releases and training notes to the shared channel and operations staff.
• Establish a recurring backlog grooming cadence (biweekly/monthly) and invite governance stakeholders.
• Quick KPI Pulse
• Maintain operational visibility on KPIs and surface urgent issues quickly.
• Ensure the shared channel backlog reflects current priorities and owner accountability.
• Prevent regressions by confirming short-term mitigation actions where needed.
• Update the shared channel with meeting notes, owners, and deadlines within 24 hours.
• Assign rapid-response owner for any newly surfaced blocker and schedule follow-up.
• If KPI trend is negative, trigger a deeper KPI Deep Dive within 7 days.
• Validate whether deployment has met agreed success signals and contractual acceptance criteria.
• Convert KPI changes into clear business impact (revenue, time savings, compliance improvement).
• Assign owners and timelines for any remediation or acceptance sign-off.
• Produce a one‑page acceptance summary with supporting KPI extracts and send to dealer principal and stakeholders.
• If targets not met, create an acceptance remediation plan with owners, milestones, and success thresholds.
• Schedule the next KPI checkpoint and determine required data extracts for that meeting.
• Pre-work Review
• Assure KPI accuracy by validating data sources and resolving any integration or mapping issues.
• Identify root causes for KPI gaps and classify them as system, configuration, or human/process issues.
• Agree on a remediation and retest plan with owners and clear acceptance criteria.
• Assign an engineer to resolve identified DMS mapping/API errors and provide ETA for fixes.
• Generate reconciled KPI report post-fix and circulate to stakeholders for validation.
• Prioritization Framework
• Data Flow & Integration Health
• Executive KPI Snapshot
• Open Blockers
• What Went Well
• What Didn’t Go Well
• Sample RO Walkthroughs
• Customer Feedback & Escalations
• Trend & Cohort Analysis
• Decision & Allocation
• Confirm Next Steps & Channel Updates
• Business Impact Narrative
• Root Cause Brainstorm
• Metric Reconciliation
• Release & Communication Plan
• Acceptance Decision & Next Steps
• Action Backlog & Owner Assignment
• Governance Rules
• Root Cause Identification
• Wrap & Owners
• Immediate Fixes & Test Plan
• Training & Reinforcement Plan