How can I tell if a repair garage’s shop software data is complete and usable?

A garage’s records are a business asset: service history keeps customers coming back and supports reminders and marketing. Ask the seller to run exports rather than just show screens. Pick a month and compare sales in the system with the financial statements and bank deposits. Check that vehicles are linked to customers, that work orders have dates, parts and labour, and that old jobs can be found easily. Look for problems. Duplicate customers, missing contact details, blank fields and unfinished work orders suggest the data is untidy or was entered inconsistently. Ask whether the garage uses more than one tool or keeps paper records for some jobs. If the garage stopped using an older system, find out whether that data was moved across.

Then ask about control. Whose name is on the subscription, who holds the administrator login, and can the data be transferred to you? Does the system hold personal information, and has there ever been a breach? Your lawyer can advise on privacy duties when customer information changes hands. Ask for a backup and test that it can actually be restored. Write down every gap you find and ask the seller to correct or explain it.

Key takeaways

• Request exports and compare a sample month with the financial statements.
• Look for duplicates, blank fields and old jobs that cannot be found.
• Confirm who owns the account, holds the logins and can transfer the data lawfully.