Signs you've outgrown spreadsheets, and a simple plan to switch in a day or two — without stopping work.
Most garages in Oman start with Excel, a notebook and WhatsApp. It works — until the workshop gets busy. Here is how to tell it's time to switch, and how to do it without stopping work.
Enter your garage details, VAT settings and your services with prices. This is what you'll use on every quotation, so take your time.
Add the 30–50 parts you use most, with cost price, selling price and quantity in stock. Add the rest later as you use them. See spare parts inventory for garages.
Don't try to copy years of Excel history. Add each customer and vehicle when the car comes in. Within a few weeks, your regular customers are all in the system. Keep the old Excel file for reference.
Share your customer portal link so customers can register and add their own cars. This saves you typing.
With Autopilot MS we set up your garage for you — OMR, 5% VAT — so you can start on day one. There is no file import today, so you add services, parts and customers through the screens, and customers can register themselves in your customer portal. Plans start at 15 OMR per month with a 30-day free trial.
There is no file import today. Most garages start by adding the customers who are active now; customers can also register themselves in the customer portal. Old records stay in Excel for reference.
Usually a day or two: half a day to add your services and prices, a few hours for your most-used parts, and then you add customers as their cars come in.