Choose the cost pool
Start with management only if you are comparing management proposals. For a total-stack budget, add estimating, accounting and required options. Use completed repairs as the denominator and label the time period. Counting every open work order makes the cost look lower when work is simply unfinished.
| Shop | Completed repairs | AutoHound baseline | Per repair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small team | 30 | $599 | $19.97 |
| Established independent | 60 | $599 | $9.98 |
| Higher-volume location | 100 | $599 | $5.99 |
Add the estimator without hiding it
For the 60-repair example, a buyer-entered $450 estimator makes the combined total $1,049. Divide by 60 for $17.48 per repair. The $450 is an assumption you must replace with your quote. A required $50 integration would add $0.83 per completed repair.
Handle setup and rollout separately
Suppose the shop spends $1,200 of internal time configuring and training. Across 12 months that is $100 monthly for planning, or $1.67 per repair at 60 monthly repairs. Twelve paid months of AutoHound plus that effort total $8,388 for management and internal rollout. The estimating subscription remains additional.
Translate a quote difference into staff time
If another management quote is $479 monthly, the $120 premium for a $599 option is $2 per repair at 60 repairs. At a loaded $40 hourly staff cost, three minutes per repair covers that recurring premium. Record actual time spent looking for parts, retyping or reconciling before treating those minutes as savings.
Measure the result after adoption
Compare the same repair type mix and consistent periods. Track both completed volume and the staff task you expected to shorten. AutoHound’s fixed location fee makes the subscription side easy to model while the shop measures whether its handoffs improve. A quieter month raises allocation per repair even if the product and price stay the same.
Enter your own repair volume in the calculator · Test a $600 management allowance
AutoHound pricing