runs on IBM-compatibles. It requires a minimum of 512K free low RAM;
if expanded or extended memory is also present, the program will run faster.
GarageKeeper 2000 requires MS/PC-DOS 6.0 or later, or Windows 95 or later.
A Hayes-compatible modem and the Close-Up Host communications program
are required for support. GarageKeeper 2000 supports Epson, IBM, Okidata,
Toshiba, and C. Itoh 80-column dot printers with compressed mode, and
Hewlett Packard LaserJet+ and better printers. GarageKeeper 2000 includes
integrated Accounts Receivable, and merge and export utilities. The multi-user
versions of GarageKeeper 2000 require Novell Netware, or Windows 95 or
better. Installation must be done by a qualified networking engineer.
Click here to see the Technical Brochure.
Working Demo
consists of a fully-functional program, including tutorial documentation.
The number of customers, work orders, and inventory items is limited.
The demonstration software must be installed on your hard drive to work
properly.
Payment Terms
All orders are shipped UPS COD unless prepaid by Visa or MasterCard.
We ship by 3rd day air to destinations over 500 miles away. COD payments
must be cash or certified check unless other arrangements are made. We
pay shipping and COD on orders over $500. All systems are custom made
when ordered. Software is not returnable unless we are unable to fulfill
the warranty.
Warranty
Each GarageKeeper Automotive Software product is warranted to perform
as specified in the User's Reference Manual for that product. Reproducible
errors are corrected as soon as possible at no charge for 1 year. The
warranty is valid only if all the requirements listed above for the particular
product have been fulfilled.
100% credit is allowed on upgrades from current versions for customers
in good standing.
The GKSales utility gives you the ability to analyze your sales by make, by
zip, and by model year.Each category will show you the total dollars invoiced
and the average invoice.
This GKSales information is valuable in making long term decisions about the
optimum workload for your shop. Once you decide the minimum average invoice that
meets your profitability requirements, this report will help you make those
decisions.
What makes do you want to pursue or avoid? If, for example, the report shows
that Mercedes constitutes 1% of your annual sales, you may decide it is not
worth maintaining the tools, training, and contacts needed to provide top
service on this make. You may find that in your area Buicks and Cadillacs bring
your highest average ticket and you could decide to aggressively pursue those
makes.
How should you spend your promotional budget? You may find that total dollars
from a particular postal code are too low to justify advertising in that area.
Conversely you might find an area that is hot and you may want to sponsor the
track team or other high visibility activity in that area.
Do you need to cut off older vehicles? You will see that at a certain age of
vehicle the average ticket no longer meets your needs. You can make a policy
decision based on that information. For example you may decide you do not accept
new customers with vehicles more than 10 years old. You may decide that you need
to charge an additional $5 an hour on those vehicles because the tools,
technical information, and parts are not readily available for those older
vehicles.
GarageKeeper 2000
Report of Hours Left To Sell (GKHours)
The GKHours utility helps you to schedule work more efficiently. You will be
able to see how many hours of labor are left to sell each day for each billable
worker. GKHours works together with the open work orders screen in GarageKeeper.
When you write an estimate you can look at the GKHours screen to see the days
that the appropriate tech has enough time to do the job. You set the date and
time promised in the heading of the GarageKeeper work order. GKHours sees this
and reduces the time available to be sold.
You can set up the number of hours to book in an average day for each
individual tech. That means that you can set some workers for 10 hours a day and
others at 8 hours, or whatever number of hours is appropriate for that person.
You can set fudge factors for each day of the week. You probably book 110% of
normal on Monday and Tuesday and taper off during the week in order to get most
jobs out the door before the weekend. The fudge factors let you automate that
procedure.
GarageKeeper 2000 Interface to Microsoft Excel
(GK2Excel)
The GK2Excel utility provides an interface to Microsoft Excel. It requires
Excel 97 SR-1 or later. There are two parts to this utility.
GK2Excel takes the GarageKeeper 2000 weekly report and converts it to an XML
file. That file is created in your DATA folder or directory. The file is created
on days when the internal date of the GarageKeeper data files matches the date
of the weekly report. (The internal date is the date you set when starting the
day.) The new XML file remains available until you run the next weekly report,
and your regular weekly report file is saved with the current date as part of
the file name. You can use the file, WKFILE.XML, for other purposes if you
wish.
GK2Excel adds a button labeled GK2Excel to the buttons on the Excel task bar.
When you click this button you are asked to enter or browse to your WKFILE.XML
file. You are also asked for the number of billable techs and non-billable
workers. You are asked if your shop is located in one of the major metropolitan
areas shown.
GK2Excel then converts your GarageKeeper data into an Excel workbook and
automatically graphs much of the data. You may have noticed that there are often
different types of data on a single page of the weekly report. This utility puts
each type of data on a separate page of the Excel workbook. You should save this
workbook by using the date or a sequence number as the file name.
GarageKeeper 2000
Interface to Microsoft Word (GK2Word)
The GK2Word utility lets you use the capabilities of Microsoft Word 97 SR-1
or later to send e-mail and to make your printed mailing pieces look nicer.
GK2Word adds two letters called LETTERW1.DAT and LETTERW2.DAT to the data
directory and adds an item titled GK2Email to the program group. To use the
utility, create your mailings like before. Choose the print to disk option for
output. You use LETTERW1 for mailings with service reminders and LETTERW2 for
those without. You can put customer e-mail addresses on the customer notes
screen. Running GK2Email creates a file which cross-references license numbers
and e-mail addresses.
GK2Word adds the GarageKeeper steering wheel icon to the Word taskbar. You
click it and type in or browse to CUSTS.ASC, the file you printed to disk. In
most cases this will be in the M1 folder or directory below the GKN folder or
directory on the C drive.
You choose which format you want. There are plain paper, letterhead, and
postcard formats for LETTERW1 and LETTERW2. GK2Word helps you alter these
formats to change the letters for content, to add your company name, phone, etc.
You can save these changes to make them permanent. You can e-mail to some people
and send printed output to others, or to send printed output to all. The e-mail
will be plainer than the printed letters or postcards. E-mail is sent by the
default e-mail client on your machine and will work with a variety of e-mail
programs.
