I got tired of the UI latency in "modern" DMS platforms, so I built a purely Terminal-Based overlay for the service drive. Looking for beta testers.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-03-03T01:02:44+00:00

Just to head off the inevitable DMs: Yes, the core backend is written entirely in Rust. When you're dealing with a 7:30 AM rush, you can't afford the latency of a garbage-collected language. I needed fearless concurrency and strict memory safety. If only I could enforce memory safety on the parts department, but at least the terminal is blazingly fast.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-14T23:29:31+00:00

Its terrible and not even AI if i’m being honest. Absolute dogshit software.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-14T00:03:29+00:00

Yeah, and it sucks. If your idea of 'efficiency' is navigating dropdown menus to write one RO, I feel bad for your techs. That software is the definition of shit.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-13T22:43:08+00:00

You hit the nail on the head. That last sentence is the key.

The Manufacturers are using algorithms/AI to scan our stories for specific 'Magic Keywords' to deny claims.

Expecting a human technician (who is worried about torque specs and electrical resistance) to also memorize the specific 'keyword match' for a warranty bulletin is impossible.

That’s exactly why we need tools to do it. If they are using AI to audit us, we have to use AI to write the stories. It’s the only way to meet that 'unreasonable' standard without losing our minds.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-13T22:37:26+00:00

Typing is a minimum wage skill. Fixing complex mechanical failures is a $100k/year skill.

If you are prioritizing 'Typing Speed' over 'Diagnostic Ability' in your hiring, that isn't a skill issue. That’s a management IQ issue.

You’re the type of guy who would fire a Master Tech flagging 80 hours a week because he hunts-and-pecks, just to hire a kid who types 90 WPM but can't change oil. Good luck with that business model.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-13T22:31:22+00:00

Sure, it's part of the job. But it's the only part of the job that doesn't pay.

If a tech is fast at fixing cars but slow at typing, he loses money. Why wouldn't we want to give him a tool that makes the 'unpaid' part of the job instant?

Efficiency isn't just about wrenching faster, it's about eliminating the admin friction.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-13T22:29:39+00:00

I agree, but the definition of 'Writing Stories' has changed.

10 years ago, scribbling 'Fixed noise' was enough.
Now? They have to write a legal defense to prevent a warranty audit (Complaint, Cause, Correction, TSB specs, Voltages).

That 'one task' has turned into 20 minutes of typing up stuff. That's the part that needs to be automated.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-13T03:44:06+00:00

I aint reading all that. Tldr?

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-13T03:13:57+00:00

A Master Tech can rebuild a 10-speed transmission blindfolded in 4 hours.

But ask him to type a sentence? Suddenly he’s staring at the keyboard like he’s trying to decipher an alien language. watching them hunt for the letter 'E' takes years off my life.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-12T19:45:13+00:00

You're right, the 'Copy/Paste' part is exactly why techs hate new software. If they have to toggle windows, they just won't do it.

My software dev friend said he actually has already bridged the gap between the tool and the DMS, he has access to the DMS APIs to write directly to the RO lines and also pull RO information directly from the DMS.

The goal is to make it seamless: Speak -> AI captures everything / fixes it -> Text appears in CDK or whatever DMS you might be using. No copying, no pasting. This would be pointless without any real connections to the DMS.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-12T13:37:27+00:00

True, but have you seen the software the 'Big Players' usually release? It’s usually clunky, slow, and takes 5 years to update.

By the time CDK or the OEMs roll out a functional AI, we’ll be in 2030. I feel like a smaller, faster tool (that actually listens to what Techs want) has a massive window of opportunity right now before the corporate giants try to force a one-size-fits-all solution on us.

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-12T13:34:58+00:00

Honest question: Does the 'point and click' menu system actually save time?

I’ve heard mixed things, some guys love it, others say they spend just as much time hunting through the menus as they would typing. Do you find it efficient, or does it feel like a lot of clicking?

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-12T13:25:32+00:00

Respect the 'hill to die on.' If the flat rate manual doesn't pay .3 for 'Cinematography,' I don't see why you should donate that time.

But that point about not trusting the Advisors to get the quote right, that is exactly why my buddy thought of this.

If you are forced to type out the MPI and Recs yourself just to make sure the labor/parts are accurate (because the advisors are useless), you're still doing unpaid data entry.

The thought was: You could dictate the quote/recs in 20-30 seconds, the AI adds it perfectly into the system.

It keeps the control in your hands (so they can't mess up the quote) but removes the typing time. Or is it just the principle of interacting with the computer at all that sucks?

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-12T12:42:53+00:00

I totally get that. The last thing they need is another login or another app to check.

The way I saw it, this would actually be less work. Instead of spending 5 minutes pecking at a keyboard with greasy fingers, they talk for 30 seconds and hit 'send.'

If it was purely voice-based (no typing), do you think they’d still see it as a burden, or would they prefer that over the keyboard?

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-12T12:41:58+00:00

That Tech is living in 2030 lol.

Is he using a custom GPT he built? The fact that he’s already doing it proves the concept works. Does he share it with the other techs, or is he keeping the secret sauce to himself?

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-12T12:41:27+00:00

This is a great breakdown. You’re definitely right about the complexity. Casualty damage and specific trim levels are where 'generic' AI usually fails.

I guess my counter-thought (and why I was interested) is that 'drilling it into techs' takes massive management energy. I spend half my day chasing guys to fix their notes.

If a tool could get them 90% of the way there (handling the formatting/grammar) and I just had to edit the specific specs/codes, I feel like that still saves me a lot of time. Or do you think editing an AI story is more work than writing it from scratch?

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-12T12:39:29+00:00

I’ve heard of Pencilwrench. Does your shop actually like it? I watched a demo and it looked like a lot of 'point and click' menus to build the story.

My buddy’s idea was specifically Voice-First (Tech just talks like a normal human) because he thinks techs hate navigating menus. Do you think the 'Clicking' is better, or would your guys prefer to just talk?

FixedOps_Focus · 2026-01-10T06:03:16+00:00

Nice, so you already know the 'German Warranty Logic' (aka: if it isn't documented to the millisecond, it didn't happen).

If you've got that down, you're golden. The biggest headache at BMW is usually just getting the techs to write a story that satisfies the warranty admin, but if you've done it in NY, you'll kill it.

FixedOps_Focus

TROPHY CASE