Harborne Garage

Harborne Garage Limited, owned by Paul Harper, is a long-established business with a history spanning over 55 years. Founded in 1970, the garage operates from a 10,000 sq ft site featuring a reception area, workshop control space, and twelve ramps.

With a large team and high daily vehicle volume, Harborne Garage Limited required systems that could support modern workshop management while maintaining accountability, professionalism, and efficiency.

The Challenge

Before adopting TechMan, the garage relied on a traditional T-card system. While familiar, it limited visibility, accountability, and the ability to analyse performance across the business.

Paul explains that the key challenge was modernising internal processes and gaining a clearer, more accurate understanding of how the business was actually operating — beyond surface-level indicators.

TechMan offered a way to move away from manual systems and introduce clearer structure, accountability, and data-driven insight.

The Solution

After reviewing multiple garage management systems, Paul chose TechMan based on its professionalism and ability to support the garage’s long-term needs.

“We chose the TechMan management system after looking at other systems as well,” Paul explains. “Due to the professionalism of TechMan and the needs that we want going forward.”

The team initially started with the basic TechMan package to allow a smooth transition. After six to twelve months, once the system was fully embedded, they upgraded to the full TechMan solution.

This provided full technician accountability, digital job tracking, and performance insight across the workshop.

The Results

Since implementing TechMan, Harborne Garage Limited has seen significant improvements in operational efficiency, visibility, and profitability.

• Improved accountability and reporting:
  Paul highlights the value of digital job tracking and performance monitoring, explaining that TechMan provides a clear and realistic view of how the business is running.
• Better customer communication:
  With vehicle tracking and live updates, the team can keep customers informed throughout the repair process.
• Enhanced vehicle accountability:
  One particularly valuable feature is the use of tablets to photograph vehicles before they are moved.
  “They can take pictures of cars before they move them and put them onto the files,” Paul explains, ensuring clear accountability for every vehicle on site.
• Smoother, more efficient operations:
  “It’s made operations for Harborne Garage Limited a lot smoother,” Paul says.
  With a fully digital diary and clear visibility of incoming work, the business has become more efficient and more profitable.

Support & Experience

Paul describes TechMan’s ongoing support as consistently reliable and responsive.

“The ongoing help and support from TechMan has been faultless,” he says.

He adds that even when challenges arise, the support team are always available to resolve issues quickly and effectively.

“They’ve always been on the phone, answered, and dealt with any queries or problems that we’ve had.”

Conclusion

For Harborne Garage Limited, TechMan has delivered modernisation, accountability, and efficiency at scale — supporting a large, well-established operation as it continues to evolve.

Paul’s recommendation to other garages is clear and confident:

 “I would certainly go for TechMan.”

Reflecting on his experience, he adds:

 “The training, the accountability, and the professionalism of TechMan is very, very good.”

“I would recommend them — yes, 100%.”