Tackwood

Tackwood is a long-established fast-fit centre with nearly 55 years of operation. Managed by Operations Manager Dominic Aprigliano, the business carries out a wide range of work including MOTs, servicing, diagnostics, and general repairs.

With a busy workshop and high booking volume, Tackwood needed a garage management system that could remove bottlenecks, improve communication, and support efficient day-to-day operations.

The Challenge

Before using TechMan, Dominic explains that the business was experiencing several operational challenges.

“We used to find a bottleneck in bookings, people confusion, communication – all sorts of things like that,” he says.

These issues affected productivity and made it harder to manage bookings smoothly or keep customers informed. As demand increased, it became clear that a more structured and efficient system was needed.

The Solution

After reviewing several garage management systems and attending demos with other providers, TechMan stood out as the best option.

“We had a couple of demos with a few other companies, but we found TechMan was best value for money,” Dominic explains. “It’s just a great system, really easy to use and we get a lot out of it.”

The onboarding process was thorough and well supported. Dominic describes travelling to Northampton for an initial setup meeting, where the team worked together to design how the software would look and operate for their business.

“The onboarding was really good,” he says. “The in-house training we got when we switched over was really seamless and it didn’t take long to get up and running.”

The Results

TechMan has delivered major improvements across productivity, efficiency, and overall performance at Tackwood.

• Smoother bookings and communication:
  “It’s been a game changer,” Dominic says, highlighting improvements in booking flow, customer updates, and internal communication. Everyone now knows what they’re doing, how much things cost, and stays on the same page.
• Improved efficiency and productivity:
  Dominic notes a significant jump in efficiency since adopting TechMan.
  “We were guessing around 55 to 60%,” he explains. “We’re now up to sort of high eighties, low 90% efficiency.”
• Better data and reporting:
  Reporting has become a key part of day-to-day decision-making.
  “There’s so many different reports,” Dominic says. “It’s really good for looking at how we can make improvements, making great business decisions.”
• Stronger turnover and profitability:
  Alongside efficiency gains, Dominic confirms that turnover and profit have also increased.

“Everyone’s a lot more productive now and we’re getting a lot more bookings through the door,” he adds.

Support & Experience

Dominic describes TechMan’s customer support as fast, accessible, and highly responsive.

“Customer support is brilliant,”

He says. He particularly values the in-system ticket widget, which makes it easy to get in touch with the support team whenever needed.

“Really easy to get through to customer service and really, really responsive.”

Conclusion

For Tackwood, TechMan has removed booking bottlenecks, improved communication, and delivered a significant uplift in efficiency, productivity, and profitability.

When asked what he would say to other garages considering TechMan, Dominic’s response is clear and direct:

“Get on it.”

“Yeah, definitely recommend.”