We announced there would be an Auto Shop Writer 10 back at the beginning of the year. It started out as a “clean up the code” project which meant making everything more efficient. Code is kind of like your garage. Things get added in, and every once in a while you need to go back and re-organize it so finding everything becomes easier.
That project went quite well, but in doing so, a lot of “ideas” came to mind that revolved around questions people have raised about the user interface. These were always “why” did we do things one way, and “could you” consider some other options. This seemed like a great time to address those questions, and make some significant improvements.
While all of this was going on, our team members also improved the core capabilities in line with new windows features. Some of these features were added in now, but the structure was set in place to accommodate even more in the future.
ASW 10 is now being used in a local shop on a daily basis. Feedback comes in throughout the day, changes are made, and the files are updated. This shop uses the entire program, including accounting and payroll, so we know the testing will be solid and extensive. In addition, any issue reported brings focus to an area, and some refinements continue to take place on a daily basis.
This is a huge project, but ASW 10 does work well. The learning curve to transition from 9 to 10 exists, but not in any way that would prevent you from using it 100 % once it is installed on your system. We also want to have the revised manual in place, and hopefully have some new videos showcasing the new interface concepts.
ASW 10 will have a phased roll out, and each shop will let us know when they want it installed. You will be able to use the ASW 9 program to access the same data files as a backup, so that will make the transition much smoother. We will do the complete install remotely on each shop. Sure, it is a lot of work, but it’s the right way to do it.
Of course this leads to the question “WHEN?” That depends on your situation. If you’re one of those people that loves the cutting edge and can handle hiccups, you may want to have it installed earlier. If you prefer to wait until it’s been out there awhile, that is not a problem. We may be OK to start installations in the 2nd week of October, and continue through the 4th quarter. Part of the process is to “refine from input” so if we find some great concept doesn’t work out well in the real world, we may want to modify how we handle the process. In any case, we want to work closely with everyone for a very happy, and successful, transition.
Also, watch www.AutoShopWriter.com for new information on ASW 10. We’ll start updating the site in about a week with new photos, articles, etc.