Apple sets the foundation for an Apple Authorized Service Provider, but there’s a lot more to do to secure the success of the business.
The first step towards this is to understand the metrics that define your business. In a tough market with relatively low margins, every bit of efficiency improves performance and profitability.
In part two of our blog on data organization within an AASP, we’ll look at reports that lead to better decision-making at your Apple-authorized service center.
KBB & KGB
Let’s start with one that we’ve consistently been told is a sore point for AASPs. KBB (Known Bad Board) & KGB (Known Good Board) management is tough, especially if you have more than one location.
Apple is meticulous about how parts are handled. Apple requires AASPs to return all KBBs within a short period of completing the repair. But you don’t send out individual parts by themselves. You send them in batches.
And not all repairs result in a parts return because Apple only wants parts that can be repaired. If it’s damaged beyond repair, the service providers have to dispose of it. So the total number of parts used is not equal to the total number of parts that need to be returned.
Service providers must also match the parts they bought to parts that are being returned and disposed of, including a description of the damage. For example, if a 120GB hard drive is ordered, a 120GB hard drive needs to be returned with Apple GSX having a record of the service order and description of the damage.
All of this requires a workflow that connects repairs, inventory management, and Apple GSX.
And unless Apple gets these defective parts with all the associated paperwork done, they will not pay compensation for warranty repairs or exchange prices on parts for non-warranty repairs. On top of this, delays in return of parts could incur a late fee.
It’s fair to say that KBB parts return needs to happen seamlessly.
While there may be variations depending on where you are, Apple recommends that “you complete the repair and return applicable parts within 48 hours of good part receipt.”
Fixably ensures this isn’t a difficult task for the service provider. One, you can create GSX repairs within the platform and avoid copy-pasting any data. Two, our reporting tool can give you a list of KBB parts you need to return so that you can easily match what’s being sent out to what’s in your repair management system.
Inventory Management
In the same way, authorized providers must be familiar with Apple’s inventory management requirements for consignment stock. You have to keep Apple GSX updated on how much consigned inventory you have, including parts and serial numbers.
Fixably’s stock and inventory module is built such that you can keep consignment stock separate and updated in real-time. And you can use a barcode reader to match inventory in your service location to what’s recorded in the database.
AASP Service Reports
Open GSX Repairs
This report shows a list of currently open GSX repairs by location. Consider this report to be part of a daily dashboard for decision makers.
If you’re a service manager or business owner, the report gives you the ability to prioritize repairs or identify bottlenecks in the service workflow.
GSX Appointment Scheduler
This report will give you an overview of everything that’s scheduled for each of your locations if you’re using a customer portal with the GSX appointment scheduler.
The report will have:
- Location Name
- Appointment Date
- Order ID
- Total price of Order Lines
- GSX Appointment ID
- Current Status of Appointment (No Show, Arrived, Rescheduled, Canceled)
- GSX Dispatch ID (if there is one)
AASP Business Reports
Apart from Apple requirements, there are reports that would enable AASPs to conduct their business more efficiently. For instance, you can have separate reports on the performance of each service location or individual technicians.
Location data
Basic Fixably reports give you the option to track what’s happening across locations, what individual users or technicians are doing, and an overview of how repairs are progressing.
For each location you can track current open orders or repairs by technician, the device, and the status of the repair.
This means you can identify all iPhones waiting for spare parts in your service location. Or if a technician is on holiday, you can identify all repairs assigned to that user so that you can reassign it with one click.
User data
Data on different users can generate a single report on productivity among all technicians at your AASP. You can do this weekly or monthly, especially if you’re paying out bonuses for completed repairs.
Repair status data
Data on status of repairs is an important one for most AASPs. You can know how long a device stays in a specific stage on average.
For instance, if your turnaround time for iPhones is five days on average, you can dive into it to figure out which steps are taking the most time. Some of these factors, like delivery time on parts, might be out of your control. But you now have the data to set customer expectations.
There’s a lot more you can do by combining data sources. You can learn more about it in our Knowledge Base.
Fixably has designed a service solution that is compliant with all Apple’s requirements. Plus, we’ve built the platform so that you can get the data you need to make Apple service profitable. Would you like to know more about our software? Book a demo.
