âš¡
Thalen Morning Brief
ProTech posted its strongest month in 12 months — $81,600 in March, up 8.4% MoM. Revenue and gross margin are healthy. Three operational gaps are holding the business back: 11 declined estimates this week ($3,100 left on the table), Bay 4 running at 60% utilization Monday through Wednesday, and parts margin 6pp below the 48% industry target.
OIQ Analysis
$342K/year in revenue and margin opportunities identified
declined estimates ($161K) · bay capacity ($124K) · parts margin ($57K)
11/wk
Declined estimates
target ≤5/wk
42%
Parts margin
target 48%
Revenue (Mar)
$81,600
+8.4% MoM
Avg Repair Order
$285
target $320 âš
Bay Efficiency
71%
target 85% âš
Declined Jobs
11/wk
$3,100 left on table âš
Gross Margin
49%
industry avg 50%
12-month revenue trend
OIQ Intelligence
Revenue
11 declined estimates this week is $161K/year in already-diagnosed work leaving your shop
These aren't cold leads — they're customers who drove in, went on a lift, and heard what's wrong. The 12% same-day authorization rate vs. 28% at DVI shops is entirely a presentation gap. Customers who see a photo of a cracked belt or worn rotor authorize at 2.4x the rate of a verbal estimate. A 30-day DVI pilot on one bay costs nothing to try and the math closes quickly.
Operations
Bay 4 idle 40% of peak hours is a scheduling problem — demand is not the issue
Bay 4 runs at 60% Mon–Wed during your 8am–3pm peak window. Scheduling review shows open appointments positioned 90 minutes earlier than needed — a dispatch sequencing issue, not a demand gap. Reassigning Bay 4 to the maintenance queue (oil changes, tire rotations, tune-ups) during those windows fills it with already-booked work. No new customers required.
Parts Margin
Parts margin at 42% costs $57K/year — the gap is in 3 product categories
The 6-point gap to the 48% benchmark concentrates in brake rotors, transmission fluid, and domestic truck OEM parts. These three categories represent roughly 60% of parts spend. A preferred-supplier negotiation on your top 10 SKUs typically yields 8–12% cost improvement — at current volume, closing the gap to 48% recovers $4,800/month in margin.
📷Thalen VisionLIVE
11 repair orders this week where advisors presented estimates and customers declined same-day authorization. Average declined ticket: $282. At current volume, that is $3,100 this week and $161,000 annualized in already-diagnosed work leaving with the car. Bay 4 ran at 60% utilization Monday through Wednesday — a scheduling gap, not a demand gap.
Declined Jobs / Wk
11
$3,100 left on table
Annual Loss
$161K
diagnosed work not done
Bay 4 Utilization
60%
40% idle Mon–Wed peak
Parts Margin
42%
6pp below 48% target
2:14 PM · RO #4821 · Brake estimate $410 · Customer declined · Rescheduled for "next month"
Action Items
CRITICALThalen Vision
11 declined estimates this week — $3,100 in recommended work left on the table
$161K/yr declined work
â–¼
CRITICALBay Efficiency
Bay 4 idle 40% of peak hours — $2,400/week in unbilled time
$124K/yr in bay capacity
â–¼
HIGHParts Margin
Parts margin at 42% — 6pp below 48% target costs $4,800/month
$57K/yr margin gap
â–¼
HIGHAverage Repair Order
ARO at $285 vs. $320 target — $35 gap × 337 ROs/mo = $11,800/month
+$11,800/mo if ARO hits target
â–¼
MEDIUMAuthorization Rate
Same-day authorization at 12% — DVI shops hit 28%
+$12K/mo potential
â–¼