Setting up a database for Smiles Autos using Airtable

Smiles Autos is an automotive repair and servicing company. To stay on top of their services, they fill in an inspection checklist on paper and hand out copies to their customers. This manual process became overwhelming because:

• The document was lengthy; it was 14 pages long and had 132 checklists to fill in.
• It was gruelling to manage and organise customers’ data.
• The papers got stained a lot with engine oil. (they are mechanics).

Smiles Autos Inspection Checklist Template

They reached out to us to help make the process completely digital. To solve the problem, we approached from first-principle by creating a design note and outlining the objectives we wanted to achieve. Smiles Autos needed to:

• Organise customer information and manage data
• Allow the operators at Smiles Autos efficiently complete the inspection checklist
• Share vehicle service information with the customer

We chose Airtable as a database because of its functionalities, power of data visualisation, and ease of use. The database was structured as follows:

Customers

It was mandatory to record every customer’s contact information to make it easy for Smiles Autos to reach out and share their vehicle’s service checklist with them.

Vehicles

The plate number is a unique ID used throughout the database to link customers to their vehicles, service history, and service checklist. We also categorised vehicles into a type, make, and model. This format helps Smiles Autos filter vehicles in their workshop.

Service History

Table consisting of all the vehicles history

We anticipated the possibility of customers owning multiple vehicles, so we introduced a date to the unique ID (plate number). The date addition allows us to keep track of vehicles that were still undergoing service without interfering with the unique ID.

Table consisting only of vehicles in progress

Inspection Checklist

We considered the ease of filling the table and exporting the information to customers as a priority. The checklist was the lengthiest part of the database as the operators had to go through 132 checks on each vehicle. The former template grouped the checks into sections, but we found that we could make this into one long form and add descriptions to the places that needed clarity.

We created a form that was easy to fill on a mobile phone using Airtable’s mobile app

Sharing with customers

The structure of the Inspection checklist made it easy to share the data via email with customers.

Inspection checklist delivered to customer’s email

In summary, we built a database that helped Smiles Autos manage their customer’s vehicles and contact information. We also created an extensive checklist that helped them stay on top of their service and share the results with their customer.