LKQ launch new management system
After LKQ Euro Car Parts unveiled LaunchControl, its new garage management system – developed by Garage Hive’s Alex Lindley – PMF wanted to dig a little deeper.
Euro Car Parts explains that the new GMS was introduced to address rising overheads and the ongoing impact of increased competition on margins. This, the national distributor says, has made it more difficult for workshops to grow.
LaunchControl combines core workshop tools – job management, customer communication, and online bookings – with direct integration into Euro Car Parts’ parts catalogue.
Users can search by registration or part number and add parts directly to an estimate, without leaving LaunchControl. Real-time availability and pricing are also available. This integration allows workshops to move from job creation to parts ordering.
Launch Control also comprises integrated Vehicle Health Checks, AI-supported inspections, and an automatically generated website, including an online real-time booking tool with bookings added directly to LaunchControl’s diary.
Q. How did the partnership between LKQ and LaunchControl come to be?
A. LaunchControl came from seeing firsthand how many independent garages were still relying on paper diaries and disconnected systems to run their businesses. As a garage owner, Alex could see an opportunity to make it easier for independent garages to adopt digital tools that help them run their businesses more efficiently.
The vision was to create a platform that garages could discover online, sign up to themselves, and start using immediately. Something that combined workshop management, vehicle health checks, customer communication, online booking, and a professional web presence in one place.
We wanted the experience to be completely self-serve, allowing garages to start a free trial without needing to speak to anyone or enter credit card details.
Alex pitched the concept, and we immediately saw the opportunity to support independent garages with a simple, accessible digital platform. LKQ Euro Car Parts backed the idea and worked closely with the team to bring LaunchControl to market.
Q. What are the subscription costs?
A. LaunchControl includes a free 28-day trial, and garages don’t need to enter any credit card details to get started. After that, it’s £49 per location, per month, and there are no setup fees or long-term contracts.
The fee includes garage management system, technician app, digital vehicle health checks, customer portal, online booking, customer communications, professional website, Apollo AI assistant, unlimited vehicle registration lookups, free repair times for LKQ customers, and free service schedules for LKQ customers.”
Q. Since Alex is a director of Garage Hive and founded LaunchControl, can you explain the differences between the two platforms?
A. Garage Hive and LaunchControl have been developed with different goals in mind: LaunchControl focuses on delivering a simple, accessible platform that helps garages manage their day-to-day operation, improve their digital presence, and adopt modern workshop processes; Garage Hive is a highly capable business management platform that provides deeper operational insight, technician efficiency tracking, advanced reporting, business intelligence, coaching, consultancy, and training.
Both businesses are focused on helping garages succeed, but they support different needs and different stages of a garage’s journey.
Q. What does an AI-supported inspection look like?
A. Today, AI in LaunchControl helps garages create inspection forms in seconds. A garage can simply describe the type of inspection they want to carry out, whether that’s a vehicle health check, EV inspection, pre-MOT inspection, or used vehicle appraisal, and the AI will automatically generate the inspection form for technicians to complete. This allows garages to quickly create tailored digital inspections without spending time building templates manually.
Looking ahead, we plan to further develop these capabilities so AI can also assist technicians while they’re carrying out inspections, helping improve consistency and reduce administration. The goal is to make digital inspections as easy and accessible as possible for every garage.
