Award-winning garage management system provider, TechMan, is celebrating the success of its IAAF Garage Den project, after spending the last six months working alongside independent workshops CCM Garages to co-develop an innovative new AI receptionist feature for its market-leading garage management system.
The collaboration, which began after TechMan was selected by industry ‘Dragon’ Tina Drayson, Operations Director of CCM Garages, during the first-ever Garage Den at the IAAF Conference at the end of last year, has demonstrated how suppliers and garages can work together to develop practical solutions that address real workshop challenges.
The AI receptionist, developed through continuous collaboration between the two businesses, has been designed to help garages manage inbound and outbound customer calls more efficiently, freeing up front-of-house staff while ensuring customers continue to receive a responsive, professional service.
Throughout the six-month development programme, Drayson has worked closely with the TechMan team, providing regular feedback and real-world workshop insight to help shape the new feature before its launch.
Leo Freebairn, Sales Director UK at TechMan, said: “IAAF Garage Den has been a fantastic experience and perfectly demonstrates why collaboration with our customers is so important. We’ve met with Tina and the CCM team several times over the past six months and the feedback she has given us has been absolutely invaluable. She tells us exactly what works, what doesn’t and, most importantly, what garages genuinely need.
“That’s always been the TechMan philosophy. Our system was built by a garage for garages, and many of our biggest innovations have come directly from conversations with customers. The AI receptionist is another great example of that approach, and we’re excited to see the difference it will make for workshops.”
CCM Garage has been a TechMan customer for over six years, giving the business a unique perspective on the platform’s evolution and allowing the new feature to be developed with genuine operational experience at its heart.
Tina Drayson, Director at CCM Garage, commented: “We’ve been using TechMan for six or seven years now, so we’ve already been on the journey with them as they’ve developed and evolved the system. Working together on the AI receptionist has been really exciting because we’ve been able to influence how it develops from a garage’s perspective.
“What really excites me about the new integration is that it won’t just handle inbound customer enquiries but outbound calls too, which has the potential to be a real game changer for busy workshops.”
Reflecting on the partnership, Tina added: “The relationship we’ve built with the TechMan team over the years has been brilliant, and they’ve always listened to what garages are asking for. That’s what makes this partnership work so well. They’re developing solutions not just for us, but for garages across the industry, and they’re genuinely listening to customer feedback. I think this is only going to go from strength to strength.”
The AI receptionist will form part of TechMan’s continued investment in automation and intelligent workflow tools, helping garages improve productivity while maintaining the high levels of customer service motorists increasingly expect.
TechMan presented an update on its IAAF Garage Den project journey with CCM Garage at the UK Garage & Bodyshop Event in June, where visitors heard how supplier and garage collaboration can accelerate innovation across the sector
