Is your inventory an asset, or is it slowly draining money from your business? Think about that for a second. This small, yet meaningful question can make a big difference in your shop’s daily operations. Most importantly, it lays the groundwork for a conversation about organization and productivity and how companies like Imperial Supplies can help.

In this episode of Maximum Octane, hosts Kim Hickey and Jason Patel speak with Ciandra Patrick, the channel development manager at Imperial Supplies. The hot topic of the hour: Turning your dusty back room into a well-organized shop. A trusted source at Imperial Supplies, Ciandra is well-versed in the subject. She’s seen it all, from coffee cans full of mystery fasteners to random bins packed with bits and bolts. Luckily, she’s eager to share her knowledge with listeners tuning in to ATI’s SuperConference 2026.

The conversation covers the nuts and bolts of auto shop organization, including the best bins for clips, fasteners, and everything in between. The trio also discusses the best practices for reorganizing your shop: The grind of technicians burning flat-rate hours searching for parts, managing inflated inventory accounts, and maintaining productivity. They even touch on the workspace, as Ciandra explains the importance of a clean, uniform space to keep your team happy and thriving.

Tune in to episode 153 of Maximum Octane if you’re ready to declutter and get organized. Beautifying your shop is just one benefit. With these tips, you’ll also reclaim lost labor hours, plug profit leaks, and so much more.

Episode Takeaways:

• 05:03 Kim explains why so many shops carry inflated inventory on their P&Ls, and what it could cost you at tax time, during an audit, or when you sell.
• 07:59 Scan-to-reorder tools, mins and maxes, and a designated approver keep your shelves stocked with what you need and free of what you don't.
• 12:39 Labor is inventory too. Unlike a fastener, an unused labor hour expires and never comes back.
• 14:33 The case of the missing 10mm socket, and why you can't make good decisions about anything you're not tracking.
• 20:02 Organization is a culture issue. Messy shops drive away technicians, and clean, uniform workspaces build pride and teamwork.
• 25:52 Ciandra and Kim agree that every shop, from a one-bay startup to a multi-location operation, needs an inventory system from day one.
• 32:32 Kim's challenge: if you could never charge more than $100 an hour, what would you fix to stay profitable?

Connect with Ciandra Patrick:

• LinkedIn
• Imperial Supplies website

Let's connect:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: info@maximumoctane.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most shop owners assume back-office losses come down to surface issues like bad hires or outright theft. But the real problem is much deeper. As Alex Saladna, co-founder and CEO of Wicked File, explains, complications arise when back-office processes slip, and you can no longer ensure where your money is going. Unfortunately, he learned the hard way when his family’s 10-shop operation lost $180,000 in six months. In that moment, he realized how much damage a lack of repeatable systems and accountability can do.

In this conversation, Jason and Alex dig deep into common shop financial issues, including invoice tracking, parts reconciliation, and vendor accountability, to understand how they lead to loss in even the most well-run shops. They also discuss AI-powered tools and how they can help close the gap. Moving from monthly to weekly or daily reconciliation can be the small change that shifts everything, especially when it comes to financial leakage.

Having the tools isn’t exactly helpful if they’re not being implemented properly. That’s where Alex and Wicked File come in. He shares a key example, highlighting how his company can pull invoices through automated email integration instead of using manual processing. As the conversation continues, he also tackles practical internal issues like employee resistance to new processes and the difference between valid feedback and pushback. Whether you run one shop or ten, this episode is a practical look at where money disappears in the back office and what it actually takes to stop it.

Tune in to episode 152 of Maximum Octane if you've experienced loss or are curious how to improve your back-office processes to prevent a devastating discovery in the future.

Episode Takeaways:

• (04:20) Alex's family shops lost $180,000 across their locations in six months due to the absence of a repeatable chain of accountability for tracking parts from purchase to installation or return.
• (07:28) AI tools can multiply back office capacity without adding headcount, helping to close that gap, effectively turning a five-day job into seven days of output.
• (10:02) Most leakage is accidental, not theft. Alex is clear that the majority of lost money comes from things like unreturned cores or missed vendor credits, not intentional wrongdoing.
• (12:30) Unused software capability is its own kind of leakage. Shops often pay for tools like DVI features already built into their shop management software but never build the process or expectation to actually use them.
• (17:37) Accountability is the ultimate litmus. Alex notes that a lack of documented processes and accountability is one of the biggest things that shrinks a shop's valuation.
• (19:57) Managing team dynamics when new processes and systems are being implemented.
• (24:59) Alex shares a testimonial from Wicked File, showing how beneficial the work is.

Connect with Alex Saladna

• Wicked File Website
• Website
• LinkedIn

Let's connect:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Email: info@maximumoctane.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.