{"id":16086,"date":"2025-10-22T09:10:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T09:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ari.app\/?p=16086"},"modified":"2025-10-22T09:10:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T09:10:43","slug":"ari-fall-2025-upgrade-smarter-vins-better-vendors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ari.app\/2025\/10\/ari-fall-2025-upgrade-smarter-vins-better-vendors\/","title":{"rendered":"ARI Fall 2025 Upgrade: Smarter VINs, Better AI, and Cleaner Reports"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re back with the rest of the changes from <a href=\"https:\/\/ari.app\/\">ARI(Auto Repair Software)<\/a>&#8216;s latest software update. This release focuses on giving you more accurate data (especially with VINs and AI), faster bookkeeping with QuickBooks, and lowering the friction points in your workflow. Here are the most impactful additions.<\/p>\n<h3>Vehicle Page Updates<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>VINs Up Front:<\/b> We moved the <b>VIN and License fields<\/b> right to the top of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ari.app\/features\/vehicle-management\/\">Vehicle Page<\/a>. No need for scrolling, the most critical information is exactly where you need it immediately.<\/li>\n<li><b>Snap and Detect:<\/b> Need a VIN in a hurry? You can now <b>detect the VIN directly from an image<\/b>, like a quick photo of the door jamb sticker. Just snap it and the system reads it, saving you time and avoiding typos.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16097 size-full\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); border-radius: 0.5rem;\" src=\"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Vin-and-license-plate-number-on-top.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"902\" height=\"826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Vin-and-license-plate-number-on-top.png 902w, https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Vin-and-license-plate-number-on-top-300x275.png 300w, https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Vin-and-license-plate-number-on-top-768x703.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 902px) 100vw, 902px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Better AI reasoning and quality<\/h4>\n<p>We\u2019ve upgraded the brain behind our AI Labor Guides to give you better results:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Slower, but Better: Our auto shop management software now uses the latest, state-of-the-art AI models. They might take an extra second or two, but they are significantly more accurate when generating labor times for complex jobs. That small wait is worth it for the precision.<\/li>\n<li>Detail Check: If the vehicle details are incomplete, you will now see a clear warning when trying to generate labor. This helps you catch missing info before it messes up the estimate.<\/li>\n<li>Rate Control: When you move those labor items to a JobCard, you now have a choice for pricing:\n<ul>\n<li>Use the <strong>Generated AI rates<\/strong> (what the computer suggests), OR<\/li>\n<li>Use your <strong>User default rates<\/strong> (the labor rate you already have set in your profile).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Accounting, Vendors, and Reports<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve tightened up the bolts on key business processes, making life easier for your service advisor and your accountant.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>QuickBooks Gets More Data:<\/b> We\u2019ve enhanced the QuickBooks integration to our auto repair software. Now, when you send an invoice over, it includes the <b>ODO (mileage), VIN, and unit<\/b> information. This means a complete record in your accounting software\u2014no half-stepping!\n<ul>\n<li>There is also a <b>new option for QuickBooks tax mapping<\/b> found in <b>Settings \u2192 QuickBooks<\/b>. This helps ensure your taxes are categorized correctly every single time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Invoice Detail:<\/b> We added <b>engine details<\/b> to the default invoice template for clarity. If you don&#8217;t need it, you can easily <b>hide it in settings<\/b>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Vendor Import:<\/b> Got a massive <a href=\"https:\/\/ari.app\/vendors\/\">list of suppliers<\/a>? You can now easily <b>import all your vendors<\/b> into ARI. Find this new tool in <b>ARI Settings \u2192 Import Data \u2192 Vendors<\/b>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Reports Show Names:<\/b> Your Reports are now more informative. The <b>Client Name is now visible<\/b> in the <b>Reports \u2192 Parts &amp; Services<\/b> section, making it much easier to track who purchased what.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16098 size-full\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); border-radius: 0.5rem;\" src=\"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Import-vendors-screenshot.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"912\" height=\"849\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Import-vendors-screenshot.png 912w, https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Import-vendors-screenshot-300x279.png 300w, https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Import-vendors-screenshot-768x715.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Communication and Scheduling<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve smoothed out a couple of wrinkles related to connecting with your customers and running your appointment book.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Better Email Support:<\/b> If your business uses a major email provider like <b>GoDaddy, ProtonMail, or Outlook<\/b>, you can now configure your email setup with a <b>new option to support non-SSH connections<\/b>. This should make connecting your business email account much more reliable.<\/li>\n<li><b>Streamlined Appointments:<\/b> If a customer books an appointment online, you now have the <b>option to save the client and vehicle<\/b> directly from the appointment details. Just click <b>More \u2192 Save client,<\/b> and the customer file is created instantly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Changes overview table<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table class=\"ari-comparison-table\" style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background-color: #f2f2f2; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left; font-weight: bold;\">What Changed<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #f2f2f2; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left; font-weight: bold;\">Older Versions<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #f2f2f2; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left; font-weight: bold;\">New ARI Version (The Upgrade)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Vehicle Page Layout<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">VIN and license fields were often buried lower down the page.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">VIN and license fields are moved right to the top for immediate access.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">VIN Entry<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Required manual typing of the VIN.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Added VIN detection from images (like door jamb stickers).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Invoice Detail<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Engine details were not on the default invoice template.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Added engine details to the default invoice template (can be hidden in settings).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Vendor Import<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Importing a list of vendors required a manual process.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Added a new option to import vendors in ARI Settings \u2192 Import Data.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">QuickBooks Data Sent<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Did not reliably send ODO, VIN, and unit with invoices.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Now sends ODO, VIN, and unit data with invoices.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">QuickBooks Tax Mapping<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Tax mapping required manual adjustment.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Added a new option for tax mapping in the QuickBooks Settings.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Email Setup Reliability<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Non-SSH connections (like GoDaddy, Outlook) were often unreliable to set up.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Added a new option to support non-SSH connections for better reliability.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Online Appointments<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Saving client and vehicle data from an online appointment required extra steps.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Added an option to save the client and vehicle directly from the appointment details.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Reports Visibility<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">The client&#8217;s name was not visible in the Parts &amp; Services report.<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">The Client Name is now displayed in the Reports \u2192 Parts &amp; Services section.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>We truly appreciate the honest feedback you\u2019ve sent our way; it\u2019s the engine that made these powerful, time-saving tools possible. We encourage you to jump in and explore all the new features, from the enhanced AI to the smarter VIN entry\u2014and see exactly how these changes can streamline your daily work and boost your bottom line. Your success is our focus, and we can\u2019t wait to hear how these upgrades benefit your business!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re back with the rest of the changes from ARI(Auto Repair Software)&#8216;s latest software update. This release focuses on giving you more accurate data (especially with VINs and AI), faster bookkeeping with QuickBooks, and lowering the friction points in your workflow. Here are the most impactful additions. Vehicle Page Updates &nbsp; VINs Up Front: We [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,127,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-announcement","category-ari-update","category-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16086"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16100,"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16086\/revisions\/16100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ari.app\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}