---
title: "TVP Update: New Tools and a Focus on Basics"
description: AutoVitals recently released an updated version of the Today’s Vehicle Page (TVP).
image: https://blog.autovitals.com/hubfs/New%20Project%20(32).png
---
(866) 949-2848 support@autovitalsinc.com
-
-
-
- [mailto:support@autovitalsinc.com](mailto:support@autovitalsinc.com)
- [tel:866-949-2848](tel:866-949-2848)
[](https://www.autovitals.com/)
×
- [The Digital Shop®](https://www.autovitals.com/the-digital-shop/)
- [Solutions](https://www.autovitals.com/solutions/)
- [Find My Solution](https://www.autovitals.com/solutions/)
- [Sell More Work Per Inspection](https://www.autovitals.com/solutions/digital-vehicle-inspections/)
- [Run at Peak Efficiency](https://www.autovitals.com/workflow/)
- [Your Shop in the Digital Age](https://www.autovitals.com/the-digital-shop/)
- [Best Practices](https://www.autovitals.com/best-practices-2/)
- [Best Practices Library](https://www.autovitals.com/best-practices-2/)
- [The Digital Shop® Talk Facebook Forum](https://www.facebook.com/groups/AutoVitalsPartners/)
- [The Digital Shop® Conference](https://www.autovitals.com/conference/)
- [The Digital Shop® Talk Radio](https://www.autovitals.com/radio/)
- [The Digital Shop® Online Summit](https://www.autovitals.com/onlinesummit/)
- [Support](https://www.autovitals.com/contact/)
- [FAQs](https://www.autovitals.com/faq/)
- [Contact Us](https://www.autovitals.com/contact/)
- [About Us](https://www.autovitals.com/about/)
- [Our Team](https://www.autovitals.com/about/)
- [Press](https://www.autovitals.com/press/)
- [Careers](https://www.autovitals.com/careers/)
- [Schedule a Demo](https://www.autovitals.com/schedule-a-demonstration/)
## The Digital Shop® Blog
# TVP Update: New Tools and a Focus on Basics
[AutoVitals](https://blog.autovitals.com/author/autovitals)
Nov 5, 2020, 9:30:00 AM
AutoVitals recently released an updated version of the [Today’s Vehicle Page (TVP)](https://www.autovitals.com/support/tvp-glossary/). Fred Haynes, owner of four [Honest-1](https://www.honest-1.com/) shops in Minnesota, and his store manager, Brandon Polhemus, joined the crew on an episode of [The Digital Shop Talk Radio](https://help.autovitals.com/podcast/) to discuss the updates.
**[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/7617591/94d80b50-6435-449e-b6ee-4b42d7353fe3)**
## **From TVP to TVP.X**
Three significant improvements which come with the new [AutoVitals](https://www.autovitals.com/) [TVP.X](https://help.autovitals.com/smartflow_switch/) release include:
.png?width=300&name=New%20Project%20(32).png)
**Guided mode** – This allows text to pre-populate for specific line items in the [digital vehicle inspection](https://www.autovitals.com/solutions/digital-vehicle-inspections/), saving technicians and service advisors time.
.png?width=300&name=New%20Project%20(33).png)
**Updated carry forward** – The updated carry forward feature allows motorists to see images of previous and current digital vehicle inspections (DVI) side-by-side. It also gives technicians and service advisors the ability to bring previous assessments into their current inspection.
**.png?width=300&name=taskmanager2SF%20(3).png)**
**Technician/Service Advisor Audits –** Technicians and service advisors can now be audited easily. Just select the timeframe you would like to review, then you can go through each employee’s inspections and rate their photos, captions, etc. From that rating, you can decide who may need some additional assistance.
## **The importance of consistent digital inspections and good photos**
Two things can make or break these new digital vehicle report features; inconsistent vehicle inspections and vague or unfocused photos.
According to Bill Connor, AutoVitals Lead Trainer, the components needed for carry forward all go back to the basics.
### **Best practices for an impactful picture**
- **Zoom in –** eliminate as many of the distractions around the part you are trying to capture as you can.
- **Lighting –** Make sure your photo is well lit, so whoever is looking at the picture can see what you are showing them.
- **Focus –** All of your hard work will be for nothing if the photo is blurry.
- [**Edit your pictures**](https://blog.autovitals.com/letting-pictures-do-the-selling-for-you) **–** There are arrows and circles built-in to the DVI to make it easy to highlight what you want to show.
- **Captions –** Guided mode pre-populates captions, but technicians and service advisors can add or subtract information if needed. This is where you make your case for the vehicle owner.
- **Provide supporting information –** AutoVitals offers a ton of supporting information, such as videos that you can provide with your photos. Things like “What is CCA” can be helpful to educate motorists.
- **Make recommendations –** Your caption doesn’t just have to explain the photo; it can also tell the customer what they need to do or how soon they may need to address issues.
- **\*BONUS – Aim high –** Since the caption covers the bottom portion of the photos, make the critical part of the picture is in the top one-third or one-half of the image to prevent it from being covered by text.
.png?width=600&name=taskmanager2SF%20(4).png)
When it comes to ensuring consistent auto inspections, a lot of time and attention must be spent on creating routines and making sure they are followed.
The new audit feature in TVP.X gives auto repair shop owners and shop managers the tools to enforce those standards.
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/7617591/2099f060-3199-46a2-85ce-5f0ff6933484)
“In the TVP.X there’s a new sub-menu item which is called ‘audit technician/service advisor,’” said Uwe Kleinschmidt, founder of AutoVitals. “Just like in the inspection results view, you can select the service advisor or technician name, select up to 90 days going back, then you see all the inspections and can rank them.”
In addition to ranking, you can also give assessments on the DVI and see an overview.
“You can then see a summarized ranking of all images for this particular person and have a talk with the person,” Uwe said. “Really simple.”
Bill noted the additional feature of seeing whether topics were approved or not approved by the customer is also helpful in evaluating your crew.
## **Feedback and a few glitches**
Fred and Brandon were some of the early adopters of the new TVP.X, and as is true with all AutoVitals products, Uwe wants to hear feedback to improve the software continually.
> “Once we understood what guided mode could do for us, the biggest opportunity we felt was a big time saver as well as just upping the professionalism and consistency of the inspections due to the fact that we could then pull standard text for captions and for customer notes,” Fred told Uwe, Bill, and Tom Dorsey, in [episode 83](https://www.autovitals.com/radio/whats-better-educating-with-trends-or-current-conditions-ep-83/) of The Digital Shop Talk Radio.
With several repair shops, Fred has noticed guided mode has allowed his volume shop to keep up with all of the digital inspections they were conducting. Something that was really challenging in the past.
“Not everybody who does service advising is an English major, so it’s not always easy to write something in a context that a customer will understand easily, so \[guided mode\] is a big benefit for us,” Fred said.
The benefits of the carry forward function were a bit more difficult for both Fred and Brandon to see.
A bug that is currently being worked out allows auto technicians to take photos replacing old motor vehicle inspection photos, eliminating the ability for motorists to see side-by-side comparisons of previous and current inspections. But that wasn’t Brandon’s only feedback on carry forward.
“I guess my concern with the carry forward mode is it gives the technician - because let’s be honest, the technicians can sometimes just want to get through the inspection and be done as quick as possible - it gives them an out to just hit confirm without actually rechecking something,” he said. “It’s happened to us a couple times where, you know, the technician is going through the inspection and just clicking through, clicking through, clicking through, and a different advisor had the car last time, and now I’m dealing with it, and so I go pitch a job that we just did three months ago not realizing that we had actually done that.”
Additionally, Brandon had spoken to several customers about the carry forward feature and its ability to show the progression of wear and tear on their vehicle. The feedback he received is vehicle owners don’t necessarily want to see that information. He also said the DVI guided mode essentially makes the carry forward needless.
“My opinion on that is that if a component was good last time, and it’s bad now, I guess, to me, it doesn’t make a difference that it was good last time,” he said. “It’s bad now, let’s fix it.”
The bumps on the road are to be expected when adding and refining new features, and why AutoVitals places such an emphasis on customer feedback in the product development process.
## **Carry on with carry forward**
Bill, Uwe, and Tom listened to the feedback from Brandon and Fred but offered some counterpoints.
> “If we can show customer change over time by showing the progression of pictures, that’s a good thing,” Bill said. “We’re also going to have instances where the customer, you know, they’re going to have that tire that’s worn on three edges almost through the rubber. They come back through a month later, and now it’s in the steel belts. To go ahead and show that change over time can be huge for getting that customer that doesn’t really like to maintain their vehicle to get out their doggone wallet and start making a donation into it before they change that ‘may pop’ into a ‘will pop.’”
Uwe added, if it isn’t done correctly, carry forward can backfire big time.
“If the pictures are not fulfilling basic requirements, we shouldn’t even do any history because if one picture is not telling the story, two incomplete pictures confuse people more,” he said. “That’s why we introduced the reinforcement of what a good picture looks like, and then the next step is starting with the previous visit and current visit, and then the next step would be a whole history. That’s how I look at it.”
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/7617591/8af5be87-88c5-4f40-83a6-40a2cdb88c78)
[DVI](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/dvi), [shop management](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/shop-management), [smartflow](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/smartflow), [workflow](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/workflow), [Consistency](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/consistency), [TVP](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/tvp)
## Read On
### [Solving the Auto Repair Technician Shortage with DVI-Ready Graduates The technician shortage affects every auto repair shop across the country. Monterey Peninsula...](https://blog.autovitals.com/solving-the-auto-repair-technician-shortage)
### [How Digital Inspections Can Help Recruit Great Automotive Technicians In auto repair, the demand for skilled automotive technicians in the United States has reached a...](https://blog.autovitals.com/recruit-great-automotive-technicians-dvi)
### [5 Ways to Improve Your Shop’s 2024 Technician Recruiting Strategy The automotive industry isn’t just facing a technician shortage—they’re facing a technician crisis....](https://blog.autovitals.com/5-ways-to-improve-your-shops-2024-technician-recruiting-strategy)
### Posts by Topic
- [Digital Shop (47)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/digital-shop)
- [auto repair shop (44)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-repair-shop)
- [automotive shop management software (31)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/automotive-shop-management-software)
- [Auto Shop (29)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-shop)
- [Autovitals (29)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/autovitals)
- [DVI (29)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/dvi)
- [shop management (25)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/shop-management)
- [workflow (18)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/workflow)
- [Digital Marketing (17)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/digital-marketing)
- [BCP (16)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/bcp)
- [CRM (15)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/crm)
- [auto repair shop marketing (15)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-repair-shop-marketing)
- [Staff Buy-In (14)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/staff-buy-in)
- [Best Practice (13)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/best-practice)
- [aro (13)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/aro)
- [Consistency (11)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/consistency)
- [Digital Vehicle Inspection (11)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/digital-vehicle-inspection)
- [Process Change (11)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/process-change)
- [Tech (11)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/tech)
- [service advisor (11)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/service-advisor)
- [COVID-19 (10)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/covid-19)
- [KPIs (10)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/kpis)
- [Shop Culture (10)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/shop-culture)
- [Websites (10)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/websites)
- [AutoVitals News (8)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/autovitals-news)
- [Integration (8)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/integration)
- [Website (8)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/website)
- [automotive shop software (8)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/automotive-shop-software)
- [Announcement (7)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/announcement)
- [Automotive Technician (7)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/automotive-technician)
- [Press Release (7)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/press-release)
- [Partners (6)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/partners)
- [auto repair marketing company (6)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-repair-marketing-company)
- [auto repair shop SEO (6)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-repair-shop-seo)
- [New Features (5)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/new-features)
- [auto repair services (5)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-repair-services)
- [best auto repair software (5)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/best-auto-repair-software)
- [Coaching (4)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/coaching)
- [Customer Reviews (4)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/customer-reviews)
- [Paperless (4)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/paperless)
- [Reviews (4)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/reviews)
- [auto shop management (4)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-shop-management)
- [multishop (4)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/multishop)
- [smartflow (4)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/smartflow)
- [Automotive Technician Shortage (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/automotive-technician-shortage)
- [DRIVE Shops (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/drive-shops)
- [Digital Shop Conference (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/digital-shop-conference)
- [Industry Events (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/industry-events)
- [Meineke (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/meineke)
- [NAPA (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/napa)
- [Shop-Ware (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/shop-ware)
- [auto parts inventory (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-parts-inventory)
- [auto shop efficiency (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-shop-efficiency)
- [automotive repair invoice app (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/automotive-repair-invoice-app)
- [creative (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/creative)
- [drop off (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/drop-off)
- [training (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/training)
- [web based auto repair software (3)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/web-based-auto-repair-software)
- [Automotive text messaging (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/automotive-text-messaging)
- [Bookkeeping for auto repair shops (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/bookkeeping-for-auto-repair-shops)
- [Case Study (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/case-study)
- [POS (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/pos)
- [Picture Edits (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/picture-edits)
- [Protractor (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/protractor)
- [Recruiting (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/recruiting)
- [RepairPal (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/repairpal)
- [TeE-Times (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/tee-times)
- [The Digital Shop Talk Radio (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/the-digital-shop-talk-radio)
- [inventory management (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/inventory-management)
- [loyalty (2)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/loyalty)
- [Auto mechanic interview questions (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-mechanic-interview-questions)
- [BayIQ (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/bayiq)
- [Building a Bench (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/building-a-bench)
- [Campaign Manager (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/campaign-manager)
- [Canned Jobs (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/canned-jobs)
- [Community (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/community)
- [GMB (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/gmb)
- [Guided Inspection (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/guided-inspection)
- [Hiring (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/hiring)
- [Interview (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/interview)
- [MRT (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/mrt)
- [Motorist Approval (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/motorist-approval)
- [Q&A (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/qa)
- [Remote Work (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/remote-work)
- [Service Writer (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/service-writer)
- [TVP (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/tvp)
- [Tekmetric (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/tekmetric)
- [The Digital Shop Summit (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/the-digital-shop-summit)
- [Who's in our shop? (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/whos-in-our-shop)
- [auto parts (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-parts)
- [auto repair shop financing (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/auto-repair-shop-financing)
- [best auto repair shop websites (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/best-auto-repair-shop-websites)
- [estimate (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/estimate)
- [financing (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/financing)
- [inflation (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/inflation)
- [marketing plan (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/marketing-plan)
- [parts catalog (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/parts-catalog)
- [pricing (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/pricing)
- [retention (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/retention)
- [script (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/script)
- [social media (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/social-media)
- [social media marketing (1)](https://blog.autovitals.com/tag/social-media-marketing)
see all
### Subscribe to our blog
[Back To Top](https://blog.autovitals.com/tvp-update-new-tools-focus-on-basics#toTop)
[](https://www.autovitals.com/)
**AutoVitals**The automotive industry’s leading provider of integrated solutions for internet marketing, motorist engagement and customer retention.
### Contact Us
**Phone:** (866) 949-2848
**Email:** sales@autovitalsinc.com
**Facebook:** @AutoVitalsUpdate
-
-
-
-
### Solutions
[**DVI.X**Digital Vehicle Inspections](https://www.autovitals.com/dvi-x/) [**SmartFlow.X**Workflow Management](https://www.autovitals.com/smartflow-x/) [**Digital Shop.X** Inspections, Workflow, Website, & CRM](https://www.autovitals.com/digital-shop-x/)
### The Digital Shop®
[Best Practices Library](https://www.autovitals.com/best-practices-2/) [The Digital Shop® Conference 2021](https://www.autovitals.com/conference/) [Digital Shop® Talk Radio](https://help.autovitals.com/podcast/) [Digital Shop® Online Summit](https://www.autovitals.com/onlinesummit/) [Schedule a Demonstration](https://www.autovitals.com/schedule-a-demonstration/)
©2026 AutoVitals, Inc.
- [Home](https://www.autovitals.com/home/)
- [Solutions](https://www.autovitals.com/solutions/)
- [Support](https://www.autovitals.com/contact/)