Most collision repair operators track KPIs monthly. High-performing MSOs track them daily.
The difference isn't just frequency—it's the ability to act before problems become patterns. A cycle time spike caught on day 3 is fixable. The same spike caught at month-end is a conversation with your PE sponsor about what went wrong.
Here are the 7 KPIs every MSO should see every morning.
1. WIP Count by Shop
What it is: The number of vehicles currently in process at each location.
Why it matters: WIP is your cash sitting in the building. Too little WIP means you're losing capacity. Too much means cars are stacking up, cycle times are stretching, and customers are getting frustrated.
What to watch for:
- Sudden spikes (intake outpacing throughput)
- Shops consistently above capacity
- Imbalances between locations in the same market
Target: Every shop should know their optimal WIP. For most, it's 2-3x their weekly throughput capacity.
How often to check: Daily. WIP changes fast.
2. WIP Aging Distribution
What it is: How long vehicles have been in process, bucketed by age (0-7 days, 8-14 days, 15-30 days, 30+ days).
Why it matters: Total WIP count doesn't tell you if cars are moving. A shop with 40 cars could be healthy (most under 7 days) or in trouble (half over 30 days).
What to watch for:
- Growing 30+ day bucket (cars stuck waiting on parts, supplements, or attention)
- Shops with unusually high aging compared to peers
- Individual ROs that have been sitting for weeks
Target: Top-performing shops keep 80%+ of WIP under 14 days.
3. Cycle Time (Keys-to-Keys)
What it is: Average days from vehicle drop-off to delivery, across completed repairs.
Why it matters: Cycle time directly impacts customer satisfaction, DRP compliance, and shop throughput. It's the KPI insurers care about most.
What to watch for:
- Week-over-week trends (catching degradation early)
- Shops significantly above network average
- Outlier ROs pulling averages up (the 45-day repair hiding in a 10-day average)
Target: Industry average is around 11 days. Top shops hit 8 or under.
4. Delivered Not Closed
What it is: Vehicles that have been delivered to customers but haven't been invoiced/closed in the system.
Why it matters: This is revenue sitting on the table. Every day a delivered vehicle isn't closed is a day you're not getting paid—and a day the RO could fall through the cracks entirely.
What to watch for:
- Rising count (process breakdown at the front desk)
- Individual ROs delivered 10+ days ago still open
- Shops with consistently higher DNC than peers
Target: Zero, ideally. Under 5 per shop at any time is acceptable.
5. Gross Profit by Shop
What it is: Revenue minus cost of goods sold (parts + materials), by location.
Why it matters: Top-line sales mean nothing if margins are compressed. GP tells you if shops are pricing correctly, managing parts margins, and avoiding profit leaks.
What to watch for:
- Shops below target margin
- Month-over-month margin compression
- Parts margin specifically (often the biggest lever)
Target: Varies by market, but most MSOs target 40-45% gross margin.
6. Sales Velocity
What it is: Vehicles delivered and revenue closed, measured daily/weekly.
Why it matters: Sales velocity tells you if shops are moving work through the building. A shop can have great cycle time on paper but low throughput if they're not taking in enough work.
What to watch for:
- Shops underperforming vs. capacity
- Week-over-week drops (leading indicator of problems)
- Seasonal patterns (knowing when to expect dips)
7. CSI Scores
What it is: Customer Satisfaction Index—scores from post-repair surveys.
Why it matters: CSI scores directly impact DRP relationships. Insurers watch these closely. A CSI problem today is a DRP review problem in 90 days.
What to watch for:
- Scores below DRP thresholds
- Response rates (low response = unreliable scores)
- Shops trending downward over time
Target: Varies by insurer, but generally 90%+ satisfaction.
Why Daily Matters
The difference between monthly and daily KPI tracking isn't just speed—it's what you can do with the information.
| Monthly tracking | Daily tracking |
|---|---|
| Find out about cycle time spike at month-end | Catch it on day 3, intervene on day 4 |
| Discover WIP aging in PE review | See it building, rebalance before it's a problem |
| Learn about DNC from accounting | Flag it immediately, close before revenue leaks |
| React to problems | Prevent problems |
The operators winning in this market aren't smarter—they're faster. They see what's happening today, not what happened last month.