An ERP for a truck workshop should cover orders per unit, parts, purchasing, CFDI invoicing (Mexico’s electronic invoice) with Carta Porte (its transport complement), and accounting in a single system; the right questions narrow down the options in minutes. This guide brings together the criteria to evaluate before the demo, a complete sample flow, and a checklist of ten questions. That way you compare workshop software, general platforms, and specialized ERPs by the same standard.
What sets an ERP for a truck workshop apart from a generic one?
The difference is that the specialized ERP already includes the industry’s processes (history per unit, maintenance by mileage, manufacturer warranties, floor plan), while the generic one has to build them. Here we compare a generic ERP with a specialized one.
General platforms like Odoo or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central cover finance, sales, and inventory, but they usually require customization for this industry. Business Central includes service management in its Premium plan, not in the entry-level one.
Workshop tools handle intake and orders, though they don’t always close the administrative cycle. Kikert states that it issues the CFDI invoice from the order, and MecaTrack includes integrated CFDI invoicing starting with its Pro plan. It’s worth checking whether they also cover purchasing and accounting.
| Brand | Heavy equipment focus | Workshop module included | Integrated invoicing and accounting |
|---|---|---|---|
| SITIC Software | Yes, built for heavy equipment | Yes, work orders | CFDI 4.0, Carta Porte, and accounting |
| MecaTrack | Auto repair shops in general | Yes, work orders | CFDI invoicing from the Pro plan |
| Kikert | Auto repair shops; supports heavy units | Yes, work orders | CFDI invoice from the order |
| Business Central | General platform | Service in the Premium plan | Finance included |
The data comes from the official pages of MecaTrack, Kikert, and Microsoft.
Which modules can’t be missing?
Work orders per unit, parts and inventory, purchasing, CFDI 4.0 invoicing with Carta Porte when applicable, accounts receivable, and accounting can’t be missing, all of them connected.
- Work orders per unit: technician, time, labor, and parts, with inspection and customer signature.
- Parts and inventory: real-time stock, transfers between warehouses, and purchase suggestions by turnover.
- Purchasing: supplier orders tied to what the workshop actually needs.
- CFDI 4.0 and Carta Porte: stamping from the same system, with no re-entry.
- Accounts receivable: balances by customer and fleet.
- Accounting: journal entries generated from the operation, not entered separately.
This should look like a continuous flow. Ask the vendor to show it from start to finish:
- The unit comes in and its inspection is recorded.
- The diagnosis is done and the job is quoted.
- The customer authorizes and the order opens.
- The warehouse issues parts against the order.
- At close, the invoice is generated.
- The journal entry is created with no additional entry.
In SITIC Software, the real cost of each order is visible before invoicing, and the CFDI comes from closing the order with labor, parts, and additional services. To see this step in detail, read how to quote service and parts in a truck workshop.
How is history by unit, VIN, plates, and mileage handled?
It’s handled with a record per unit that accumulates services, parts, costs, and mileage readings, identified by serial number or VIN and searchable in seconds.
With trucks this matters more than with personal cars: a unit can pass through several hands, and the manufacturer warranty depends on traceability. To evaluate it, ask the vendor to search for a unit by VIN and by plates, and to show its complete log. Here we detail what a truck’s maintenance history should record.
An example of what general workshop software offers: MecaTrack lets you search by plate, VIN, or customer name. A heavy equipment ERP should go further and tie that history to costs, warranties, and preventive maintenance.
In SITIC Software, preventive maintenance is scheduled by operating hours, mileage, or date, with alerts. The log and costs accumulate per unit, and serial number traceability is included, with no additional development.
How hard is it to migrate from Excel or a previous system, and how long does it take?
It’s manageable if the vendor includes migration in the project and your team dedicates time.
The hard part is almost never the software, but the quality of the information: duplicate parts catalogs, units without serial numbers, balances that don’t add up. That’s why it’s worth asking who cleans up the data and who loads it.
With SITIC Software, the implementation includes data migration, training, and adjustments, and the average is 12 weeks. It requires the company to assign a dedicated team and complete the activities on the schedule.
Ask about leaving, too. With SITIC you can export your historical information to Excel, with no locks or data retention, so your data stays yours.
What questions should you ask in the demo?
Ask ten questions that make the vendor show the system working with a real unit, not with slides.
- Can you walk through the complete flow, from intake to the journal entry, without leaving the system?
- Are the CFDI 4.0 and the Carta Porte complement generated within the ERP?
- How do you search for a unit by VIN and by plates, and what history does it show?
- Is preventive maintenance scheduled by mileage, hours, or date?
- How is a part deducted from inventory when it’s issued to an order?
- What real cost remains per order before invoicing?
- How are manufacturer warranties handled?
- What gets migrated from Excel, and who loads it?
- How many weeks does go-live take, and what does my team need to contribute?
- What happens to my data if I leave the system?
If an answer starts with “that’s developed separately,” you already know where the hidden cost will be.
How does SITIC Software solve it?
The SITIC Software ERP is built for heavy, agricultural, and construction equipment and trucks, with workshop, parts, invoicing, and accounting in a single system.
SITIC has more than 27 years in the sector. It serves distributors, dealerships, workshops, and parts distributors, and more than 18,000 work orders a year are managed with the system in Mexico and Latin America. There’s no limit on branches: each one operates with its own access, and management sees everything consolidated. You can review the solution for trucks.
If you want to see it with your operation, SITIC offers a review call at no cost and with no commitment. Schedule it at siticsoftware.com/en/diagnostico or call +52 (871) 227 2000.