What's In This Article
- What are Smart Canned Jobs?
- Part 1: Creating a Smart Canned Job in Tekmetric
- Part 2: Connecting the Job to an AutoVitals Inspection
- Part 3: Seeing It in Action
What are Smart Canned Jobs?
Smart Canned Jobs are a Tekmetric feature that makes your repair orders smarter. When a technician flags a condition during a digital inspection, like worn wiper blades or an oil change due, AutoVitals automatically adds the right job to the Repair Order in Tekmetric, with the correct labor hours, part quantities, and pricing already filled in based on the customer's vehicle.
No manual lookups. No re-entering information. The job shows up on the RO ready to go.
Before you begin: Smart Canned Jobs must be enabled in your Tekmetric account. If you don't see the Smart Canned Job option in Tekmetric, contact Tekmetric Support directly. This is a Tekmetric account setting that AutoVitals cannot enable on your behalf.
Part 1: Creating a Smart Canned Job in Tekmetric
Smart Canned Jobs are created inside Tekmetric using their built-in wizard. You only need to do this once per job type.
Step 1: Go to Canned Jobs
In Tekmetric, click Manage → Canned Jobs in the left menu.
Step 2: Start a New Smart Canned Job
Click + New Canned Job
Click the dropdown arrow next to the button
Select Smart Canned Job
Step 3: Choose the Job Type
Tekmetric will show you a list of common smart job types.
Pick the one that matches the service you want to set up. For example:
Engine Oil & Filter Remove & Replace
Windshield Wiper Blade Remove & Replace
Cabin Air Filter Remove & Replace
Brake Pads Remove & Replace
Spark Plugs Remove & Replace
A preview of the job appears on the right side of the screen. Fields with a ⚡ lightning bolt will automatically fill in based on the customer's vehicle when the job is added to an RO.
Click Continue.
Step 4: Name and Categorize the Job
Fill in the job details:
Field |
What to Enter |
|---|---|
|
Job Name
Tip: Naming Your Smart Canned Job: There is no visual distinction between a Smart Canned Job and a standard canned job in the AutoVitals inspection builder or TVPx. Both appear as [Job] when added as actions. To avoid selecting the wrong job, AutoVitals recommends adding a short label to the job name in Tekmetric to differentiate them.
Important: The job name is customer-facing and will appear on the inspection report. Keep labels short and professional. Suggested options:
Avoid labels like (SMART JOB) as these may cause confusion when visible to customers. If your shop has both a standard and a smart canned job for the same service, a clear naming distinction is especially important to avoid mapping the wrong job to an inspection condition
|
What appears on the customer's estimate (e.g. "Wiper Blade Replacement **") |
Category |
Choose the category that fits the service (e.g. MAINT, OIL, BRAKE) |
Labor Rate |
Select your shop's labor rate for this job |
Package Price |
Optional — set a fixed price for the job |
Click Continue.
Step 5: Set Labor Hours
Choose how labor hours are calculated:
Use Tekmetric Labor Guide (recommended) Tekmetric automatically applies the correct hours based on the vehicle
Use my own labor hours Enter a fixed number of hours
Leave the labor matrix and parts matrix toggles ON to apply your shop's standard markups automatically.
Click Continue.
Step 6: Review and Save
Review the job on the final screen and click Save.
Your Smart Canned Job is now ready. It will be available in AutoVitals within 2 hours as part of the automatic sync between Tekmetric and AutoVitals.
Need it sooner? Go to AutoVitals System Settings → 3rd Party Integrations → Canned Jobs and click Import Canned Jobs from POS to manually initiate the import.
Part 2: Connecting the Job to an AutoVitals Inspection
Once the Smart Canned Job is available in AutoVitals, you connect it to an inspection condition. This tells AutoVitals: "When a technician marks this condition, add this job to the RO."
Step 1: Open the Inspection Builder
Go to AutoVitals System Settings → Inspection → Inspection Builder
Select the inspection sheet you want to update from the dropdown
Note: If your inspection sheet is marked as read-only, you'll need to make a copy before editing. Use the copy option in the dropdown to create an editable version.
Step 2: Find the Right Condition
Locate the inspection topic and condition where this job should appear.
Example: For wiper blades, you'd look for:
Section: Exterior/Interior
Topic: Inspect Windshield Wiper & Washer Operation
Condition: Front Wipers Torn or Worn
Step 3: Add the Canned Job
Scroll to the Actions section of the condition
-
Click Add Action(s) as Canned Job
Search for the job by name (e.g. "wiper") followed by (SMART JOB)
Select it from the list and click ADD CANNED JOB
Two ways to set this up:
Default Action: The job is automatically recommended every time a technician marks this condition. Best for common, high-confidence findings.
Selectable Action: The job appears as an option the technician can choose during the inspection. Best for conditions where the recommendation may vary.
Both options send the job to the Tekmetric RO the same way.
Step 4: Save Your Changes
Click SUBMIT CHANGES at the bottom of the page.
Your inspection is now connected to the Smart Canned Job.
Part 3: Seeing It in Action
Here's what happens from start to finish once everything is set up:
During the Inspection
The technician inspects the vehicle on their tablet and marks the condition (e.g. Front Wipers Torn or Worn). AutoVitals captures the finding, the customer note, and any photos.
After the Inspection — Sending to Tekmetric
From the TVPx portal, the service advisor clicks UPDATE WO. This sends the inspection results and recommended jobs to Tekmetric, including:
The Smart Canned Job
VIN and vehicle information
Odometer reading
Technician assignment
Inspection notes and the AutoVitals Inspection link
In Tekmetric
The Smart Canned Job appears on the RO in the Estimate tab, fully resolved for the customer's vehicle:
Labor hours automatically calculated (e.g. 0.30 hrs for each wiper position)
Parts listed with correct quantities
Job total calculated
-
Inspection notes from AutoVitals attached to the job
The service advisor can present the estimate to the customer immediately — no manual data entry required.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for a new Smart Canned Job to appear in AutoVitals? AutoVitals syncs with Tekmetric automatically every 2 hours. You can also trigger an immediate sync from System Settings → 3rd Party Integrations → Canned Jobs → Import Canned Jobs from POS.
Do I need to set up a Smart Canned Job for every service? No — only for services where you want vehicle-specific labor hours and parts to resolve automatically. Standard canned jobs work fine for fixed-price services.
What if the Smart Canned Job option doesn't appear in Tekmetric? Contact Tekmetric Support. This feature requires specific account settings that only Tekmetric can enable.
Can I use Smart Canned Jobs with any inspection condition? Yes — any condition in your AutoVitals inspection sheet can be connected to a Smart Canned Job.
If you have any additional questions, reach out to our Support Team by clicking Submit a Request in the top right-hand corner of this page.