In an increasingly digital world — where convenience, transparency, and speed define customer expectations — automotive service centers and dealerships need more than just good mechanics. They need a streamlined, modern process that connects every step of the customer journey: booking, check-in, inspection, repair approval, payment, and follow-up. That’s where Xtime steps in. As a comprehensive fixed-ops platform, Xtime is designed to transform traditional service departments into efficient, customer-centric, revenue-generating operations.

What is Xtime?

Xtime is a full-suite fixed-ops solution offered by Cox Automotive, tailored for dealerships and auto repair centers. Its core mission: to help service departments “service more cars in less time” while enhancing service quality, customer satisfaction, and profitability. 

By consolidating multiple aspects of service operations (scheduling, customer communication, inspections, marketing) into a single unified platform, Xtime replaces fragmented workflows — phone-booking systems, paper-based inspections, manual follow-ups — with a seamless digital experience that benefits both dealerships and customers. 

The Four Key Modules of Xtime

Xtime’s strength lies in its modular yet interconnected architecture. Each module addresses a critical stage of the service process. When combined, they deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for fixed-ops. 

Schedule

The Schedule module empowers customers to book service appointments online or via mobile — at any time, from anywhere. This 24/7 availability caters to modern, busy lifestyles. 

For the dealership, Schedule provides shop-capacity management tools, helping balance workloads, prevent overbooking, and optimize technician time. Combined with real-time availability display, transparent service menus, and automated appointment reminders, Schedule reduces scheduling friction — driving up utilization and reducing no-shows. 

Engage

Once a customer arrives, the Engage module enhances the check-in and service-lane experience. Customers can self check-in, or be greeted via tablet-based reception — where advisors have instant access to service history, vehicle data, and appointment details. 

During the service visit, Engage supports real-time updates via text, giving customers visibility into progress and status, which improves transparency and trust. Payment — even before service completion — can be handled online or via mobile, making checkout smoother and faster. 

The result: a modern, customer-centered service experience that reduces wait times, improves communication, and increases the likelihood of repeat visits.

Inspect

Perhaps one of the most powerful modules is Inspect, which brings multipoint inspections (MPIs) into the digital age. Technicians can use mobile devices to capture high-resolution photos and videos of vehicle condition — and share that directly with customers. This multimedia documentation promotes transparency and makes repair recommendations more compelling and easier to approve.

New enhancements announced in 2025 have further improved Inspect’s capabilities: better video quality (noise-cancellation, higher resolution, dealer-branded MPI videos), a modern messaging center for communication, and real-time dashboards and performance-scoring tools for management. 

Thanks to this transparency and communication, some dealerships report approvals for additional service recommendations (ASRs) coming in as fast as — 7 minutes. 

Inspect also supports in-dealer chat among staff, real-time status updates for customers via “Service Tracker,” and simpler financing/payment options (via integrated partners) for more expensive repairs — making it easier for customers to say “yes.” 

Invite

Finally, Invite acts as a marketing and re-engagement tool — helping dealerships reconnect with past customers, send maintenance reminders, or promote services based on previous visits or declined repairs. This is crucial to filling open shop slots, generating repeat service orders, and maximizing lifetime customer value. 

Invite enables personalized communications — often via text messages — with direct links to schedule service, making outreach timely, convenient, and effective. This helps increase return visits and recapture otherwise lost business. 

Why Dealerships Choose Xtime: Business Benefits

 Increased Efficiency & Capacity

With streamlined scheduling, digital check-in, and mobile inspections, service departments can handle more vehicles in less time. Bottlenecks are minimized, shop utilization is optimized, and overall throughput improves. 

 Transparency & Customer Trust

Visual inspections (photos/videos), real-time updates, and easy communication help build trust. Customers better understand what’s going on with their vehicle — making them more likely to accept additional required or recommended maintenance. 

Higher Revenue per Repair Order (RO) & Better ROI

Because of higher approval rates for recommended services and improved upsell potential, dealerships often see a substantial increase in “dollars per RO.” According to Xtime, some users report nearly 50% higher dollars per RO with its full-suite platform. 

Moreover, they also show improved fixed-ops growth, better customer retention, and more return visits — turning service departments into a stable profit center rather than just a necessary cost-of-doing-business. 

 Seamless Integration & Data-Driven Insights

Xtime integrates with Dealer Management Systems (DMS), CRM platforms, payment processors and other dealership software — making adoption smoother without needing to rip-and-replace existing tools. 

Combined with new real-time dashboards, performance scoring, and analytics, management gets better visibility into key metrics: repair order volume, approval rates, shop utilization, customer engagement — enabling smarter, data-driven decisions. 

New 2025 Enhancements: Keeping Pace with Modern Expectations

The latest updates to Xtime — announced in early 2025 — further elevate the platform’s capabilities. Enhancements include:

• An improved messaging center with advanced texting and communication tools for customers and prospects. 

• Enhanced multimedia for inspections: high-resolution video, noise cancellation, optional subtitles, dealer-branded MPI videos — making inspections more professional, clear, and convincing. 

• Real-time performance dashboards and reporting tools, allowing dealerships to monitor fixed-ops health, track KPIs, and optimize workflows on the fly. 

• Smoother integration workflows between sales and service departments via connections across the wider Cox Automotive ecosystem — improving data sync and end-to-end customer lifecycle management. 

These updates reflect evolving consumer expectations: more transparency, faster communication, mobile convenience — making Xtime not just a helpful tool, but a necessity for modern dealerships. 

Potential Challenges & What to Keep in Mind

As powerful as Xtime is, maximizing its benefits requires commitment. Dealerships must ensure:

• Staff adopt digital workflows consistently (mobile inspections, timely status updates, clear communications). Incomplete or inconsistent use may reduce ROI.

• Integration with existing DMS/CRM/payment systems is handled properly to avoid workflow friction or data silos.

• They leverage all modules — Schedule, Engage, Inspect, Invite — together as a suite, because the strength of Xtime lies in its integration and connectedness.

When implemented thoughtfully and used fully, however, Xtime can transform service lanes into profit centers and foster long-term customer loyalty.

In the age of digital convenience and elevated customer expectations, automotive service departments can no longer rely on outdated, manual operations. They need speed, transparency, seamless communication, and a modern user experience — both for customers and staff.

Xtime delivers precisely that. By uniting scheduling, check-in, inspections, marketing, and payment into a single, integrated platform — backed by data, multimedia, and robust workflows — it empowers dealerships to reimagine service operations.