Most shop owners assume back-office losses come down to surface issues like bad hires or outright theft. But the real problem is much deeper. As Alex Saladna, co-founder and CEO of Wicked File, explains, complications arise when back-office processes slip, and you can no longer ensure where your money is going. Unfortunately, he learned the hard way when his family’s 10-shop operation lost $180,000 in six months. In that moment, he realized how much damage a lack of repeatable systems and accountability can do.
In this conversation, Jason and Alex dig deep into common shop financial issues, including invoice tracking, parts reconciliation, and vendor accountability, to understand how they lead to loss in even the most well-run shops. They also discuss AI-powered tools and how they can help close the gap. Moving from monthly to weekly or daily reconciliation can be the small change that shifts everything, especially when it comes to financial leakage.
Having the tools isn’t exactly helpful if they’re not being implemented properly. That’s where Alex and Wicked File come in. He shares a key example, highlighting how his company can pull invoices through automated email integration instead of using manual processing. As the conversation continues, he also tackles practical internal issues like employee resistance to new processes and the difference between valid feedback and pushback. Whether you run one shop or ten, this episode is a practical look at where money disappears in the back office and what it actually takes to stop it.
Tune in to episode 152 of Maximum Octane if you've experienced loss or are curious how to improve your back-office processes to prevent a devastating discovery in the future.
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