If you’re still using paper WOF books in your garage, it’s time to ask yourself why. The manual process might feel familiar and safe, but it’s slowly draining your time, money, and efficiency. Much like the early 1900s when people clung to horses despite the arrival of faster, more efficient cars, sticking with paper WOFs is choosing routine over progress.
It’s not just about tradition. It’s about cost, lost time, and the missed opportunity to improve how your business runs.
The Real Cost of Paper WOFs
On the surface, paper WOF books don’t seem expensive. Around 40 cents per sheet doesn’t feel like much, until you do the math. If you’re doing six WOFs a day, that adds up to 120 each month. That’s $48 in paper, freight, and processing fees alone. Add to that the labour time, every WOF done on paper costs you an extra 5 minutes. That’s 10 hours a month lost to inefficiency.
Then there’s rechecks. Hunting down the right WOF book and the original entry can easily waste another 5 minutes per job. Over time, that adds up to hours of unpaid labour and unnecessary frustration.
Why Some Garages Still Haven’t Switched
It’s easy to understand the hesitation. Change is uncomfortable, especially when you’ve relied on the same process for years. For many garage owners and inspectors, the fear isn’t just about technology, it’s about stepping into the unknown. There’s a belief that learning a new system might be hard, or that going digital might cause more issues than it solves.
But the reality is very different.
eWOF is Simple, Free, and Faster
Modern systems like Itsallauto’s eWOF platform are built to be user-friendly and efficient. You don’t need to be tech-savvy. It’s intuitive, easy to learn, and completely free. No printing, no shipping, and no storage required. You simply log in, complete the inspection digitally, and it’s saved and accessible instantly.
Need to do a recheck? Just search the rego, click, and it’s right there, no wasted time digging through a dusty pile of old books.
Time is Money – Stop Wasting Both
Every minute you spend writing on paper, tracking down sheets, or fixing mistakes is time that could be spent doing paid work. That’s time you could spend on another customer, another job, or even just wrapping up earlier at the end of the day.
It’s not just about saving $48 a month on materials. It’s about reclaiming hours of labour, improving customer service, and running a cleaner, more efficient operation. Not to mention easier NZTA WOF audits.
Make the Shift Today
You wouldn’t still be riding a horse to get to work. So why are you still using paper WOFs in 2025?
The tools are here. The system is free. And the time savings speak for themselves. Get off the old track. Make the switch to digital and start moving your garage forward now.