The car market sees the growing potential of new technologies, including mobile solutions. Increasing competitiveness means building a market advantage not only on the basis of price, but also by means of non-standard approaches to customer service.
Dealers embraced by technology
Non standard forms of customer service.
The modern car dealership is not just a showroom and a skilled salesman. Buyers expect something more. Technology perhaps? Mobile apps integrated with company management systems not only facilitate work with clients, but also make it possible to increase sales.
The modern car dealership is not just a showroom and a skilled salesman. Buyers expect something more. Technology perhaps? Mobile apps integrated with company management systems not only facilitate work with clients, but also make it possible to increase sales.
A marriage with the world of advanced IT technology can be a good solution for increasing competitiveness. ERP systems (enterprise resource planning) facilitate company management and can be deployed to monitor stock levels, handle orders or perform accounting activities. Ownership of one integrated system is a tangible benefit for both dealers and importers.
A well-designed IT system should meet the specific expectations of a given dealership. Time is considerably important in the automotive industry: time of car delivery, time of completion of a maintenance service or order time for spare parts. At a time of growing competition, the client wants to identify a problem as soon as possible, set down the service cost and pick up his car in perfect condition.
Szymon Włochowicz
IT systems provider for the automotive industry
Expanding the IT system by adding new components not only provides efficient management, but also optimizes processes occurring at the showroom in a way that they would absorb as little time and money as possible. The role of mobile devices is also significant, because when equipped with proper apps, they can be useful working tools.
IT novelties available on the market for car dealers
Service Advisor and Predictive Marketing for Aftersales along with DriveApp are examples of solutions for car dealers created and provided by us – a company with Polish lineage cooperating with car dealers from the Netherlands, Switzerland (AMAG Retail) and the Middle East, as well as with leading manufacturers (such as MAN and Volvo CE).
Service Advisor makes it possible to carry out maintenance and repair tasks using a tablet exclusively, without paper documents. Checking the damage record, managing the mechanics’ schedule or downloading price lists minimizes traditional formalities and shortens service time. Predictive Marketing for Aftersales along with DriveApp allow for data collection and generating personalized offers, thus leading to an increase in sales.
Make good decisions
New IT solutions are based more and more often on Big Data, which is an analysis of a large amount of data collected by a company. In other words, Big Data represents a huge amount of information generated during business processes such as sales, maintenance services and aftersales service.
On the basis of collected data, there is a possibility to run insightful analyses and set indicators that support making so-called “educated decisions – business decisions based on regularities occurring in the company,” Szymon Włochowicz says. For instance, a company using Predictive Marketing for Aftersales and analyzing archive data can show personalized offers to the client. Dealers can also share DriveApp, which collects data on car exploitation, errors and the preferences of a car user, with their clients. On this basis, the dealer can draw up a maintenance service offer that corresponds to a way the car is used. This is how Big Data works, he summarizes.
The use of IT systems in a dealership has a significant impact on business process optimization. Service Advisor saves the time needed to type out the data from a sheet of paper and thus eliminates possible mistakes and delays. It also gives the dealer an opportunity to present special offers and bundles directly onto a mobile device.
Love your client
Nowadays, clients await solutions tailored especially to their needs. New technologies used when providing clients with a service can also be a part of the overall image of a modern dealership. When leaving his car in a garage, the client wants to be sure that his vehicle is in good hands. If a service technician spends a few seconds discussing the repair options with him, the feeling of prestige and professionalism will last for a long time.
To make the client want to come back for another service or a new car, it is always worth adding value to the transaction, such as through a dedicated app. DriveApp, which is part of Predictive Marketing for Aftersales, gives the client an opportunity to monitor fuel consumption, provides him with information on the condition of his vehicle and eco-driving tips, as well as ensures direct contact with the dealership. In addition, it collects and transmits data on the car and its user to the dealership. By means of advanced algorithms, DriveApp can serve to personalize the offer received by the client directly on his phone.
Well, perhaps it is worth becoming a “dealership of tomorrow” and entrusting technology with some of your duties? It is a good time to invest and a great opportunity to distance yourself from your competitors and improve the management of your company at the same time.
