Automotive Services & Solutions

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What Makes Dealership Management Systems Imperative for the Automotive Dealers of Today?

“There’s a bumper sticker on my Range Rover which says “Blow a horn if car parts fall off.” This new sticker is the replacement of a previous sticker which said: “Each part that falls out of this car is of superior European quality”. I am done dealing with airflow sensors, head gaskets, coil pack and heaters that ask for the removal of the entire dashboard. The revisits at auto dealers are not fun. And I forget my checkbook each time!”

This is what a rant from a customer done dealing with obsolete automotive dealers sounds like.

Whether you already own an automotive dealership or you are about to start a new one, you need to take care of several aspects and stay on top of them. If your data is an amalgamation of details scattered all over the place including CRM, emails, ERP, local files and manual documents, there’s bad news! You will not be able to cope with the expectations of modern customers.

What you need is a comprehensive, robust, and reliable car dealership management system that makes the process of dealing with customers streamlined, time-saving and stress-free. So, what are some of its major features and what makes them so important for the automotive industry? Let’s find out:

Dealership Management System and Features You Must Know About

A flexible system that can evolve with a rapidly changing market needs

Features that help you to design and run marketing campaigns

Facility to monitor and record customer satisfaction trends

Functionality that helps in running and managing after sales activities

Brings customer satisfaction

Functions that enhance revenue and utilization

Dealership management involves taking care of record-keeping and day to day operations in several areas including finance, sales, inventory, vehicle pricing, parts ordering, administration, warranty claims, creating credit reports and more. A perfect dealership management system is the one that takes care of all of the above-mentioned aspects and more:

Take a look at some of the dealer management system features that are a must-have for today’s times:

A flexible system that can evolve with a rapidly changing market needs

Features that help you to design and run marketing campaigns

Facility to monitor and record customer satisfaction trends

Functionality that helps in running and managing after sales activities

Brings customer satisfaction

Functions that enhance revenue and utilization

Now that you’ve known about the features and functionalities of a DMS, let’s understand how it can benefit you and your organization.

Marketing 

A good quality dealer management solution helps campaign managers to design the right automotive retail experience for the current and potential customers. They can ensure customer loyalty by rolling out rewards and benefits program for their loyal customer base resulting into more customer retention.

Sales 

Think about this. A system that is intuitive enough to give you tangible inputs and data about the traffic on your website so that your sales executives can book a test drive with customers. A survey functionality that motivates customers to participate in a survey so that you can improve your services based on the customer feedback. 

And last but not the least, a feature that offers visibility to sales professionals do that they can arrange for a demo with their customers and review cars to smoothen customer experience. 

After Sales

The umbrella of aftersales is huge. Managing after sales activities asks for a lot of modernized functionalities. Take a look at some features that can help you ace at after sales activities.

Customer Delight

Modern dealership management systems come with a web portal or a mobile app using which the B2B and B2C customers can handle their aftersales journey with dealerships digitally. Not just that, they can also track service appointments through online status updates. Through smart and interactive kiosks, you can encourage self-service and enhance customer engagement with your brand.

Perks of Integrating a Dealer Management System

Get rid of extensive paperwork and boost work efficiency

Handle appointments smoothly leading to more deal closures

Access your cloud-based DMS from anywhere, at any time, on any device

Enable smooth communication between your departments

Be available for your customers 24/7 using an SMS or chat system in your DMS

Know about the percentage of profitability dealership and performance trends through graphs and charts

Get rid of extensive paperwork and boost work efficiency

Handle appointments smoothly leading to more deal closures

Access your cloud-based DMS from anywhere, at any time, on any device

Enable smooth communication between your departments

Be available for your customers 24/7 using an SMS or chat system in your DMS

Know about the percentage of profitability dealership and performance trends through graphs and charts

Get rid of extensive paperwork and boost work efficiency

Handle appointments smoothly leading to more deal closures

Access your cloud-based DMS from anywhere, at any time, on any device

Enable smooth communication between your departments

Be available for your customers 24/7 using an SMS or chat system in your DMS

Know about the percentage of profitability dealership and performance trends through graphs and charts

Automotive Dealer Management systems are continually evolving. AutoFacets plays a major role in making automotive platforms that are feasible, scalable, and profitable. Why not get in touch with us and know about our offerings in detail? Drop an email to us on [email protected] now!

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Transform Service Booking Experience Digitally

By investing in automotive software powered by@AutoFacets, you’ll be able to deliver a captivating Customer Experience by automating processes that were once manual and cumbersome for everyone involved. Know more about Customer App [email protected]

https://www.autofacets.com/services/

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There was a constant rumor about the possibilities of a merger between Jaguar Land Rover and The PSA Group. Read what the PSA group owner said and how Tata Motors reacted.

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15 Surprising Facts: How Online Car-buying is taking the front seat!

Today, consumer behavior is a multidisciplinary science that investigates not only the consumer decision-making process and the acquisition of product but also the further activities of the consumer after the purchase of the product, such as using, evaluating and rejecting the product or service.

Download this fact & figures rich infographic comprising 15 surprising facts, which will help in;

1.       Deep understanding of the latest consumer behavior that are impacting your Marketing Strategies

2.      Secrete of the most successful dealerships leading in the Market

3.      Unlocked tips to convert your every lead in the deal.

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Disruption in Fleet Management Services: New Role of 2020 Fleet Manager

Automotive industry is experiencing some real dynamic changes in the recent past. The future of automotive industry and transportation is getting ready for 2020 with connected car, autonomous or self-driver vehicles, mobility, and smart vehicles. Fleet management services are also redefining the role of fleet managers for keeping future ready. Experts have foreseen the future impact of technological enhancement in vehicle and transportation gave it a new definition.  We have the new role of fleet managers with the future of fleet management services.

Image Source :- teletracnavman.com

Autonomous vehicle

Autonomous Vehicles or AVs are the future of fleet management services. AVs are welcomed in all-over the world to make future of transportation more comfortable and easier. This is a clear sign that AVs will be a well-crafted picture of fleet management services in the future. The role of fleet managers will upgrade to do more at a strategic level rather the execution level. AVs are capable enough to manage their own health and service routine.

Artificial Intelligence or AI is the reason behind your vehicles are getting smarter. With the use of AI, AVs could schedule their appointment with a mechanic and reach on the scheduled appointment. Connected AVs are also able to analyze real-time traffic and adopt the less-traffic route to optimize the ride and save time as well as fuel.

 Future ready connected car

Automotive landscape has the connected car as the innovation for future 2020. The car is not just a vehicle to commute, this became a smart car which has a capability of numerous computers. Connected car is always connected with internet and another wireless connection manner to ease the use. The most exciting highlight of a connected car is its enhanced performance with improved functionality. Fleet management services will get the improved efficiency, enhanced productivity, and boost in the real-time response using the Geo-location, real-time activity, and more. When Artificial Intelligence or AI comes into the picture, which makes connected cars to manage their own independently with least intervention of a human. Fleet managers would love the connected car feature for future.

Mobility-As-A-Service(MaaS)

Commuting from one place to another is a task in this world, however, the newly acquired nature of ride-sharing by passengers creates space for MaaS or Mobility-As-A-Service. Time is more vital than anything and this is the reason that people prefer to share a ride rather drive for hours. Uber and Lyft also started to offer ride-sharing services which are the rise of Mobility-As-A-Service(MaaS) in the future transportation and fleet management services.

With MaaS, fleet managers don’t need to do the maintenance and route plan manually. Connected vehicle will be able to manage it on their own. Especially, in the European market fleet managers have a new role in mobility management. Instead of monitoring vehicle, it would be upgraded to find the most efficient and sustainable transportation mode and emphasize the experience with better safety features.

Cybersecurity

Fleet managers will get an addition in their role for fleet management services as Cybersecurity service provider. Connected and autonomous vehicle would have more data and information, including real-time vehicle information, the driver’s details, location, and more. This huge amount of data and information are prone to hacking and data breach. Fleet managers need to make sure that their companies data is protected for any sort of hacking and data breach. The protection level should match with all the legal implications and users’ concern to avoid any circumstances of negative publicity image.

Take away

The real challenge lies in, the way introduction of technologies in fleet management services and transportation services and the way fleet managers cope up. In order to address this concern, fleet managers have to come with the right mix of technology and strategies for a seamless future drive.

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Everything You Ought To Know About Garage Management System

Managing a garage is no easy task considering the huge number of tasks and their complexity that a garage owner needs to deal with. To manage all these tasks in the most efficient manner the role of a sophisticated garage management system is invincible. With a garage management software taking care of all the activities the garage can ensure delivering service more promptly to the customers.

Image Credit :- autofacets.com

Typically a garage management system equipped with a garage management software comes with all the tools and systematic processes that make managing software easier. Whether it is sales, services or customer support a garage is best managed with the active role of such software solutions built specifically for garages and workshops.

In the recent times, several garage owners partnered with several leading software companies as well as mobile app developers to come up with the customized software solutions for garages and workshops. Whether it is just an in-house software solution for the garage or it comes accompanying a mobile app for the software, these solutions address all the typical needs arising out of garage environments. Garage management software offers a comprehensive solution by holding together all the information about garage besides helping the sales process with the integration of a CRM solution.

A garage management system also helps a garage or vehicle workshop to stay in constant contact with all its branches across the city. The software that holds together all the information within an actionable and responsive interface provides real-time information on vehicles and their respective service points. By viewing the typical issue of the vehicle the garage management can assign the servicing task to the most suitable and nearest service center.

As a garage owner if you are still not sure about the benefits of a garage management software for your business, let us explain a few key advantages.

Efficiency of service

Thanks to the management software a lot of admin time can be cut down which will ensure faster rendering of the service. The software will streamline the process to help garage professionals concentrating on car service instead of admin tasks. Such software solutions will also reduce human errors like duplicate entries in file management system.

Value-added and customizable

A garage management software can further be value-added and customized by integrating important features such as payment gateway, CRM, etc.

A boost to customer support

To help garage owners further, the software solution provider can deliver mobile app extension and notification services to allow garage owners satisfy their clients with a robust and streamlined customer support.

Stock Management

Garage Management particularly gets benefited through the software solutions because it can track sales, stock of spare parts, accessories, stock values and comparative charts with reference dates.

Accurate service details

A well-built and highly equipped software for garage management can list all the details of the vehicles, the services rendered, the parts replaced or changed, and also the service professionals who did the job.

Simplified billing

Finally, with such a software the billing process gets simplified and thoroughly streamlined with proper tax calculation.

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How Auto Dealers can take the most of Mobile CRM solutions

Do you remember the early days of the internet; when we were just astonished by the fact of getting into the social world? But those were talks and have now been forgotten. Why because now we have stepped into a digital world which is in all way different from the early days.

Today with the fleeting time and mounting auto-dealers business ideas and models the need of hour has changed; from the desktop, we have all ended up with Smartphone. And yes it is well capable to meet the priorities but only if it clubbed with the newest dealer management solutions.

Image Credit :- autofacets.com

If you are into auto dealer business or planning to be in, then this is for you

What are the requirements of today’s auto-dealer business model with respect to dealer management solutions?

The accessibility of all the functions and core features in one app

There should not be any redundant chaos of paying an extra amount for new or upgraded features

Able to catch real-time information

Help to take an effectual business decision at a faster pace

Encourages produce efficiency and profitability as well

Full-featured integration to enable seamless communication among all the departments in no time

Let’s flung to the point that is dealer management solutions and how upgrading to this technology will make countless successful paths for you.

No superfluous paper works

The CRM technology with mobile is capable of scanning the licenses, VINs and even barcodes. This has now become a necessity in terms of security as well. Not only this, you can also add or do the necessary changes after the CRM has captured the requisites.

Speedy responses to customers

Dealer management solutions are a boon to the auto dealers in terms of uncertainties. This will enable you to reach out to the customers at any time and at any place. Making calls, sending SMS will become just a piece of cake.

Stay Up-to-Dated

These dealer management solutions can be used both on the phone and as well on your laptop or desktop as well. Its syncing abilities are nothing but flawless. It means you can get the access from anywhere just with login details.

Add Pictures

This is the coolest features of CRM; the dealers can even update the sheet with pictures of customers or the vehicles they are dealing with.

If you are taking complete access to the dealer management solutions then undoubtedly you are ruling the business, unlike others. Give your customers utmost satisfaction by standing on the edge of the technology.

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How Things Will Change in 2018 for Automotive Industry

The automotive industry has taken a swirl when it comes to automation in their operations. The status where we stand today has involved rigorous R&D and huge investments costs behind the disruption. However, the benefits achieved are unexpectable. In recent time auto manufacturers are able to gain insights from automotive consulting services. However, the future is not far where auto manufacturers will become smart manufacturers making significant profits to their business applying automation technology.

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Automotive manufacturing has already started considering automation as a serious technology. In 2018, it is expected to give more practical results from various theories that have been on paper till now. Replacement of human labor will help automakers to eliminate human errors, reduce costs and produce better results. They are aggressively looking to implement automated technologies on the floor during this year.

‘Automation Anywhere’ in 2018

Further talking about automation, let's go through the concepts that have won the automotive industry.

Human-Robot collaboration

Human-Robot collaboration is termed as Cobot technology. It is defined as robot working with humans to lift their work with necessary guidance and precision instead of making the process complete autonomous. In this case, robots will not replace the human factor but work hand-in-hand to enhance human capabilities and convert tedious work into a comfortable job.  Thus, humans and machines will not part their ways in different workstations but will work in collaboration with each other without having any barrier between them.

Advantages of Cobot

Increased flexibility level

Peace of mind to employees

Reduced risk leading safety control  

Increased efficiency and productivity

AI-powered driverless cars

Driverless cars which are also known as autonomous or self-driving have gained significant momentum in the automotive industry at global level. As many automakers are inspired to bring this technology on board, few aspects are yet in ‘work in progress’ stage. 2018 will surely bring the huge opportunity for autonomous technology to blossom during this year and provide a major revolution in automotive industry. Companies like Bosch, Tesla, Nvidia etc. are continually working on the technology behind autonomous cars, i.e. machine to empower artificial intelligence with the ability to create a robust functional base. Tesla has been leading company in establishing a majority of the progress in driverless technology.

Advantages of driverless technology

Reduced figures of car-crash events

Productive usage of time

Mobility of disabled citizens

Eliminates traffic congestion

Reduced emissions

Machine vision

The primary objective of any auto manufacturing company is to bring a car which is quite safe when it moves on the road. To suffice this, a human touch will contradict the objective of producing the safest car as humans are prone to make mistakes. And these mistakes can lead to the significant loss in the complex speciality domain of auto manufacturing.

Here comes Machine Vision as a rescue where safety, reliability and robustness are guaranteed factors kept at the center of the creation. What does MV do in the field of automobile manufacturing? It acts as an inspection tool compatible with the technology formats like 3D-imaging, infrared imaging, X-ray imaging and more and fetches the glitches in final products. Automotive consulting companies are actively involved in improving the machine vision technology.

Advantages of Machine vision

Reduced demand for human labour

Reduced human visual involvement

Increased production capacity

Reduced risk of life danger

IoT powered connected cars

Modern auto manufacturers are not only car companies but also hold the knowledge as good as software companies availing guidance from automotive consulting services. New generation car nowadays is produced using a million lines of code. Moreover, disruptive technologies like IoT have brought opportunities like autonomous/driverless car enabling them to communicate with other vehicles moving on the road. Therefore, it can be concluded that IoT is the initial step in laying the evolution in 2018.

Advantages of IoT powered connected cars

Increased Fuel and Cost Efficiency

Driver & Passenger Safety

Smart navigation

Receive real-time data

Last words, auto manufacturing is ready to achieve quantum leap during 2018. Factory, as well as roads, will experience ‘Automation Anywhere’ with the application of various technologies noted above. Be ready for the world equipped with high technology.  

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Connected Vehicle system - The Future of Fleet Management System

In the next decade, many major mega trends, like autonomous vehicles and quality management, can begin to disrupt the fleet trade. One issue is certain; the term fleet management can before long become insufficient to completely outline the scope of our trade and it'll be viewed as an obsolete label. Additionally, there's a 3rd co-occurring mega trend driven by embedded and aftermarket vehicle technologies, which is able to be the catalyst of a distended fleet business model centered on managing a connected vehicle system. This fleet system can cover not solely the vehicle, however conjointly the occupants of the vehicle – the mobile employees – and, additional significantly, the work they performed and therefore the tools they use.

Shifting far away from a Vehicle-Centric Model

Technology trends can ultimately steer the fleet management trade to create solutions targeted to the mobile employee. For its initial fifty years, the fleet trade has centered on plus management, however technology currently permits North American country to expand our reach to the mobile employee and, ultimately, to managing the work application itself.

The evolution of a connected industrial vehicle system can parallel the co-occurring evolution of a shopper connected vehicle system. The trend are going to be to manage on the far side the vehicle itself and transition into the domain of the mobile force. Once vehicles are connected between themselves and therefore the close infrastructure, it'll produce a many-sided passage to produce new solutions to the vehicle occupants – each the motive force and therefore the passenger(s) – and therefore the chance to digitize several of the off-line analog work functions that exist in today’s mobile work surroundings. The work vehicle can evolve on the far side a transportation and cargo-carrying tool into a mobile property work platform. The trend can stimulate the event of recent vertical code solutions designed to contour workflows for mobile employees. These distended capabilities can prompt some fleet service firms to reposition and redefine their price propositions.

Redefining the Mobile work

In the coming back years, the globe of the mobile employee can dramatically amendment with the convergence of a large number of technologies, like quality, increased reality, cloud-based computing, the web of Things, Big Data, etc. more and more, firms are searching for solutions that may increase field work productivity and potency to drive a far stronger growth curve in their businesses. As a result, fleet service firms have the chance to expand on the far side the vehicle to conjointly cover the mobile employee and their work application. Traditionally, fleet has had a vehicle-centric outlook, however this rising megatrend offers the potential to evolve to AN employee-centric mobile strategy that manages the tools at a mobile worker’s disposal, together with the vehicle. Consistent with International knowledge Corporation (IDC), the U.S. mobile employee population is growing and is anticipated to grow from ninety six.2 million to one zero five.4 million in 2020. Within the future, it's not out of the question to foresee formidable code suppliers coming into the mobile employee house UN agency nowadays aren't gift. As they develop the domain experience within the fleet house, third-party code suppliers can build solutions and merchandise for company customers and their mobile employees. As this new business model emerges, it'll amendment the competitive landscape and attract new players into the fleet house.

In the late Nineteen Nineties, the fleet management trade created a speedy and breathless transformation from mainframes to web-enabled fleet management system. With a possible proliferation of third-party apps developed for mobile employees by non-traditional code suppliers, today’s fleet management systems have the potential to morph into software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms. There’ll be several synergistic opportunities for fleet service firms and vertical code suppliers to partner to enrich one another in terms of merchandise, skillsets, and methods.

Wearable Tech to Link to the Mobile employee

One vital part of the recently rising connected fleet vehicle system are going to be wearable technologies. For those unacquainted wearable technologies, it's a good vary of miniature electronic devices worn for extended periods by a user on either his or her body or covering. These devices can have varied shopper applications, like tending (continuous physiological observance, as an example vital sign or glucose levels), condition accessories (heart rate observance or calories burned), or increased reality devices.

In terms of a piece surroundings, wearable’s offer workers web-enabled access to the data they have to perform their tasks and unendingly updates management on their progress while not interrupting their advancement or interaction with a client. For example, condition monitors within the future can facilitate vehicles verify climate management settings and live the driver’s stress and fatigue levels, or perhaps monitor a driver’s alcohol or glucose levels. Wearable supply several fascinating and unorthodox fleet-related opportunities. For example, might a worker health monitor program for mobile employees be a future service offered by fleet management companies?

Traditional Boundaries are Blurring

The fleet world is basically ever-changing at the macro level wherever even the definition of what's a fleet is getting down to blur. For example, will Uber have a fleet? Because the Uber and Lyfts of the globe transition to autonomous vehicles there'll be new fleet management opportunities to confirm the vehicles stay clean, tires are often inspected, and vehicles are safely marshaled throughout non-working hours. In A more and more advanced mobile work domain, there possibly can arise a company want to source the management of this technology-enabled work anywhere-anytime job surroundings. Might this want be met by tomorrow’s fleet service suppliers giving a comprehensive field management solution?