Elevating the customer experience for aftermarket service has long been a goal of automotive manufacturers and dealers alike. There are multiple entities that need to come together to meet the automotive ecosystem mission of producing vehicles that operate safely and reliably. This includes a flexible web of suppliers and service providers enabled by a global aftermarket data network that spans part manufacturers, warehouse distributors, suppliers, repair shops, parts stores, dealers, and the end customer. There are also newer participants such as utilities (charging networks), data sharing marketplaces, and battery providers due both to increasing automation and complexity as well as the expanding electric vehicle market. The need is to have a digital, cloud-based platform in place for better visibility into vehicle and customer data, closed-loop connectivity from customer and vehicle to manufacturer and service provider, and bi-directional collaboration so that expertise, information, and support are available on demand.
Today's vehicles are incredibly complex. They are connected to other vehicles, roadways, and infrastructure; many are approaching Level 3 autonomy (meaning a high level of automation, but the driver must take over if requested); and most luxury vehicles are at least partially electric, with many lines going fully electric by 2030. They are also software-rich, with over 100 million lines of code in the average vehicle and mechatronic (mechanical/electrical) connections throughout. And when these vehicles are in use, a tremendous amount of data is produced on performance, driver usage, and interaction with features and applications, as well as quality. All this data can be leveraged for better service, warranty management, and future design. This information can impact when and what software updates are required, as well as what content — infotainment, road and city, over-the-air updates — is delivered to the driver and when, based on location and/or chosen preferences. Unified data management and analytics are required to digitally bridge the modern, connected, complex vehicle to service and to product and engineering management as necessary for ongoing quality assurance.
Taking a proactive approach to meeting the customer wherever they are – via mobile device, social networks, virtual collaboration tools, or in person – is a particular challenge of achieving excellent "experience-orchestrated" customer service in automotive. A flexible, blended physical and digital approach is critical to successful engagement. For example, service technicians or parts-store employees could have access to parts digital twins in context with a digital twin of the related vehicle that they can share with customers for visual communication before and during service, as well as for inventory and logistics visibility and management. Virtual customer service is enhanced with AI and Generative AI (GenAI) to power smart search and service chatbots that help employees and customers find what they need. Add-on sales and service can be easily enabled with dealerships or directly with vehicle manufacturers. All these innovative services can act as a complement to the traditional in-person experience at a service shop or dealership.
A cloud-based ERP system is essential to successfully elevating the automotive customer experience – one that provides closed-loop visibility and compliant data orchestration across the entire connected aftermarket from manufacturer to dealership to customer. This system must enable collection and analysis of historical customer service interactions, so that learning from past experiences with customers (positive and negative) happens iteratively. This knowledge will enable dynamic inventory management, flexible pricing and service estimation, optimization of part logistics, predictive maintenance, and identification of service upsells and new car sale opportunities. The end result is a better and more consistent aftermarket-service customer experience, positive customer reviews, and more referrals, as well as increased revenue per vehicle.
The future of the automotive industry continues to be exciting with increasingly autonomous, connected, digital, and electric vehicles becoming more pervasive. With such advancements, however, comes complexity. Automotive manufacturers, dealerships, part stores, and service shops will need to adapt to this change to thrive. A fundamental element of enabling this adaptation is having cloud-based access to customer and vehicle data on whatever device is in use, whether a phone, augmented reality headset, or ruggedized tablet. This is critical to ensuring that service technicians are properly trained and empowered to make decisions and execute quality service. Service organizations are also realizing that they can respond to customer needs faster, optimize operations, and ensure a high level of service quality when they employ ecosystem thinking and collaborate with multiple partners, data providers, and experts. It is only through this unified, extended digital approach to service that automotive customers will be served in the most effective, sustainable, and elevated way.
Message from the Sponsor
Epicor is the only solutions provider that connects every level of the aftermarket’s make, move, sell economy. Our data-driven solutions empower you with actionable insights so you can address every part, tire, and service opportunity more efficiently. With five decades of automotive industry leadership, we can help you attract and retain the best customers, improve customer service, and predict emerging sales and service needs. Visit Epicor for Automotive to discover how we can help you fuel faster, more profitable growth.
