Digital applications used in car aftersales service


The most important application I use is Solteq WebService – an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. With this software, we do the recording and monitoring of workshop work orders, invoicing of work, search for customer and historical information, scheduling and booking of work, and some of the spare part orders. The system is central to daily operational work, but it does not cover all functions, such as ordering spare parts for all car brands.

The Maestro system is a separate application that is used for checking and approving purchase invoices. The invoices to be processed are mainly automatically entered into the system for electronic approval. Now, the invoice approval system does not have a connection to other systems, so the purchase transactions must be verified by manual viewing. In the future, automation will help the process of checking invoices for the most common and most used suppliers, and manual verification will only be needed in less common special cases. The automation enabled by digitalization frees up employees’ time for other spare parts and inventory management tasks.

Microsoft’s e-mail software, Outlook, serves as the main means of communication with colleagues, partners and customers who contact us through electronic channels. It is convenient to receive a binding order confirmation from the customer for an email conversation, and at the same time, you will have a memory trace of the agreed things and prices. The downside of email conversations is that no other colleague knows about what has been agreed upon if they have not been involved in the exchange of messages. If the conversation was conducted through the CRM system we use, colleagues would be able to find the information through it with the help of customer information and the car’s registration number. I intend to make my own CRM use more efficient and I also encourage my colleagues to be active users of the system.

We use Microsoft Teams for meetings between offices in different locations and for internal training, and often both external training and importer meetings are held remotely with Teams. We use Excel as a tool for compiling shift lists, spreadsheets, reporting and spare parts tracking. Word is used to create various forms, instructions, agreements and other documents.

WhatsApp serves as a communication tool especially in customer inquiries about the availability of spare parts, instant communication between employees, and in internal groups and groups formed with partners. The contact information on our company’s website also has WhatsApp icons ready, which the customer can click on to easily send an instant message to the person of their choice. A car repair shop may cooperate with a damage repair shop, paint shop, car wash or even an inspection station daily, in which case WhatsApp is a quick and convenient way to inform about schedules and the completion of vehicles from a subcontractor. WhatsApp is not secure, so it cannot be used to communicate any sensitive matters covered by the GDPR. The program is also not integrated with other systems, so it is the responsibility of the users to record the data in the workshop systems.

Our workshop uses five different spare parts systems, which are tied to the car brands we represent. Each token has its own different user interface, login credentials, and operating logic. The programs are used to search for vehicle-specific spare parts, check availability and prices. Orders cannot be placed directly through the spare parts software, but different brands also have their own different ordering systems, and orders can be entered into some systems automatically with the help of an Excel spreadsheet. The Excel spreadsheet can be made using a Lotus Notes-based system, where all the spare parts to be ordered are recorded. This increases the manual nature of the work and puts a strain on the employees, as all information must be entered manually into the Lotus Notes system.

One of the car brands we represent uses software that can order parts fully automatically for a vehicle that comes in for service, as long as the parts have been recorded on the work order using the spare parts program.

In addition to the above-mentioned car brands’ own systems, the workshop uses dozens of web-based ordering systems from different tire and accessory suppliers. Each supplier is logged in separately. Orders are not automatically transferred to other systems, but they must be entered by yourself, and the purchase of products is also done manually. Subscriptions require constant login to different channels.

Evernote

Evernote could be used to support the spare parts functions of the car repair shop in a variety of ways, especially using data management, notes and search functions. With the program, you can make a reminder to yourself, for example, of transport damage that requires a complaint and attach pictures of the site as an attachment. Evernote can replace the traditional, easily disappearing sticky notes to remind you of unfinished tasks. Alerts can also be made on sticky notes at a quieter time, when there are better resources available for doing the matter to be treated.

Miro
The Miro program could be used to develop the teams’ operations, so that all members could easily write down their own perspectives on the Miro board. Everyone can write down things according to their own schedule, after which other members can also see them and develop them further. This serves as a good platform for discussion and could be used as an aid in the implementation of process updates.

Youtube
In some cases, video visualization could make it easier to explain things to customers. The customer could be given a link to a YouTube video, based on which they could make sure that they mean the same thing. With the help of a video, it would also be possible to justify labor costs to the customer with the help of visualized video if replacing an inexpensive part requires hours of work.

Copilot
With Copilot, it is possible to search for order confirmations and delivery lists in Outlook. Artificial intelligence could also use Excel spreadsheets to search for e.g. Stock balance means products that are in short supply based on the number and suggests they be ordered from the warehouse.

Todoist
This task management app allows you to organize, prioritize, and track your to-do lists. With the help of the application, tasks could also be shared with others, which would work well for instructing substitutes during holidays instead of the Outlook calendar. Todoist also allows you to set different tags and priorities for tasks, making them easier to sort. Various reminders and scheduling would help you remember to take care of things that happened during a busy working day.

Self evaluation
The software environment of the workshop is extensive and complex, and there is hardly any automatic data transfer between the systems. This causes manual work, information breaks, strain on employees and inefficiency in the use of time in many work phases.

In my opinion, there is still a lot of room for improvement in the integration of systems, but of course software costs cause limitations for companies. It would also be good to investigate the combination or centralization of systems, as well as the development of workflows in a more digital, automated direction. Of course, it would be easiest if all car brands used the same software base in their own brand-specific programs. The challenge here is that car manufacturers largely determine the applications used in dealerships, and the dealer may not be able to influence them. Finland is also a small market area in the automotive industry, so we must operate according to the operating methods defined by the larger market.

The use of new digital applications could be significantly increased, as they can improve work productivity and reduce forgetfulness during a busy working day. It is also sensible to take advantage of the digital opportunities brought about by artificial intelligence to make work processes more efficient, and employees should be encouraged to bring up new ideas.