Autodata, the aftermarket’s leading supplier of automotive technical information has revealed the workshop of the future at the very first Automechanika Birmingham.
For more than 40 years, Autodata’s technical information has powered over 120 solutions for the aftermarket including mobile solutions, trouble code readers, digital torque wrenches, online parts catalogues, and of course Autodata’s own online workshop tool, found in most workshops.
During the seminar, Autodata reflected on the rapid technological advancements within our industry, bringing to light the need for garages to keep up with automotive advancements. What was science fiction not too long ago, is now a reality. From electric vehicles to autonomous technology, today’s vehicles are complex and rapidly evolving machines. To keep up with this change, workshops will need powerful tools at their disposal.
Autodata is already at the forefront of a new generation of tools as the workshop become more and more connected. From managing customers to conducting a vehicle service and from diagnostics to parts ordering; all processes in a workshop are now entering a world where everything can be interconnected. This means less repetition, more intelligence and better profitability through efficiency.
New technology also raises the point that the on-going good work to ensure a right to service for the aftermarket, does not necessarily mean there is the ability to service. However, the development of systems, such as Autodata’s own online tools, means that workshops can continue to take on work and protect their reputation through access to the right advice and instructions – even for the most advanced and complex technologies in vehicles.
Workshops can embrace this new era of technology and ensure they are best placed for the future. The mechanic, the workshop and the wider industry may see these developments as a huge challenge. However, with the right information and guidance, they are in fact a huge opportunity to evolve business practices to maintain access to the market, protect reputation through underpinning quality, and ultimately ensure and grow profits through greater operational efficiency.
The future is already here. In today’s technology lead world, we already have smart watches, smart phones, even smart TVs – why not smart workshops as well? Not only have vehicles evolved, but customers have too. This means the aftermarket needs to evolve as well to stay in the game. By embracing new technology on its way the industry can hugely reduce duplication, inaccuracies and general mistakes. This means better business and more trust from the end customer. It also means, that with a smart approach, workshops can easily and automatically become so much more proactive in generating new business and maintaining their customers.Max Lienard, Head of Product and Market Development at Autodata
