Greg Ross

It’s not easy to run an Airline Profitably Many of us have had the experience while booking a flight, of watching the price for a seat change as the plane fills up as the time for the flight approaches. What we have experienced as consumers is an example of "Revenue Management," or "Yield Management" by the airlines. A simple definition of the practice is as follows: Yield Management  is a variable pricing strategy, based on understanding, anticipating, and influencing consumer behavior with the goal of maximizing revenue and profit from a fixed, time-limited resource. According to Robert Crandall, the former CEO of American Airlines, Yield Management is, "the single most important technical development in transportation management since we entered deregulation." Yield Management is one of the tools that airlines have used to achieve more consistent profitability, where sales of a few extra seats can make an enormous difference. According to  Forbes , US airlines need their planes to be well over 70% full just to break even. To make these systems work, the airlines need extensive  data  about their customers and their intentions. Over time, the airlines have built ever more powerful sources of data from frequent flyer programs, reservation systems and web search data. The airlines have also developed increasingly sophisticated  models  to predict how individual consumers will respond to changes in pricing and other factors. And finally, airlines have invested in  systems  to actively manage their revenue through ongoing dialogue with their customers. Application to Dealer Service Operations A dealer's service operations have some similar revenue management challenges. They represent large, fixed investments in facilities, equipment, and skilled people. They are profitable when they are full and quickly become unprofitable when they are not. And, like the airlines going through deregulation, dealer service operations are facing some big disruptions. The transition to electric powertrains is driving significant investment in new equipment and training. Electric vehicles are also expected to need maintenance less frequently and at different intervals. In fact,  Consumer Reports  finds that EV owners today are spending half as much on maintenance and repairs. Dealers will also see increasing use of Over-the-Air diagnostics and repair, as Tesla has demonstrated so successfully. Finally, dealer service operations will see disruptions from the ongoing consolidation of automotive retailers, with growing pressure from the large public operators. The time might be right for leading operators to take a page from the airlines' playbook. Connected Cars Provide Much More Data With a built-in connection to every car sold by the dealership, dealers increasingly have access to a rich source of  data . It is possible to know when each vehicle needs service and what kind of service it needs. It is also increasingly possible to use data from the vehicle to predict when a breakdown will occur well before it happens. Predictive Diagnostic tools have been announced from both OEMs like  General Motors  and from startups like  Preteckt  or  Pitstop . The development of this data and these tools creates the potential for service events to be planned more proactively, rather than purely in reaction to customer calls and drop-ins.  Better Data Can Produce Better Pricing Models With better data about vehicles’ service needs, it is possible to start building  models  to predict what it will take to bring individual customers in for service at a time that is most profitable for the dealership. Which kinds of customers can be persuaded to come in sooner or wait until a less busy time? How much of a price incentive (or other kind of incentive) will it take? Pricing models are built by trying out offers with different types of customers with different service needs. Over time, models become increasingly accurate and pricing becomes increasingly targeted. Better Systems Can Produce Greater Profitability Many dealers already have scheduling  systems  in place, but the next step will be to use these systems to more proactively plan service visits in a way that maximizes utilization of service operations. Dealers will use customer data and dynamic pricing to anticipate when a customer will need service. Next-generation scheduling systems will be able to present precisely targeted offers, designed to bring vehicles in at the optimal time for profitable service delivery. It is a dynamic, exciting time in the auto business right now, with disruptive technology and business trends well underway.  motormindz ’ Connected Practice has the experience and insights to guide you through these challenges and find effective and profitable paths forward.    

Automotive Retail is Consolidating It’s no secret that significant consolidation of automotive retail is underway. Every week, Automotive News reports additional acquisitions by the leading retail consolidators. Earlier this year, Automotive News reported that the consolidation trend has continued steadily over the past 10 years – even through the pandemic. At the end of 2020, the Top 150 Dealer Groups owned 21% of all dealership locations and represented 23% of industry sales volume. This is up from 13% of locations and 16% of volume ten years earlier.   The need for significant technology investments is one driver of consolidation. Smaller dealers are faced with large investments to enable digital retailing to meet customer expectations. Dealers are also facing new investments in electrification technology to accommodate the industry shift to EVs. And some dealers are choosing to sell rather than make the investments. For example, approximately 20% of Cadillac dealers are reported to be walking away from their franchises, rather than make required investments in selling and servicing Electric Vehicles.   Tesla’s Retail Approach Shows What is Possible Tesla’s retail network shows that technology can not only be a driver of consolidation, but also an enabler. Tesla has fewer than 200 Sales Galleries and fewer than 150 Service locations. Connected Car technology is one of the keys that makes it possible for Tesla to service its customers with so few facilities. On the sales side, Tesla enables comprehensive on-line shopping. In service, Tesla says that it can accurately diagnose 90% of all issues remotely and that it can repair 80% of problems without a visit to a service center. Connected Car technology makes this possible by allowing Tesla to remotely connect to its vehicles for diagnosis and for ongoing insights into real-world customer usage. Tesla can also determine the customer’s location if it needs to dispatch a remote repair and Tesla can often repair vehicles with an over-the-air software update. It is safe to say that Connected Car technology is the only way that Tesla could operate with so few physical locations. As this technology becomes more widely used by all OEM’s, there will be growing opportunities for other OEMs to consolidate sales and service facilities. Lessons from the Pandemic and the Chip Shortage Both the pandemic and the chip shortage have accelerated trends toward digital retailing and reduced inventories. As reported in Car and Driver , Ford has concluded that the pandemic accelerated customer interest in shopping and ordering vehicles on line. Many dealers successfully responded by offering at-home test drives and deliveries. A build-to-order mindset for consumers has been further accelerated by the chip shortage, which has made it difficult for dealers to hold inventory and for customers to shop from inventory on the dealer’s lot.   Connected Car Technology Will Enable Further Consolidation Connected Car technology will further enable the trends toward retail consolidation and digital retailing. As Tesla has demonstrated, a well-connected OEM and Dealer network can easily provide remote sales and service to customers without needing so much real estate. As customers become more comfortable with online ordering and remote service, the most successful dealers will be those who make the best use of technology to serve customer needs.   We will soon see dealers making extensive use of Connected Car tech in their sales and service operations. For example: In Sales, vehicles can be made available for any-time test drives and parked inaccessible locations. Vehicles can be electronically disabled to prevent theft and only enabled for prospects with a valid authorization code. Also in Sales, a limited test drive can be extended to a short- or longer-term rental, with data collected to make effective suggestions to the customer for a customized vehicle, accessories, and software. In-Service, ongoing monitoring of vehicles will create increasingly sophisticated predictive models. These will allow Dealers to contact customers long before a failure occurs and offer either a physical repair or a software update. Also in Service, Dealers can monitor vehicle diagnostics trends, and can proactively schedule vehicle maintenance to be done at a time that is most convenient for the customer and also the most efficient for the dealer. The bottom-line result will be continued consolidation and more efficient use of real estate to meet the needs of automotive shoppers and owners. 

Native Connected Car Services Now Coming to Dealerships In past articles , I've touched on the many services that dealers can expect from Connected Car technology. Some of these have included vehicle location, lock/unlock, key management, theft notifications, diagnostics, inventory audits, loaner and demo administration, service reminders, and many more. Together, these services promise to increase dealership productivity and reduce costs, while improving customer satisfaction and retention. Today, Connected Car services for dealers mostly rely on independent third parties, using aftermarket OBD2 plug-in devices for data collection. There are many capable providers offering these dealer-focused connected services. Some good examples of these include Spireon LoJack , Dealerware , and Geotab . But, as I've also mentioned in past posts, vehicles increasingly come equipped by the OEM with built-in telematics systems that can provide the data and commands needed for dealer-focused connected services. And, some service providers are beginning to take advantage of these native connections for a limited range of services, particularly in the management of loaner fleets.  Connexion Telematics and TSD Solutions are offering these connected services, with the support of select OEMs. And finally, some OEMs are now beginning to offer limited dealer-focused connected services directly to dealers – mostly focused on post-sales & delivery as well as service-based customer retention. OnStar’s Dealer Maintenance Notification is one example, in which Dealers are notified when vehicle diagnostic codes indicate an upcoming need for service.   The choices for connected services available to dealers will continue to evolve rapidly as more of these OEM-provided connections become available, and as new dealer-focused connected services develop. Fleet Industry Offers a Preview for Dealerships For a window into the way that services are likely to develop in the next 18-36 months, dealers can look to the experiences of the Fleet industry. Fleets have been using telematics to manage vehicles and drivers for many years now, with obvious benefits in terms of additional uptime and increased driver productivity. These benefits have easily supported the development of several fleet telematics providers. As with dealer-focused connected services, Connected Fleet services were all originally delivered through third-party, aftermarket devices – but they are increasingly delivered through native OEM-provided connections. Most fleets include vehicles from more than one manufacturer, so there is a natural inclination for fleets to use brand-independent fleet telematics providers. Companies like Geotab , Donlen, FleetComplete, Spireon , Samsara and others offer comprehensive fleet management solutions that were all originally powered by aftermarket plug-in devices. Increasingly however, OEMs have enabled native data connections to these providers in response to demands from their fleet customers.  Ford Data Services , OnStar Business Solutions , and Toyota Data Solutions all offer connections for fleets through fleet telematics partners. Fleets can go to a provider of their choice and take advantage of OEM data connections when available, or use aftermarket connections for older vehicles or for OEM makes that are not yet capable of connecting to fleet applications. To create further options for fleets, some OEMs have also begun to create their own proprietary fleet management systems. GM offers its OnStar Vehicle Insights service, which provides comprehensive fleet management services. And in a recent announcement , GM is making OnStar Vehicle Insights compatible with aftermarket devices. Ford has also announced a similar move. Expect Similar Offerings, Options, and Interoperability for Dealerships These trends in Connected Fleet services point to the kinds of options that dealers should expect in the next 18-36 months. Dealers are similar to Fleets, in that most represent more than one OEM brand, plus used vehicles of varying ages. Dealers should therefore expect choices for their Connected Services between: Independent Service Providers using plug-in aftermarket devices Independent Service Providers using both aftermarket devices and OEM data feeds OEM-Designed Services using both OEM data feeds and aftermarket devices As fleet owners do today, dealers will need to choose the service provider that provides the best-connected services for their particular situation. It is a good idea to get started with an independent dealer-focused provider to begin to experience the benefits of Connected Dealership Management. An independent provider can get dealers up and running quickly, using easily installed aftermarket hardware. As dealers learn how to use these services effectively, they can then consider some of the OEM-provided or hybrid options as they come to market. 

"Right to Repair" Significantly Expanded In the November, 2020 election, voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed a ballot initiative, Question 1 , by an overwhelming margin (75% approved). Question 1 requires that OEM's make diagnostic data collected remotely -- through OEM telematics systems -- available to individual vehicle owners and to independent repair shops. The 2020 initiative expands on a "Right to Repair" initiative passed in 2013. The original initiative required OEM's to make diagnostic and repair data available to individual owners or independent repair shops. In 2013, this meant that OEM's had to provide data access to diagnostic repair tools.  In 2020, this requirement was expanded to include data collected remotely through telematics systems from vehicles that are on the road. The original "Right to Repair" was also first passed in Massachusetts, but in 2014, the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers signed a memorandum of understanding to support implementation in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. This move pre-empted "Right to Repair" initiatives in several other States that were similar to the one in Massachusetts. With the "Telematics Right to Repair" initiative of 2020, however, the Alliance is challenging the expansion of Right to Repair into data collected through telematics systems. The trial began on June 15 and is ongoing. If the Telematics expansion is allowed to proceed, however, dealers should be thinking about the implications to their service business, because this expansion might be much more significant than it at first appears. "Right to Repair" and the Connected Car On the surface, expansion of “Right to Repair” to include telematics may not seem like a big difference. But the difference has the potential to be enormous for service retention, which is why independent repair shops and service chains fought so hard for the Massachusetts initiative. With this change, customers will be enticed to set up an ongoing remote connection to their service provider of choice, putting that provider in the best position to capture and retain that customer.   Once this system is in place, a visit to the local quick lube shop, tire store, or parts store will change. As the customer wraps up an oil change, for example, the attendant will ask the customer to authorize the shop to monitor the vehicle’s diagnostics. This will allow the shop to see when the vehicle is in need of its next service and send out a text or email with a perfectly timed service reminder. Well-run shops will eventually analyze their base of connected customers to determine the optimal time to bring them in – both when the vehicle needs service and when the shop has available capacity. Service shops and chains that do this well will cement a closer relationship with their customers and increase repeat service loyalty.   Alternatively, customers may choose to authorize an intermediate service “broker” to monitor their diagnostics and manage their vehicle’s maintenance. The broker will then be in a position to act as the customer’s trusted advisor, and will route service jobs to the most competitive service provider. Dealers Should Prepare Now The Independent shops and service chains in Massachusetts clearly hope to use this new initiative to gain business from franchised dealers (or prevent current business from being lost to Dealers). In order to maintain and grow the dealers' share of the non-warranty repair and maintenance business, dealers will have to make excellent use of the telematics systems installed by their manufacturers.  Dealers start with a key advantage, which is the opportunity to start a connected service relationship with the customer from the moment the new or used vehicle is delivered. But not all dealers today do a great job activating these systems, and activation for some OEMs is very inconsistent. Dealers must be sure to activate OEM-provided systems and secure customer consent to share service and maintenance data. Dealers then have to do a great job of managing data notifications to quickly schedule customers for any needed service work. Dealers may also want to take advantage of aftermarket systems for their older inventory that lacks OEM-provided telematics. A service like Spireon’s Lojack is a good example of an effective aftermarket system. Dealers will have a very brief head start to fine-tune their use of connected car service notifications, and they will need to take full advantage. If you are a dealer considering connected service and service retention opportunities, please reach out to motormindz to hear more about how to “get” Connected.  

There has been a lot of attention paid to opportunities for Connected Car technologies in Sales and F&I, with ideas like personalized shopping, deliveries, and data-based F&I products. But there are also several opportunities for dealers to use Connected Car technologies to improve quality of service, performance, and efficiency in the delivery of both Parts and Service. Quick Background: This topic is relevant now because Connected Car technologies are finally reaching “critical mass.” Well over 90% of all new cars and trucks sold in the US in 2021 will come with built-in abilities to transmit and receive data, remote software, and vehicle commands. This means that key data about each vehicle’s mechanical condition, driving usage, and precise location can be collected and used to improve operations at the dealership. As always, it is critical to remember that customers must be fully informed and provide their consent for any Connected Car services to be utilized. How Connected Car Data and Commands Can Affect Parts and Service: Current Operations In the near term, there are several opportunities to improve the day-to-day operations of the Service and Parts departments, while also improving the customer experience.   The highest ROI current opportunity is to use data from the vehicle to determine when maintenance and service events need to be scheduled. The vehicle “knows” what its mileage is, when it needs an oil change, and when it has diagnostic codes that indicate different needs for service. Customer outreach using this vehicle data is much more timely and often more effective than outreach based on customer behavior modeling or “estimated” mileages.    A connected car can also facilitate advanced planning. By checking periodically on maintenance needs, dealers can anticipate approximately when a customer will need maintenance. The dealer can then plan ahead to schedule service at a time that is both convenient to the customer and efficient for the dealer, smoothing out service operations as well as monthly top and bottom lines.    Finally, an advanced review of a vehicle’s maintenance and service needs can facilitate advanced ordering and stocking of parts to ensure that they are available when the vehicle is scheduled for service. In short, dealers can more efficiently utilize their personnel and operations, while providing more reliable and convenient services for customers. Several OEMs now include automated maintenance reminders within their Mobile Owner Apps, and similar service reminder programs are offered as well. These types of programs have been shown to increase both customer service satisfaction and retention. The dealer plays a critical role in ensuring that all new vehicle purchasers have their Mobile Owner Apps activated during delivery, along with enrollment in automated maintenance reminders. If your OEM has not yet enabled these services, or for older vehicles, dealers should also look into third-party platforms, which not only offer service reminders, but also theft recovery, emergency assistance, and other services. Advanced Service and Parts Opportunities Connected Car technologies will allow more advanced capabilities, too. We have already seen extensive use of Over-the-Air software updates by Tesla, but Tesla is not alone in adding OTA capabilities. Every major OEM is working to expand their abilities to update major vehicle systems this way, as well as how to share these responsibilities with their dealers. Tesla and others have also shown the potential for additional revenue from software-based “accessories” and feature subscriptions. These are optional software enhancements that allow the vehicle to be customized versus a base factory configuration. OEM Service and Parts departments will soon be able to recommend and deliver these accessories to an increasing number of vehicle owners. OEMs are also increasingly developing more predictive service algorithms. These programs process data from large numbers of vehicles to develop models that can accurately predict service problems before they occur. As confidence in these programs increases, dealers will be encouraged to contact customers to schedule service well before a breakdown occurs. Finally, Connected Car technologies will enable many new remote services. It is easy to locate vehicles and to provide digital keys to give access to an authorized technician. This will facilitate both services at the customer’s location as well as easy pick-ups and exchanges with courtesy transportation vehicles.

Connected Car Opportunities in Parts and Service There has been a lot of attention paid to opportunities for Connected Car technologies in Sales and F&I, with ideas like personalized shopping, deliveries, and data-based F&I products. But there are also several opportunities for dealers to use Connected Car technologies to improve quality of service, performance, and efficiency in the delivery of both Parts and Service. Quick Background... This topic is relevant now because Connected Car technologies are finally reaching “critical mass.” Well over 90% of all new cars and trucks sold in the US in 2021 will come with built-in abilities to transmit and receive data, remote software, and vehicle commands. This means that key data about each vehicle’s mechanical condition, driving usage, and precise location can be collected and used to improve operations at the dealership. As always, it is critical to remember that customers must be fully informed and provide their consent for any Connected Car services to be utilized. How Connected Car Data and Commands Can Affect Parts and Service: 1. Current Operations In the near term, there are several opportunities to improve day-to-day operations of the Service and Parts departments, while also improving the customer experience.   The highest ROI current opportunity is to use data from the vehicle to determine when maintenance and service events need to be scheduled. The vehicle “knows” what its mileage is, when it needs an oil change, and when it has diagnostic codes that indicate different needs for service. Customer outreach using this vehicle data is much more timely and often more effective than outreach based on customer behavior modeling or “estimated” mileages.   A connected car can also facilitate advanced planning. By checking periodically on maintenance needs, dealers can anticipate approximately when a customer will need maintenance. The dealer can then plan ahead to schedule service at a time that is both convenient to the customer and efficient for the dealer, smoothing out service operations as well as monthly top and bottom lines.    Finally, an advanced review of a vehicle’s maintenance and service needs can facilitate advanced ordering and stocking of parts to ensure that they are available when the vehicle is scheduled for service. In short, dealers can more efficiently utilize their personnel and operations, while providing more reliable and convenient services for customers. Several OEMs now include automated maintenance reminders within their Mobile Owner Apps, and similar service reminder programs are offered as well. These types of programs have been shown to increase both customer service satisfaction and retention. The dealer plays a critical role in ensuring that all new vehicle purchasers have their Mobile Owner Apps activated during delivery, along with enrollment in automated maintenance reminders. If your OEM has not yet enabled these services, or for older vehicles, dealers should also look into third-party platforms, which not only offer service reminders, but also theft recovery, emergency assistance, and other services. 2. Advanced Service and Parts Opportunities Connected Car technologies will allow more advanced capabilities, too. We have already seen extensive use of Over-the-Air software updates by Tesla, but Tesla is not alone in adding OTA capabilities. Every major OEM is working to expand their abilities to update major vehicle systems this way, as well as how to share these responsibilities with their dealers. Tesla and others have also shown the potential for additional revenue from software-based “accessories” and feature subscriptions. These are optional software enhancements that allow the vehicle to be customized versus a base factory configuration. OEM Service and Parts departments will soon be able to recommend and deliver these accessories to an increasing number of vehicle owners. OEMs are also increasingly developing more predictive service algorithms. These programs process data from large numbers of vehicles to develop models that can accurately predict service problems before they occur. As confidence in these programs increases, dealers will be encouraged to contact customers to schedule service well before a breakdown occurs. Finally, Connected Car technologies will enable many new remote services. It is easy to locate vehicles and to provide digital keys to give access to an authorized technician. This will facilitate both services at the customer’s location as well as easy pick-ups and exchanges with courtesy transportation vehicles. The Connected Car will bring dramatic changes and opportunities to all parts of the modern dealership!