Wonder what your shop might look like in the future? AudaExplore™, a global business unit of Solera Holdings Inc., is powering the technology behind the Body Shop of Tomorrow exhibit at NACE/CARS this week.
Adam Vasquez, vice president of marketing for AudaExplore, says what the company is doing in the exhibit really is connecting the dots behind the scenes in what today’s and tomorrow’s shops will do for their customers. He says NACE/CARS attendees will be able to look at technology that goes beyond estimating in how they can drive customer loyalty and trust, and how it can be a “full asset management tool.”
Vasquez explains that the exhibit looks out five to 10 years, bringing to light what the shops will be repairing. For example, while there still will be hail damage to vehicles, collisions will change or decrease in number because of new vehicle technologies. A body shop might become more of a repair shop, he adds.
AudaExplore is utilizing its more than 40 years of experience and global data-driven innovation for collision, glass and mechanical repair customers to bring the exhibit to life alongside Collision Hub. Representatives from both companies will conduct demonstrations throughout the expo.
While some of the technology might seem ahead of the curve or too much to take on, Vasquez says smaller shops can see how to eliminate and streamline costs with smaller budgets, as well as how to improve productivity and enhance trust with both insurance companies and customers. He notes that it will help enhance the driver experience, automate processes and eliminate overhead, potentially getting one more car in each day.
AudaExplore has access to mechanical data it uses to connect all data points to predict processes like repair vs. replace, as well as reduce the need for expensive appraisals and streamline the time it takes to know that parts are right.
On the back end of the business, it digitizes connecting the shop with the end consumer as painless as possible. For example, AudaExplore is working to bring an app that will allow a customer to take a picture, upload the image of the damage, choose a repair facility in their network, choose a rental car and get updates to make a decision on repairs.
“Literally, you can be in your office and be told it’s all happening automatically,” Vasquez says. “It basically the data and technology that connects all the dots to make sure all the experiences work.”
AudaExplore’s participation also highlights how the business is more than estimating, as it was in the past. The company was formed from a merger of Audatex North America, Inc. and Explore Information Services, LLC, a premier provider of automotive insurance underwriting and analytics products and government information solutions, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Solera.
