It’s one of life’s greatest frustrations: Finding a place to park. Making the problem even more frustrating is the fact that many businesses, including car dealers, have under-utilized parking spaces available.
A new app promises to help solve that problem.
Parkedit.Space is designed to connect owners of underutilized parking spaces with drivers and auto dealers facing the agony of a lack of parking. Through the platform, private individuals and businesses can find parking spaces around town quickly through what the company describes as an uncluttered user interface.
The company notes that auto dealers are often at one extreme or the other, with too much underutilized parking or none, and they struggle to locate legal places to park. The Parkedit.Space app connects these parties in seamless, secure manner, according to the company.
“The concept allows those with extra space to monetize what they have, and those in need of space to quickly and easily reserve parking while saving time and money.” Parkedit.Space chief executive officer Daniel Marzouk said in a news release.
Parkedit.Space is a member of the New York Independent Automobile Dealers Association, and a leader of that organization said its dealers continue to seek relief from the stress of parking.
“Dealers’ parking needs change daily. Parkedit.Space is a lifesaver for our dealers," said NYIADA executive director Paula Frendel.
Auto/Mate Dealership Systems provides dealership management system software to more than 1,400 retail automotive dealerships. Now, Auto/Mate DMS customers can use GoMoto’s Virtual Service Advisor Platform, a service lane kiosk that Auto/Mate says provides customers with a self-led check-in process.
Auto/Mate Dealership Systems stated on Monday it has completed all dealership management system integrations with GoMoto, a developer of technologies for automotive service lanes and showrooms. The integrations will allow what Auto/Mate describes as a streamlined check-in process.
With the integrations, Auto/Mate’s dealership customers can now use GoMoto’s Virtual Service Advisor platform to improve the service lane experience, reduce workloads for service advisers and increase service revenue, according to Auto/Mate.
Silko Honda director of operations Geoff Ewell tested the integrations by placing two GoMoto kiosks in the dealership’s service drive. Silko Honda has been an Auto/Mate customer since 2016.
"We wanted to create a frictionless environment for our customers where they could make their own choices on their own terms, and not have to wait in any lines to get their vehicle into the service queue," Ewell said in a news release.
Efficiencies, service adviser selling opportunities and customer satisfaction all increased after the dealership started using the platform, according to Auto/Mate.
“The integrations are seamless and customization options are unlimited,” Ewell said.
GoMoto’s Virtual Service Advisor kiosk can also help consumers check in, receive trade appraisals, update contact information and approve service recommendations, according to the company. The DMS updates all data entry instantaneously, according to the company.
GoMoto notes that 89 percent of dealership customers stated that the kiosk made check-in easier and faster. Ninety-five percent said the kiosk answered all their questions.
Twenty percent of customers self-selected an upgrade or add-on service recommended during the check-in process, and 7 percent of customers sought a trade-in/vehicle equity review.
Dealerships can customize Virtual Service Advisor with their own branded interface, and equity mining capabilities and customized promotions are part of the platform.
With Auto/Mate’s Service Merchandising Module, dealerships gain access to various tools that the company says can increase service volume and streamline service department processes.
“Consumers are becoming more used to self-service technology in retail environments, and GoMoto's platform meets that need in the dealership service department,” Auto/Mate president and CEO Mike Esposito said in a news release.
Manheim launched its Manheim Express app in 2018, helping dealers list and selling inventory from the palm of their hands. In 2019, the company launched what it describes as an “in-app buyer experience” that helps dealers purchase fresh, local inventory.
The Virginia Auto Dealers Association took notice and decided to use the product to help its members gain wholesale efficiencies and make more money.
Last month, Manheim Express became an exclusive program partner to help the association and its approximately 450 franchised new car and truck dealers, and the app is now integrated with vAuto’s Provision used-car dealer management software.
Dealers can use the Manheim Express app to list vehicles online and use 360-degree imaging with moveable images to highlight damage. The app, which dealers can download for free on Apple and Android devices, helps them receive a “guaranteed first bid” that sets a minimum floor price for a dealer’s vehicle. Manheim will purchase the vehicle at the guaranteed first bid price if the vehicle does not sell for the floor price, or higher, within two sale-days of being listed.
Manheim Express also offers a new Concierge service in which a specialist will do all the work for the dealer. The company says that service helps dealers who want the advanced imaging and listing capabilities in the app while being hands-off with the listing process.
Manheim vice president of offsite solutions Derek Hansen said in a news release that dealers rely on the Virginia association for advice, guidance and support.
“The fact that VADA endorses Manheim Express as a valuable tool for dealers to buy and sell vehicles right from their lots is a testament to the app’s success in fueling greater efficiencies and helping dealers meet their goals,” Hansen said.
Two more technology firms are collaborating to deliver a solution that’s aimed at impacting how trades and stale store inventory are transacted.
LotBlok and WeBuyYourCar recently announced their partnership after the highly successful launch of their vehicle-buying service in California. According to a news release, LotBlok will continue to build out its U.S. operations, while German-owned WeBuyYourCar will expand its European operations.
Founded in 2016, LotBlok recapped that it’s an automotive marketplace for wholesale customers and consumers to safely and securely liquidate vehicular inventory. LotBlok is an automotive technology company using blockchain technology to enable customers to verify vehicle information, protect sensitive user data and make payments while attempting to reduce exposure to fraud and theft.
“WeBuyYourCar, powered by LotBlok, was purpose built to create a great car-selling experience. We invented the first 100 percent digital car selling service for private customers,” LotBlok founder and chief executive officer Ian Smith said.
“WeBuyYourCar is the easiest, fastest, and best way to sell your car safely for high value in minutes,” Smith continued. “As a dedicated trade-in service, we exclusively focus on buying cars. That focus allows us to create efficiencies and automate our car-buying processes, so we can provide you a better deal and great car-selling experience. We are a trade-in service that focuses on buying cars only.
LotBlok’s dedicated blockchain team has worked to integrate its system with the Stellar Blockchain Network.
“The LotBlok Explorer is complete. The LotBlok Explorer, which provides a simplified front-end interface with the Stellar Blockchain for LotBlok clients, is fully developed,” LotBlok blockchain and IT lead Sebastian Mellen said.
“Additionally, basic verification and proof-of-existence of PDF documents and JSON objects will be carried out on the Stellar Blockchain starting in late February,” Mellen continued. “LotBlok customers will then be able to verify the authenticity of forms and documents from LotBlok on the blockchain. This provides our clients with a safer, simpler and more secure way to trade in' their unwanted cars.”
A preliminary look at the LotBlok Explorer is available at explorer.lotblok.cloud. WeBuyYourCar can be found at www.webuyyourcar.com. LotBlok’s official website is www.lotblok.com.
Upfront price is the most important priority for U.S. and European consumers when buying a new vehicle. For Chinese consumers, however, ride and handling are most important.
That is according to a new report from market intelligence and consulting company, Strategy Analytics.
For younger age groups, however, safety and infotainment features have been rising in importance as they begin the search for a new vehicle. Their interest in autonomous features is also increasing.
For respondents in the United States, Western Europe, and China, the top five most important factors are upfront price, fuel efficiency, ride/handling, and workmanship/visual appeal.
Although upfront price was the most important priority for U.S. and European consumers, the importance of upfront price and fuel efficiency fell across all regions.
The importance of automated driving features showed an increase for all regions.
Strategy Analytics director of syndicated research, UXIP and report author Chris Schreiner said in a news release that the consistent de-emphasis on upfront price and fuel efficiency in the vehicle purchase decision was a key trend in the research.
“This could be a general trend, but it is also likely that a strong global economy over the past few years combined with more fuel-efficient vehicles has placed less importance on these factors,” Schreiner said.
But Schreiner added that in the United States and Europe, upfront cost remains the most important feature. Cost is also the most important factor for current premium vehicle owners in the United States.
Schreiner notes, however, that the U.S./China trade wars, along with the impact of Brexit, could bring about a downturn in the global economy, which could reverse the upfront cost trend in 2019.
Strategy Analytics vice president, UXIP Kevin Nolan said in a news release that vehicle purchase priorities in China are much different because of the different demographics of new vehicle owners.
“In general, younger consumers are placing relatively more emphasis on vehicle features and UX than others,” he said. “Given the average age of new car buyers, this is of considerable importance today for China, and will be a future trend to watch in the West.”
Black Book’s dealer-focused subscription application, Black Book Cherry, helps dealers identify the most desirable vehicles at auction, and it provides valuation and appraisal functionality.
Black Book announced Monday that Black Book Cherry would replace Black Book Digital as the company’s flagship mobile app and that it would feature new enhancements such as the ability of users to “like” a vehicle, label it as a “cherry,” “dislike” a vehicle, or “share” a vehicle with a colleague or customer.
Black Book Cherry is available via desktop or mobile, and it recommends the types of vehicles industry professionals prefer to buy and allows them to view all vehicles at an auction, VIN Scan, and free-form search.
Black Book’s History Adjusted Valuations are a standard feature in Black Book Cherry, and they provide users access to precise VIN-specific valuations, according to the company. The app also uses an individual subscriber’s previous inventory preferences and behavior to filter run lists according to the dealer’s needs.
Black Book Cherry recently added Retail Market Insights, which offers metrics such as days-to-turn, market days’ supply, and average listing price. Users can view individual listings to help determine profitability and understand what is for sale in their local retail market.
“Loaded with all necessary data to make fast and profitable decisions, Black Book Cherry offers a distinct competitive advantage when attending a physical or online auction or appraising a trade-in on the lot,” Kyle Luck, director of product management at Black Book, said in a news release.
Zubie, a connected-car platform and telematics data insights provider, says its end-to-end connected-car technology has delivered real-time information about vehicles and drivers since 2012 to help businesses manage and optimize their fleets.
Seeking to fuel growth in the fleet sector and to introduce new verticals with its connected-car products, the company noted on Thursday that it has closed a round of funding. Existing investors BP and Melody Capital are providing the capital infusion.
The company also announced that telecommunications veterans Paget Alves and Dennis Huber will join its board of directors. Alves and Huber have a combined 50-plus years of experience in telecommunications, finance, operations, marketing, product development, and IT.
Zubie did not disclose the amount of the funding in the news release.
“This investment in Zubie underscores the market need for an end-to-end connected car solution," Ron LeMay, chairman of the board for Zubie, said in a news release. “There are a lot of companies focused on data collection — and there’s a lot of data out there. The marketplace needs more companies that help organize the data and extract business insight, and that’s where Zubie fills a void. We’re thrilled with the perspectives Paget and Dennis will bring to the board.”
“With a more mature hardware market, the opportunity for differentiation is in delivering usable insights in a simple, reliable package,” Gary Tucker, chief executive officer of Zubie, said in a news release. “For Zubie, 2019 will be about improved usability of our existing insights and solutions in the fleet market, while addressing a need for real-time insight for rental businesses.”
Manheim has seen how consumer brands such as Amazon and Netflix have increased customer engagement by deploying personalized services. Now, Manheim is following that example to enhance its own offerings, like its mobile app and Simulcast service.
In other Manheim news, the company is now integrating with vAuto’s Provision to help dealers value consumer trade-ins and act more quickly to list vehicles in the wholesale marketplace.
For the first piece of news on Manheim’s personalization initiatives, the company says it is working to deliver experiences targeted toward each individual dealer using its digital properties.
Manheim says its moves toward more personalization come as dealers are demanding digital channels that allow dealers to confidently and efficiently buy and sell inventory. They will be able to find the vehicles most relevant to them, gain quick access to their most frequently used digital tools, and find more information about the vehicles they are looking to purchase.
The Manheim.com homepage, search experience, Simulcast, and Seller Dashboard are among the areas that the company says will see enhanced personalization in 2019.
In addition, Manheim says it is creating “a new mobile experience” for dealers. That personalized experience will provide dealers features such as recommended vehicles, relevant filters, improved keyword search and faster access to important information. Sellers will receive various services from the desktop via the mobile app.
A group of dealers will be part of a pilot program for the new Manheim.com in the second quarter. After that, all users will be able to try the new experience throughout the rest of 2019.
“The enhancements to both Manheim.com and the mobile app reflect Manheim’s continued investment in digital channels,” Zach Hallowell, vice president, Manheim Digital Marketplace, said in a news release. “With solutions geared exclusively for our clients, dealers will be able to navigate the digital wholesale marketplace with increased information, helping them make faster and more informed decisions.”
For the second recent piece of Manheim news, the company is describing its integration with vAuto’s Provision as the first integration between two Cox Automotive mobile apps. The integration combines two mobile technologies, vAuto’s Provision app and Manheim Express, and the company says that helps dealers list inventory for wholesale quickly. Not having to transport a vehicle to auction saves time and money, the company adds.
Manheim says the connection helps make wholesaling vehicles easier and more cost-effective. Dealers evaluate approximately 450,000 trade-ins each month with Provision. Of those, 50,000 end up in Manheim’s wholesale marketplace, according to the company.
“The integration helps dealers know how much they can get for a vehicle at wholesale, and begin the wholesale process, whether it’s during a trade-in appraisal or after a vehicle hasn’t sold at retail, with a single tap on a mobile device,” Randy Kobat, senior vice president of vAuto, HomeNet, and Dealertrack DMS for Cox Automotive, said in a news release.
When it is time for vAuto dealers to wholesale a vehicle, the Manheim Express integration gives them what the company is calling a Guaranteed First Bid — or an instant, real-money offer — on that vehicle. Guaranteed First Bid is driven by valuation data from the Manheim Marketplace Report, and it sets a minimum floor price for a dealer’s vehicle.
Dealers using Guaranteed First Bid can reduce their risk and make good decisions during their appraisal and wholesale processes, according to the company.
Manheim will purchase the vehicle at the Guaranteed First Bid price if the vehicle does not sell for the floor price, or higher, within two sale-days of being listed. Dealers can quickly move unwanted vehicles off their balance sheets, according to Manheim.
“Combining Manheim Express’ Guaranteed First Bid with vAuto’s Provision appraisal processes provides dealers greater confidence in the values they are placing on trade-in vehicles,” Derek Hansen, vice president of Offsite Solutions at Manheim, said in a news release. “And with the ability to instantly list a vehicle, this partnership shows the seamless experience Cox Automotive is creating for dealers in the new digital wholesale marketplace.”
DealerPolicy, an auto insurance company geared toward car dealers, has been moving toward increasing its services. The company is already integrated with F&I software providers and also recently partnered with Equifax, which it says will help dealers accelerate the financing and purchase process.
Now, the company is expanding into the state of Virginia.
DealerPolicy notes that it is experiencing heavy growth and continues to add new dealers, and it plans to expand operations nationwide through 2020. The company says it provides car-buying customers the opportunity to purchase insurance by connecting them with licensed insurance agents while at the dealership or after they arrive home with their new car.
The company’s new platform provides consumers with their choice of insurance carriers and access to licensed insurance agents. DealerPolicy said its service increases car buyers’ purchasing power, giving them more funds to put toward buying their new car and F&I products. The company said it has helped automotive retailers generate more than $10 million in additional buying power for their customers.
DealerPolicy says its referral and payment programs provide dealers with a new source of recurring income. Dealers earn money each time a customer uses DealerPolicy’s technology to connect with a licensed insurance agent.
“Our excitement builds with each state we add to the DealerPolicy network,” Travis Fitzgerald, chief executive officer, said in a news release. “Virginia dealers and customers have urged us to bring the first all-inclusive insurance platform to their state, and we’re thrilled to fulfill their request.”
Building websites and consultation on inventory turn strategies are among several services that Dealer Car Search performs for auto dealers. Now, vehicle history tools from Carfax will help make managing and retailing inventory more transparent for Dealer Car Search customers.
Thousands of Dealer Car Search-powered dealer websites now feature the Carfax Vehicle History-Based Value and vehicle history filtering. That means online shoppers can see more upfront information about a vehicle's history and value, according to Carfax.
In addition, Carfax History-Based Value is now integrated into the Dealer Car Search inventory management feature.
Using the vehicle history-filtering, shoppers on dealer Dealer Car Search-powered websites can narrow their search results to include only vehicles with features such as Carfax 1-Owner, no reported accidents, or personal use vehicles.
Another new feature is that vehicles priced below the Carfax History-Based Value now have badges showing a “Great ” or “Good Value.”
With the enhanced inventory management feature, dealers now have access to more accurate pricing based on a vehicle’s history, according to Carfax. Dealers can use Carfax History-Based Value to price their vehicles more competitively, and dealers can see information to support their asking price before they list the vehicles online.
Transparency in today’s marketplace is crucial, Rick Wilson, chief executive officer of Dealer Car Search, noted in a news release, and he added that Carfax seeks transparency in all of its offerings. Joe Koenig, vice president of Carfax, added in a news release that people want to know that they are getting the right used car for the right price.
“More Carfax information built into the Dealer Car Search solutions helps alleviate these concerns and improves the online shopping experience,” Koenig said.
