The Odyssey may be a new film based on an old myth, but it delivers a timeless reminder: On any journey, the true challenge isn’t reaching the destination — it’s avoiding the countless impediments and distractions along the way.
Some dealers have faced complex journeys adopting AI into their operations. But the truth is, with the right approach, it doesn’t have to be an odyssey. And spoiler alert — it doesn’t require a Trojan horse.
Automotive News recently released a webinar that covers the realities of AI and its journey into dealerships. Dive into the insights that came out of the AI-centered discussion to learn what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s next for dealerships.
Avoid Distractions
Before any dealership considers adopting AI, it’s important to cut through the AI noise to avoid distractions that may set your journey adrift.
Unfortunately, there are many
automation solutions being repackaged as AI. For example, let’s say you implement a solution that tracks mileage from a customer’s last visit. Or one that sends appointment reminders and service summaries. These are time-saving solutions, but they aren’t AI.
Because of widespread AI-labeled automation, it may be difficult for your dealership to identify proper AI solutions — the ones that promise the efficiency gains you’re looking for.
So, what does true AI look like?
True AI goes beyond plug-and-play automation. It adapts, makes decisions, and handles complex workflows. This could look like a pricing or appraisal tool that gathers real-time market trends, your current inventory levels, and vehicle conditions to provide tailored recommendations that make sense for you and your market.
Understanding exactly what AI is and its place in your dealership is vital to a successful implementation and a daily workflow that actually delivers results. This understanding starts at the top, but it needs to be well known throughout your dealership. One of the best ways to do this is to establish your AI guidelines before implementing anything new. This means being able to answer how to use, when to use, and why to use AI. Once you and your team can answer that, you can begin to make AI a reality in your shop.
AI as a Member of Your Crew
One potential roadblock on your AI journey may be hesitation towards the technology itself. Some of this hesitation stems from the misconception that AI will replace employees. While there’s no crystal ball to predict the future, that’s likely not the case.
Think of how bookkeeping was done before computers. Accountants would need rooms of ledgers and journals to complete their job. Then the computer came around. Their responsibilities didn’t change, but the way they worked did. Computers have made accountants more efficient and organized, and that will likely be the case for AI in automotive.
One of the major promises of AI is its efficiency when it comes to repetitive or analytical tasks. AI can give time back to your team for the things that matter most — or even the tasks that you put on the back burner but never seem to get to. So, while AI is handling repetitive tasks such as service follow-up, routing calls, and prospecting leads, your employees can focus on closing the sale or providing an excellent customer experience.
Keep in mind, any tool — AI included — is only as good as its operator. Your team is still in the driver’s seat; AI just becomes a team member helping them work smarter and more efficiently.
Pack the Right Equipment
Packing the right equipment is crucial to any journey. But what is the right equipment when adopting AI? Clean data.
One instance where AI isn’t delivering results is when data, and the structuring of data, is messy or incorrect. Without clean data as the foundation, there’s a danger that your AI won’t understand the information given — or even worse, act as if it understands but doesn’t. Bad data can enable AI to confidently respond to your input with an incorrect answer, wasting your time and failing to deliver the answer you were looking for.
By leveraging a
unified data layer to power your AI, clean data becomes the foundation for the best insights and decisions. There’s no risk of missing, inaccurate, or duplicate information because everything is pulled from the same correct data set.
Clean data is the necessary base for every AI tool, and it will only get more important as AI evolves.
Know Your Route
No journey reaches its destination without a clear path forward. When it comes to AI, this is paramount. This means putting the fundamentals in place: cutting through the AI noise, addressing employee concerns, and planning for clean data with a unified data layer. But it also means being able to answer these questions:
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Is our dealership ready to successfully adopt AI?
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Do we have the right people and policies in place to support it?
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How will AI improve the experience for our employees and customers?
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How will we turn our AI insights into measurable business results and scale that success?
If you and your team can confidently answer these questions, your AI journey won’t feel like an endless odyssey. You’ll be prepared to move beyond the hype, avoid common pitfalls, and put AI to work where it delivers real value.
