Vehicle preparation software provider vAutoStock today launches its AI vehicle admin assistant vAutoBots following a successful pilot.
The company, which automates prep processes and keeps track of vehicles, identified a need to bridge the many gaps requiring staff to step in to maintain the flow of vehicles through prep centres and onto the forecourt.
Whilst designed to seamlessly integrate with its sister products vAutoPrep and vAutoTrack, vAutoBots can also operate as a separate module integrating with a dealer’s existing systems.
Managing director Chris Barrett said: “After several months of piloting the system, we are now talking to our existing dealer clients about vAutoBots, and the ‘wow’ response tells us we have developed something that meets a real need in the vehicle prep process.
“There is so much admin involved in the prep process, along with several junctures where systems cannot communicate to enable the next step to continue smoothly without manual input. The process is data-entry- and admin-heavy, which slows everything down and ties up employees who could be much more productive elsewhere.
“We combined our extensive knowledge of the prep process, understanding of every pivotal point along the way, and dealership experience with our technological know-how forged specifically in the vehicle prep arena to create our AI assistant vAutoBots. It is literally an automated admin assistant which ensures a vehicle’s progress through the prep journey takes place unhindered.”
The AI assistant undertakes repetitive manual tasks including moving vehicles into stock, adding invoices to dealership systems, purchase ledger invoicing, internal and external invoicing, cost reconciliation, and raising and updating lines for internal work required on a vehicle. When a dealership utilises a system where an API is unavailable, vAutoBots will scan a PDF or CFV file to upload and act upon the information. It can undertake data entry from a simple email instruction and allocate tasks to dealership staff.
Dealers take a licence per automation enabling them to start small and scale up. As a UK-based company employing both technical and automotive retail experienced staff, dealers can also be assured of hands-on support as they migrate the prep admin process to AI.
Barrett added: “I was in one meeting where an employee was quietly getting on with manually inputting parts invoices for 80 vehicles every day. It took him nearly all morning every day until we automated that with vAutoBots freeing him from the monotony of a repetitive task and enabling him to deliver on a much higher level for the business.
“With our real-world understanding of dealerships and the intricacies of the prep process, we believe vAutoBots is a genuine standout AI solution which will save businesses hundreds of hours every week.”
