Las Vegas--Delphi officials said the company is working with leading companies in service, parts distribution, and vehicle repair industries to create a Telematics business model for the aftermarket.
"By 2010, approximately 25 to 30 percent of all new vehicles will be equipped with some form of telematics, and the trend that all new vehicles will have a telematics system in the near future is certain," said Francisco “Frank” Ordoñez, president of Delphi Product & Service Solutions and vice president of Delphi Corp.
“As an industry, we have to look ahead with telematics, and the time to make these decisions is now,” Ordoñez said.
Delphi has developed the hardware needed to support the telematics business model, Ordoñez said.
The hardware, which can fit in the palm of your hand, is a plug and play device that is self-installed by the end user into a diagnostic connector located under the driver’s dashboard. It is a comprehensive solution complete with system interfaces for servers and diagnostics.
Delphi has for 15 years supported vehicle manufacturers’ efforts to use telematics to collect data from vehicles, transmit information to vehicles, and create a flow of information between vehicle owners and dealerships, Ordoñez said.
Many vehicles are now equipped to notify owners that service is needed and communicate that same information to the dealership, which can then follow up to schedule service and even use the data to assist in diagnostics and repair.
“The ability to use telematics for remote vehicle diagnostics, customer relationship management (CRM), or increased sales opportunities is not exclusive to dealerships,” said Mark Shasteen, vice president of service and engineering in the independent aftermarket for Delphi Product & Service Solutions. “With the product and business model development being led by Delphi, this same technology will soon be leveraged by the aftermarket,” Shasteen said. In addition to the diagnostic, service, and sales opportunities made available by telematics, independent repair shops could strengthen relationships with their customers to build loyalty and repeat business by knowing exactly what customers need and when they need it, Delphi said.
Distributors could simplify inventory management and enhance relationships with their customers, the company added. And consumers would gain access to vehicle health monitoring, maintenance reminders, vehicle incident management, and more, even on vehicles that did not come equipped with telematics technology direct from the manufacturer, it said.
