Amir Hever, CEO and co-founder of UVeie (L) and Dave Marsh, General Manager of Customer Support, … [+]
General Motor
GM
Under the agreement, GM’s capital investment subsidiary, GM Ventures, has invested in UVeie to help fund the development and commercialization of its inspection technology. At the same time, the car manufacturer itself signed a contract with UVeie to examine the installation of an inspection system in its 4,000 dealers.
Several GM dealers are already using these systems, said Dave Marsh, general manager, GM customer service and satisfaction during a briefing in Birmingham, Michigan. Although the carmaker will “facilitate” the installation of inspection stations, it will not subsidize installation costs or a monthly subscription for the service, he said.
“GM is becoming the fourth OEM to invest in the company,” added Amie Hever, CEO and co-founder of UVeie. “We are excited to have GM as our partner. We share the same vision of the customer and consumer experience as agents. ”
UVeie inspection stations use artificial intelligence, machine learning and high-definition cameras for rapid analysis of vehicles, checking tires, chassis components, defects on the exterior of vehicles and missing parts. A car or truck simply passes through the inspection station without stopping.
Dave Marsh from GM compared the process to “rapid triage”.
Three UVeie inspection stations will be available to dealers:
- Atlas - A 360-degree external inspection system scans sheet metal and other external components for paint crumbs, dents and other problems. While UVeie advises that Atlas scanners are best suited for large-scale service facilities, fleet operations and assembly lines, the Atlas Lite is specifically designed for use by dealers.
- Artemis - Detects damage to the sidewall and tread depth, as well as tire air pressure, age and brand.
- Helios - A chassis scanner that can detect a wide range of potential safety issues, including fluid leaks and frame damage, as well as brake and exhaust system problems.
The Carl Black Automotive Group, with two GM showrooms in Atlanta, Georgia, and one each in Nashville, Tenn and Orlando, Florida already uses UV stations.
Marketing Director Alex Boucher told Forbes.com that both new and used vehicles are inspected and that the process makes a real difference in terms of efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Alek Bovsher, Marketing Director, Carl Black Automotive Group.
It automates the process for our service advisors, makes it faster for the customer, makes it more transparent for the customer, almost makes it like a medical report, so you don’t fight the client anymore, you show them problems, so you need to fix “, Said Boucher.
That kind of efficiency has become more important with the lack of qualified service technicians in the industry, Marsh said, giving dealers the opportunity to better allocate thin resources, noting: “If you can identify vehicles that potentially need additional testing, then you can put your technicians on immediately because the bandwidth is currently terribly limited in MPs. ”
Rapid inspections are also useful for detecting any damage that vehicles may have caused during transit from the assembly plant to the showroom, as well as for entering under the skin of replacements, providing dealers with additional leverage when negotiating fees with customers.
The contract with GM represents a further expansion of UVeie’s automotive business. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, the company has 130 employees with additional offices in the United States, Germany and Japan. It has attracted over $ 100 million in investments from companies that include Hyundai, VolvoCars, and CarMak
KMKS
GM’s Dave Marsh did not want to reveal the value of his investment in UVeie, but announced that the carmaker would accept the technology as a major milestone, saying: “We are in the early stages of travel, but I tell you this will be one of those things. when we’re done, I think we’ll mark this day, they’ll say they’ve started to change the way customers are treated on the service line. “