Overdrive Tackling Auto Sales Industry From A-to-Z With IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) continue to be a big talking point and contribution to the advancement of innovation and technology, but that is not to say that it is not without its handicaps. Experts still struggle to address and provide concrete and bulletproof solutions for issues on data protection, security and other predicaments revolving around mobile data service providers, businesses and even consumers.

The current climate of IoT is still thus highly fragmented and decoupled but this has not stopped Overdrive from taking strides to provide end-to-end solutions and partnering up with respective organisations in order to address the growing need for businesses and consumers alike to experience the full advantages of IoT.

                                                             BRIDGING GAPS IN THE AUTO SALES INDUSTRY

IoT continues to bring a strong portfolio in the face of the future of the auto sales industry: IBM has long conducted surveys that determined how mobility services would become the frontline for smarter transportation. With the proliferation of smarter devices, technology and better distribution and implementation models, the only question is when it will become a staple in the lives of the everyday consumer, as opposed to being a “nice-to-have”.
And while the grass is indefinitely greener on the other side, there are still bridges that need to be crossed to unlock the full potential of IoT in the auto sales industry.

Enter Overdrive.
Since late 2016, we have been working with Atilze in order to address the various pain points that exist for solution partners, businesses and consumers alike, tackling aforementioned issues that still currently plague the world of auto sales.

For The Solution Partners 
Firms like Atilze aim to provide the best in class IoT systems and applications to transform businesses into a living connected ecosystem, and this is exactly where Overdrive fits in perfectly.
Through Overdrive’s range of sensor offerings, as well as our expansive array of plugins and APIs that allow for quick deployment for both closed and open solutions, we are effectively a ready-to-go solution for a firm’s needs in the auto sales industry, providing assistance in fleet management, logistics and transportation.

Additionally, partners are able to customize their solutions according to the needs of their customers as well as to better their subscription models – by putting into place strategies such as bundling mobile data as part of the subscription to give the partner an upper hand to compete with the other competitive chains, in order to make their services worthier and thus attract more people to purchase from them. This especially rings true as Atilze has a strong expertise in implementing and providing mobile data networks infrastructure, therefore making it easier for them to bundle mobile data packages together with what Overdrive is offering.

Furthermore, organisations like Atilze are also able to freely use Overdrive endorsed hardware, or source for other hardware or peripherals, where Overdrive will provide integration and quality control testing services to ensure that the integrated hardware maintains a certain level of quality.

For The Dealers
Profitability is the most pressing concern in the eyes of a dealer, what with the various challenges they face like rising competition by services that often offer lower prices and more convenient locations, big car companies that are now able to produce cars at lesser prices and a hastened delivery date that crosses out the necessity of a dealer, and more.
While these are severe roadblocks, it has not stopped Overdrive into stepping up and offering more end-to-end solutions that would benefit the everyday dealer.

Through Overdrive’s technologies, dealers are able to customize their solutions according to the needs of their customers – they will understand exactly the issues their customers are facing should they require maintenance and can thus rectify problems with a more targeted approach that will heighten cost efficiency to the customers. In this way, customers will be more likely to approach the dealers than look toward other external workshops.

Dealers are also able to enjoy a variety of other customized services that would better serve their customers; from gaining access to driving data for analysis to provide Usage Based Insurance that the dealer can then use to make informed decisions and better their financing and auto insurance opportunities through other subsidiaries, to spurring the customer’s loyalty by creating a membership program or customer loyalty program that will offer more benefits to help them retain their customers.

For The Consumers
For the average consumer who has bought a new car, research has shown that they do not think about buying a new one for the next 6.5 years – a feat that is directly imbalanced by the fact that car manufacturers nowadays feel a pressure to produce new models every few years to keep up with the competition that keep creating newer and more powerful or innovative models.

And since IoT may not be the right tool to fix this volatile demand, the focus of IoT has shifted to pay attention to the consumer namely their daily driving habits and behaviours.

As they’ll be with the same car for more than the next five years, IoT solutions that Overdrive can readily provide aim to heighten the experience of the driver each day through, for example, incentivizing better driving by offering vouchers that can be obtained by total mileage, fuel efficiency and sending trip reports. This also introduces a new level of fun to driving and thus makes this service more entertaining to use through a mobile app.

The mobile app also affords an ease of access to multiple services like roadside assistance in case of emergencies, service reminders, and immediate insights to their own driving profile and behaviour, as well as notifications should the vehicle have any problems.