Automotive Business Magazine – Q2 2026 – Digital edition - Magazine - Page 12
FEAT U R E
TECHNOLOGY
for everything. Not just the car, but the
whole ecosystem.”
Philipp thinks that businesses should
be doing more to ensure systems remain
secure, adding: “From a business point
of view, it is important that it becomes
not just a compliance point, but rather
something that is being carried over
in the overall strategy of the company.
That includes products, IT architecture,
supplier management and supply chain
as well.
“A core competence needs to be
established. It cannot be handled as a
standalone piece anymore.”
Luddite risk
In the face of cybersecurity
vulnerabilities, and the overwhelming
number of options in the automotive
technology space, some business
will inevitably decide to sit this out,
sticking to the tried-and-tested ways of
doing business.
Smith explains, however, that this is a
poor strategy in the long run: “Just look
at history. You would not exist anymore,
as a reasonably sized dealer, if you didn't
have phones, a website, photos on your
website, and a dealer management
system (DMS).
“Technology is going to be absolutely
critical. It's just about which
technologies win, and how you
apply them. To generate a strategy for
success in the future, it's not just about
selecting one piece of technology or a
product, it's making sure you select that
with a view to keeping yourself open in
the future, but balancing it across the
here and now.
“No one’s going to die in terms of
business immediately because they
haven’t implemented an AI chatbot.”
Williams agrees that fleets could
also suffer if they choose to forego
technology.
He explains: “If they don't adopt,
someone else can do it cheaper. Then, as
a business, that's going to be your issue –
someone else can come along, undercut
you and take your business.”
More to come
The march of technology is relentless.
Every week, a new system hits the
market, and this situation is unlikely
to change.
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
Q2 2026
Smith says that this is something to be
celebrated, not feared: “The best is still
to come, without a shadow of a doubt.
We’re seeing pockets of improvements
and gains.
"From an AI perspective, we’ve got a
piece of technology that has increased
conversion rates on inbound inquiries
into dealer groups by three to four-times.
“We are never at a saturation point in
terms of technology. It will always be a
theme of business.
“There is definitely room for much more
automation. You’ll see less necessity for
contact with customers on lots of parts
of the chain.
"We believe we can cut out 30% to 50%
of the sales team when we really scale
up the automation through sales hub,
which is coming into the market now.”
The story is similar on the fleet side,
too. Developments in technology seem
poised to slash workloads going forward.
