Technicians growing more comfortable with advanced diagnostic tools, Anyline survey says
The day will come when vehicle repair technicians turn more to the widgets on a laptop than ratchets in their toolbox to complete a job. Some diagnostic tool providers anticipate there will be just as many diag tools in the shop as technicians in the next five years. These range from multimeters to scan tools to more specialized equipment such as borescopes and oscilloscopes.
According to the responses Anyline collected for a recent survey, that day is nearly here.
For 70% of the respondents, half of their daily tasks require technology to complete, the Vienna-based tire analytics provider announced at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow in Las Vegas. And more than two-thirds feel comfortable using diagnostic tools. A large majority (87%) of respondents also agreed that digital data and analytics build customer trust and improve satisfaction.
“Our survey confirms a growing enthusiasm among technicians for technology’s role in shaping the future of automotive service,” said Chris Garcia, head of U.S. automotive at Anyline.
And using Anyline’s tire scanning diagnostic tool, shops can tackle one major area of focus without adding new hardware in the bay; it’s likely already in their techs’ pockets. The software works on any modern mobile device with a camera.
The software turns a smart device’s camera into a scanner that when pointed at the tire captures sidewall, tread depth, DOT info, and more. The analytics side of the platform tracks, analyzes, and correlates that data with external sources to identify issues such as dangerously worn-out tires.
Of the techs surveyed, 57% said they manually enter tire info into their customer relationship management systems and point-of-sale systems, with about three-quarters agreeing it’s a time-consuming process.
Garcia noted that Anyline’s platform can “increase operational efficiency and eliminate manual data-entry errors. Digitized data empower techs to service more vehicles every day, reducing customer wait times and improving the overall service experience.”
Three out of five technicians surveyed indicated they would want to use this AI-enabled technology in their daily workflow. Anyline argues that time-saving technology like this will eliminate one of the more tedious parts of a tech’s day and therefore make the shop a more desirable workplace, while also reducing human error.
“Shops that deploy digital tire and vehicle inspection platforms are better positioned to recruit and retain highly sought-after technicians,” Garcia concluded. “These tools eliminate manual data entry and streamline operations so technicians can spend more time under the hood doing the parts of the job they enjoy most.”
