The monthly Techwatch feature by Automotive Management outlines some of the last month’s highlights in motor retail technological developments.
By Alex Wright
Vines Group is rolling out new Mad Devs technology across its dealerships as part of a wider programme to improve online sales by enhancing the customer journey. The dealer group operates seven BMW and MINI dealerships across the South of England.
It is launching iStoreDOCS, a digital document management system that allows customers to complete a purchase remotely, while dealership teams can monitor progress through a central dashboard and maintain a full compliance record for every transaction. The implementation forms part of Vines’ continued investment in digital retailing as more customers choose to complete elements of the buying journey online before visiting a dealership.
By digitising documentation, the retailer experiences fewer delays, improves consistency across its sites and frees staff from time-consuming manual processes. Monique Limerick, future retail implementation manager, Vines Group, said: “Successful technology implementations are about more than the platform. They rely on strong partnership, effective change management and a clear focus on supporting people through the transition.
“The rollout of iStoreDOCS across Vines Group has been a collaborative and well-managed implementation. From planning through to deployment, the team took the time to understand our business, communicated openly and remained responsive throughout the project.
“While we are still early in our journey, it has been encouraging to see our teams embrace the platform so quickly. We are already seeing improvements in efficiency and consistency, and I look forward to building on these early successes as we continue our partnership with iStoreDOCS.”
iStoreDOCS is part of the Mad Devs Connect platform, which is used by more than 2,000 retail sites across the UK and Ireland. A key element is the Connect customer portal, which now handles 82% of customer journeys across the dealer network, giving retailers a single digital route for customers to complete purchases and manage documentation.
Daniel Rea, sales director at Mad Devs, said: “Retailers want technology that fits naturally into the way they already work and makes life easier for both their teams and their customers. iStoreDOCS helps dealers meet compliance requirements and gives customers the freedom to complete documentation at a time that suits them. We’re pleased to be supporting Vines Group as it continues to invest in its digital customer experience.”
The Vines rollout is the latest in a series of deployments for Mad Devs as dealer groups continue to invest in technology that speeds up transactions, strengthens compliance and improves the overall customer experience.
Solera Cap HPI is introducing a significant upgrade to its motorcycle data platform, giving dealers access to richer vehicle information designed to improve valuations, stock management and part exchange decisions. The enhanced Green Book and New Vehicle Data platforms combine expanded market intelligence with motorcycle options data for the first time, bringing the level of specification detail much closer to that already available across the car market.
The move reflects the growing complexity of modern motorcycles, where trim levels, technology packages and factory-fitted options can have a significant impact on used values but have traditionally been difficult to identify consistently. For dealers, the additional data should make it easier to value stock accurately, distinguish between similar-looking models and price part exchanges with greater confidence. It also provides a more complete picture of individual motorcycles, helping businesses present vehicles more effectively to prospective buyers.
As part of the rollout, Solera Cap HPI has enhanced its New Vehicle Data, providing greater visibility across expanding model ranges while introducing factory-fitted options and standard equipment data for motorcycles for the first time. The improvements will help dealers compare specifications more easily and reduce the risk of undervaluing or overvaluing stock. The enhancements are scheduled for October, when six-point mileage functionality will be introduced to further improve valuation accuracy, particularly for higher mileage bikes.
The wider data update also standardises the way motorcycle pricing is presented. Rather than publishing on-the-road prices, Solera cap hpi will align motorcycle data with its car and commercial vehicle datasets by displaying basic vehicle prices separately from registration and taxation costs.
The company has also introduced clearer rules governing when new CAP codes are created, reducing unnecessary complexity while maintaining accurate identification of genuine model changes.
Stacey Ward, senior data director at Solera Cap HPI, said: “The motorcycle market has evolved significantly in recent years, both in terms of the complexity of model ranges and the expectations dealers and consumers now have around data accuracy.
“The relaunch of our bike data is about giving the industry a far richer and more transparent view of the market. By expanding our data sources, enhancing our new vehicle data and introducing motorcycle options data for the first time, we are creating a more detailed and accurate picture of both new and used motorcycles. Accurate and structured data is becoming increasingly important for dealers, finance providers and insurers as they look to improve decision-making and reduce risk across the vehicle lifecycle.”
The enhancements arrive as motorcycle dealers face increasing pressure to protect margins in a competitive used market. Better data can support more accurate pricing, stronger stock profiling and greater confidence when assessing part exchanges, while helping finance providers, insurers and remarketing businesses work from a more consistent view of vehicle specifications and values.
Payment Assist has launched a new digital tool designed to give drivers detailed insight into a car they own or are considering buying.
The flexible finance provider said its Get to Know Your Car tool could provide personalised reports setting out common model faults, potential repairs required, estimated service costs and practical maintenance advice.
It said that the tool improved on relying on service history reports and MOT records by predicting future vehicle reliability and flagging potential faults before they occurred.
Marcus Gregory, chief executive at Payment Assist, said: “With the cost-of-living crisis hitting household budgets hard, vehicle maintenance costs are becoming a major concern. Data suggests that more drivers than ever are skipping MOTs and avoiding service reminders to swerve expensive repairs.
“With Get to Know Your Car, we wanted to provide a simple way to take the guesswork out of vehicle ownership. By providing detailed insight into the repairs that cars are likely to need in the future, we aim to help motorists make informed choices and budget more carefully.”
Vic Barodia, chief executive and co-founder at Should I Buy This Car, the platform behind Get to Know Your Car, said: “I genuinely believe this changes the conversation around car ownership. People spend thousands of pounds buying a car, yet many have no idea what it could cost them over the next few years.
“Working with Payment Assist makes perfect sense because we’re driven by the same ambition. They’re helping motorists take control of the financial side of vehicle ownership, while we’re helping them take control of the practical side.
“Together, we’re giving drivers the confidence to make better decisions, budget more effectively and avoid those dreaded ‘I wish I’d known that sooner’ moments.”