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Continental Launches New Aftermarket Website In North America
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By Counterman
Premium Guard Inc. (PGI) has launched three redesigned websites.
Each of the refreshed designs features “a clean and intuitive user interface and are a clear reflection of the company’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction,” the company said.
“PGI is leaning into the future of the automotive aftermarket industry,” explained Anan Bishara, CEO of PGI. “Our emphasis is on putting customers first while providing accurate and comprehensive data, in a fresh, user-friendly design to ensure an end-to-end experience that helps the professional installer get the job right in a timely manner.”
The revamped PGI corporate site, found at
link hidden, please login to view, features comprehensive information about PGI’s products, programs, solutions and family of premium brands. Through streamlined navigation and a responsive, mobile-friendly layout, site visitors can quickly find the information they’re searching for; learn about PGI’s latest innovations; access valuable resources; and stay up to date on company news, according to PGI.
Designed in tandem, the new and improved
link hidden, please login to view and link hidden, please login to view sites “deliver modernized, user-centric interfaces and enhanced e-catalogs with cutting-edge product and application search functionality,” PGI noted. Built with service professionals in mind, the new sites showcase innovative features such as dynamic search; push-to-talk; application-specific fluid and capacity data; and other digital tools aimed at improving service bay and parts-counter efficiency.
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By Counterman
In the almost 100 years of the Genuine Parts Company (GPC), parent company NAPA and Motion, it has had five CEOs. You can literally count them on one hand. With that brings “an incredibly consistent, powerful and longstanding culture” of being a solutions-oriented business for customers, said Will Stengel, president and COO of GPC. But, when COVID-19 hit, GPC was forced to rethink its usual strategies for getting the right part to the right customer at the right time. As a result, it underwent a technological revolution.
“I think it’s fair to say any company that’s had success over decades needs to continuously challenge itself to improve,” Stengel told attendees at the MEMA Aftermarket Technology Conference in October. “What COVID did for GPC is prove that we could improve our business model, which we’ve done.”
It started with hiring the right people. In 2021, GPC hired Naveen Krishna as its EVP and CIDO — the first technologist to run GPC’s IT department. Then, Susan Starnes, a former Lowe’s executive, became the company’s first vice president of emerging markets to help create innovative strategies for our business. The next step was to take GPC’s solutions-oriented approach to solving customer problems and apply technology to it.
“All the fundamental elements of our business have a dedicated technology strategy behind it,” Stengel explained during the conference, held at GPC’s headquarters in Atlanta. “That lines up with this whole idea that tech is at the core of what we do and what we want to do.”
GPC is one example of an aftermarket company that is no longer thinking of itself as strictly in the automotive and industrial space. Instead, its focus has shifted to become a technology company in the automotive aftermarket. If you ask Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, he thinks all companies should adopt that mindset.
“Technology is driving our success, efficiency and our future. This is the reality for the aftermarket,” he said. “I’m issuing a call to action: a demand for innovation in our industry from suppliers.”
Amid the discussion around technology trends, a common theme that surrounded innovation and efficiency was what we’re calling the buzzword of 2023: artificial intelligence. Like many industries, the automotive aftermarket is delving into AI and ways it can help businesses be more productive and effective as future mobility continues to inch closer to needing aftermarket solutions.
AI Applications in the Aftermarket
Picture this: You know when and where a repair is going to happen and can get the part that technician needs to the shop before the vehicle comes in for service. That is just one example of how AI can make our industry more efficient.
But what exactly is AI?
Tilak Kasturi, founder and CEO of Predii, a company that develops automotive-specific AI applications, said AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines on certain business intelligence (BI), such as data, content, reports, etc. It utilizes machine learning, neural networks and natural language processing to do things such as recognize patterns, make decisions and judge like a human.
“BI is aggregated data and analytics, such as market intelligence, sales forecasting, etc.,” he explained. “If you say ‘right time, right part, right place,’ that is BI, but ‘right part, right place, ahead of time’ is AI. Knowing beforehand requires some prediction ability.”
David Brondstetter, a 40-year aftermarket veteran and CEO of SureCritic, an AI software that responds to customer reviews for repair shops, added that AI is applying algorithms to a data set to understand what is going to happen in the future. A good example is parts ordering.
“If you’re able to predict that, let’s say an O2 sensor is nearing end of life, you can predictably set an appointment for that customer at the shop, get the part ordered, and then have the customer come in,” he said. “The problem with parts ordering right now is you rely on all these things to happen, and then you assume your customer’s going to
come in.”
Scott Brown, industry ambassador and co-founder of the Diagnostic Network, a digital resource and forum for technicians, said an example of how his company has used AI is in the form of AiDN, an AI-powered assistant. Brown said AiDN will detect a vehicle-specific discussion in a Diagnostic Network forum and will respond like a member of Scott’s team.
“If you think about the deliverable and who it’s being delivered to, it can take an apprentice technician or middle-educated technician and get him started on the right pathway,” Brown said. “We will mature this technology and continue to train it on expert information. We think it will streamline [a technician’s] process of getting to a successful result faster in the future.”
A Long Road Ahead
While companies like Predii, SureCritic, Diagnostic Network and others are implementing AI for various solutions, industry experts say more work needs to be done. For example, access to good industry data, and education around the types of AI to use are critical. Data security and protecting your IP is another issue.
Kaivan Karimi, global partner of strategy and cybersecurity at Microsoft, presented the concept of “responsible AI” at the Technology Conference as a guideline for businesses when experimenting with this technology.
“There is the wild, wild West AI and then there is responsible, curated AI,” he said, adding that responsible AI is setting standards and guardrails around how you’ll use the tool while making sure your data is secure. “AI is a great productivity, tool, but people need to expect a set of standards when using it.”
Knowing the correct AI tools to use comes down to working companies that specialize in industry data. For example, ChatGPT is not meant for industry specific data, said Predii’s Kasturi.” It can actually take you to the wrong path,” he said.
When speaking about data and predicting when a part will fail, Right to Repair is at the heart of the aftermarket’s data access troubles. Vehicle telematics data is crucial for building out technology to predict when parts need replaced and the right way for a technician to fix a vehicle.
“We know what the world looks like when there is real repair access,” McCarthy said. “Take the Phillips Connect trailer. Just with your brakes, it can tell you their performance, wear and exactly how much life is left in key components so that you can do the repair before something breaks. But this concept and this positive future is only possible with Right to Repair.”
Cybersecurity is another big issue playing a part in using AI. Microsoft’s Karimi said securing your company’s data in each step can decrease data breaches and cybersecurity attacks.
“You need to protect the factories, the lines, the cars, the enterprise, the network, the backends, the cloud, and then some security operation center at a center that ties the whole thing together,” he said. “Your strengths are only as good as the weakest link.”
McCarthy added that if a Right to Repair law is passed, and safe, open connectivity is achieved, it can expand technology and services and improve forecasting and inventory for all involved along the supply chain. GPC’s Stengel added that for aftermarket companies, any technology—such as AI—must prove to make the industry companies more profitable, in addition to efficient.
“We talk about data, we talk about digital, we talk about the role in which technology serves and improves the customer experience, but, ultimately, it’s got to drive a financial expression for the business, which is growth and operating profitability,” Stengel said.
Industry Jobs of the Future
With an exciting future in technology ahead, aftermarket companies may be forced to rethink roles at their companies. The question on many minds is “Will AI take my job?” The answer might surprise you, Karimi said.
“When I give talks to engineers, and they ask, ‘Am I going to lose my engineering job?’ I say, You may lose your engineering job to another engineer who knows AI. You have to adopt AI as a tool. It’s a massive productivity gain. It’s around to stay.”
As the use of data and AI applications increase, SureCritic’s Brondstetter thinks that data scientists are going to become more prominent in aftermarket organizations.
“Before this rise of generative AI, most of the data scientists were working on normalizing data,” he said. “Now that we’re in a state where we’ve got computing power to handle all this data, these predictive algorithms can normalize the data and data scientists can work on tweaking the model. That’s where you get a real generative AI. I think that position will become more prominent because the core of AI is having data scientists who understand that.”
Predii’s Kasturi said in his experience, automotive data analysts and experienced technicians are critical to ensuring AI’s future in the aftermarket. Skilled technicians, for example, can verify the results of generative AI models.
“I see that as the future where technicians are hands-on, ratchet-and-wrench-type people, but also are powering some of these expert-based systems,” Kasturi said. “They know their data really well. They know their codes, they know their parts, they know the fix.” Brown agreed, adding that an aging or injured technician can now turn into a triage specialist that takes the AI and vehicle information, and then prepares a repair path plan and assigns it to the other technicians in the shop. “This new generation can hopefully rebirth our service industry,” he added.
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By Counterman
MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers recently recognized Dana Incorporated with its Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Award.
The association presented the DEI Award to Dana at AAPEX in Las Vegas.
“We are honored to accept this prestigious award and thank MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers for recognizing Dana’s efforts in creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment,” said Vanesa Badillo, Dana’s senior manager, talent development, who accepted the award on behalf of Dana. “At Dana, we continuously build upon our diverse strengths. Dana’s DEI strategy aims to cultivate a strong and inclusive culture where all our people have opportunities to thrive and reach their full potential.”
To be considered for the MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers DEI award, a company must contribute to and operate in the automotive and commercial-vehicle aftermarket; have an existing internal DEI strategy and objectives in place that support the core values of DEI; have made an achievement either internally or externally to advance DEI in the aftermarket; and must be an established company of good repute and sound financial condition.
“At Dana, we are proud to have leaders who challenge the status quo and address barriers to inclusion by reviewing and adjusting various employee and business policies and processes, such as publishing a supplier diversity policy,” Badillo added. “Dana focuses on accountability for inclusive behaviors at all levels of the organization. This leading phase of Dana’s DEI journey has made clear governance guidelines that establish DEI objectives and address barriers to inclusion through employee management processes.”
The MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers DEI award recognizes the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the automotive aftermarket and celebrates those individuals and organizations who champion the spirit of DEI in their organizations and communities.
MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers created the DEI Awards in 2021. Each year at AAPEX, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers recognizes one individual from a member company and one member company who embody and advance the core values of diversity, equity and inclusion.
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By Counterman
Lumileds received the Best New Tool for Repairs Award for its Philips Xperion 6000 UV Pillar work light from the Import Vehicle Community at AAPEX in Las Vegas.
“We designed the Philips Xperion 6000 UV Pillar as a multi-purpose work light that helps technicians save time, money and space in their tool chest,” noted Aubry Baugh, Lumileds senior manager, aftermarket marketing leader, NA. “This innovative light features three light sources: a main light rated CRI95 for color matching; a 180-lumen spotlight; and a very handy UV inspection light for critical repair jobs. The Xperion 6000 UV Pillar is three lights in one and allows techs to carry a single tool.”
Featuring an articulating LED panel for precise beam placement, a swiveling hook and powerful magnetic base, the Xperion 6000 UV Pillar can be placed in nearly any location or position to deliver light exactly where it is needed. The light features a rechargeable lithium battery for exceptional battery life, according to the company, and it’s compatible with the Philips multi-dock recharging station.
If the light is ever misplaced, technicians can find it anywhere in the shop by making it beep and flash with the optional Philips “Find My Device” key fob.
Designed to withstand the demands of automotive repair work, the Xperion 6000 UV Pillar is rated IP65 against intrusion by fluids and IK07 against impacts. The ABS rubber surfaces retain excellent grip, even in the presence of grease and oil, according to the company.
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By Counterman
Continental announced that the NightViu premium line of professional driving and working lights will be made available to consumer markets, including off-road enthusiasts, recreational vehicles (RVs) and marine.
Originally designed for use on construction, mining and off-highway equipment, “the NightViu lighting line provides a level of rugged design, durability and performance not normally seen in consumer-lighting products,” according to Continental.
Built to withstand extreme temperatures, vibration, dust and moisture, NightViu lights feature advanced LED technology that provides excellent lighting performance and exceptional energy efficiency, according to the company.
NightViu driving lights provide a focused beam of light for long-distance illumination. They’re ideal for applications such as desert/rally racing or any activity where maximum beam distance is required, Continental noted.
NightViu working lights provide beams that are shorter but wider. This makes them suitable for applications such as rock crawling, lighting up pickup beds and sport fishing boats.
“The NightViu line was created for some of the toughest applications you can imagine including mining, construction and agriculture,” said Edwin Betancourt Jr., product manager, Continental. “Some might consider them over-engineered for consumer applications, but we believe there are folks out there who simply want the best they can get for their lighting. That’s why we’ve decided to make NightViu available for off-road enthusiasts, RV owners, and others who want a professional level light source for their off-road activities. These lights can be used for ATVs, UTVs and SUVs, as well as Jeeps, snowmobiles, work trucks and even riding lawnmowers and go-karts. The build quality and housing seals make them suitable for marine applications as well including blue-water cruising and fishing.”
NightViu working lights are available in a choice of ultra-wide, wide, flood and spot beam patterns.
Each of the beam patterns is offered in a choice of 1,500, 2,500, 3,500 and 4,500 lumen performance for a total of 16 lights in the NightViu range of working lights.
NightViu driving lights are available in a variety of designs and configurations including five light bars, three multifunctional lights and two reversing lights. They provide up to 5,500 lumens and a beam field length of up to 440 meters. The lights feature free-form curved reflectors that direct the light beam exactly where it’s needed.
NightViu Lights are built to withstand temperatures ranging from minus 40 F to 194 F and are rated IP68 for ingress protection (IP) from dust and water. They produce approximately 100 lumens per watt and have been designed to ensure that they do not create electrical interference that could affect the vehicles existing electronics.
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