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Autodata Chief Technology Officer Neil Brooks – who was last year recognised as one of the country’s leading drivers of business change and modernisation in his respective field – talks about the five key reasons why the technical information supplier decided to go fully online and operate solely in the cloud
Accuracy
Perhaps the most relevant benefit for independent garages of an online cloud technology based system is that it allows us to make instant updates to technical information and enable new product features without customers waiting for the latest version or having to worry about new computer installs and configurations. This not only means our subscribers will always be working from the latest and most up-to-date content, but also ensures they are at the forefront of product innovation without having to lift a finger. Being on the new platform has allowed us during 2015 to make over 36,000 core updates to new and existing vehicles, plus in excess of 450 feature enhancements. This represents the highest amount in Autodata’s 40-year history!
Efficiency
Just because the complexity of modern vehicles is increasing, this does not mean that the end user has to suffer. By using the latest online technology we can ensure the system is easier to use than previous versions, despite having more to offer. To provide an example, the number of steps taken to access a service schedule has been cut by up to 75% compared to some of the older versions of Autodata. Since moving onto the new system we have seen a 39% increase in visitors, a 32% decrease in page views and a 27% decrease in visit duration. This means our subscribers are not only using Autodata more in their day-to-day work but also finding the information they require quicker than ever before!
Intelligence
Leveraging cloud technologies brings many benefits for our Product Development and Content Creation teams, who can see the exact paths subscribers are taking, along with the most popular models that are being accessed. This dictates the way we prioritise what new content and modules are added to the system each month and also how the information is presented and accessed. In the past, especially with the printed manuals and CDs, we were largely guessing what information and layout garages wanted. This is now no longer the case, and during 2016 it will very much be Autodata subscribers who dictate the evolution and development of the product.
By using the latest online technology we can ensure the system is easier to use than previous versions, despite having more to offer. To provide an example, the number of steps taken to access a service schedule has been cut by up to 75% compared to some of the older versions of Autodata.
Reliability & Security
There’s nothing more frustrating for a workshop owner than dealing with unreliable equipment, which can lead to endless hours in wasted time and poor levels of customer satisfaction. When we made the move fully online, we invested significantly into our use of cloud technology and agile delivery techniques. Using a hybrid of private and public cloud technologies we have spent considerable time and effort ensuring our data centre capabilities are flexible, reliable, secure and powerful. Instead of settling for just a single data centre the UK we use public cloud capabilities to provide additional capability in separate geographic areas, even as far away as Australia.
For more information on the Autodata web application visit www.autodata-group.com.
