AAIA brings Shop of Tomorrow to AAPEX
The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) announced plans for the Shop of Tomorrow display at the upcoming AAPEX show in Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 3 through 5. The booth will showcase integrated technology solutions that improve workflow in an automotive service shop and demonstrate an application of telematics for remote vehicle diagnostics – all available today.
"The Shop of Tomorrow will demonstrate that the independent aftermarket can bring innovative and pioneering technology to the market and address critical vehicle service needs," says Scott Luckett, AAIA vice president, technology standards. "By demonstrating the application of telematics and shop interconnectivity available today, we hope to inspire a new generation of standards-based products in the aftermarket tomorrow."
The AAIA technology standard called i.SHOP enables shop equipment and systems to share information about the customer, the vehicle and the service work being performed. The major benefit of i.SHOP is eliminating the paper chase and transforming shop workflow, according to AAIA.
The Shop of Tomorrow demonstration will feature i.SHOP version 3 products from ALLDATA, Garage Operator, Hunter Engineering and WHI Solutions as they manage a service work order; retrieve diagnostic and service information; service a vehicle; and order the necessary parts – all using open industry standards.
In addition, the Shop of Tomorrow will demonstrate that the aftermarket has all of the technology and tools to diagnose and service vehicles before they even come into the shop, the association states, adding wireless remote diagnostics and telematics are no longer the exclusive domain of the car manufacturers.
A micro-compact smart fortwo equipped with a "black box" from Drew Technologies, which adheres to the SAE J2534 recommended practice, will be wirelessly diagnosed and serviced without a technician ever touching the vehicle.
"By combining SAE International standards with wireless technology, GPS and the features of i.SHOP, the aftermarket can deliver telematics to any vehicle equipped with on-board diagnostics," Luckett says.
The Shop of Tomorrow will be located in AAPEX Booth 2866 on the upper level at AAPEX, and live demonstrations will be performed regularly throughout the show. For more information about i.SHOP or telematics at AAIA, click on "Technology" at www.aftermarket.org or e-mail [email protected].