LINE in the mobile learning driving seat
LINE Communications, one of Europe’s leading providers of learning and communications, is helping some of the world’s largest automotive dealers pilot new learning initiatives on mobile devices.
LINE has been providing new solutions and charting new territory in mobile learning since 2001. Ten years on, with the increasing processing power of smartphones and tablet devices, it seems that the automotive industry has now really started to see its potential.
The rise of internet research has meant that customers are entering showrooms better informed about vehicles than ever before. A recent report by CapGemini found that globally 90% of showroom customers used the internet for research during the buying process. Sean Nugent, LINE's automotive Account Director, says "consumers are using a range of technologies throughout the buying process, those same technologies should be harnessed to provide learning and more immediate access to product information."
Most recently LINE has developed an app on Apple's iPhones and iPods designed to help Ford sales executives explain some of the features on the new C-MAX vehicles. The app is also available as a free download from the iTunes store.
As part of a wider strategic role within another major motor manufacturer, LINE has designed a mobile app which displays some of the key features of a vehicle model. In a market survey of the manufacturer's UK dealers, 90-95% of the respondents declared that they would use a smartphone or tablet-device at work to learn about new vehicle technologies, that they would use them for competitor analysis and that they would use the devices as sales aids to remind themselves about optional extras on vehicles.
Sean Nugent says, "Looking across the entire automotive industry, we see many of the same challenges in terms of changing customer expectations and the changing role of sales executives in dealerships. Our in-depth knowledge of this industry enables us develop learning to improve performance, increase sales and improve after-sales service. Our technical expertise means we can deliver learning that really produces results, and our research shows that we are making a difference."