The Auto Tech Show: Takeaways from Tire Cologne 2022
From June 4th-6th we were at the Tire Cologne 2022 trade fair in Germany. After two years of pandemic, this event was highly anticipated! Over 12,000 visitors from 100 different countries participated, and we took the chance to discuss the challenges and innovations of the automotive aftermarket with some of the leading companies and experts in the tire industry.
Our key takeaway? More than new products, what we witnessed at the Tire Cologne 2022 is that many leading manufacturers and providers are focusing more than ever on their solutions and services to improve processes around tires, and that’s what we will talk about in this blog.
This blog is based on an episode of the Auto Tech Show, our podcast dedicated to the automotive aftermarket and the tire industry.
Supply chain visibility is more important than ever for tire businesses
The supply chain has been hit hard in the last couple of years, and not only in the tire industry. Delays are longer and many products or raw materials aren’t available.
Manuel Felix, Managing Director of EuroMais told us:
“Today, you need to be very careful with your stocks and in the supply chain, instead of having a stock for two months, you need to have stuck for four months because you never know what will happen in the near future.”
In the tire industry, we can identify two main problems that result from these supply chain issues:
- Customers aren’t always ready to change their habits or expectations – they will still need to change their tires when a problem occurs, or swap to winter tires in the cold season. Purchasing new tires cannot be postponed in most cases, or it will result in security hazards.
- Tires take a lot of storage space, and that need to be stored in good conditions to retain their inner quality and value. This means overstocking isn’t always an option for tire retailers.
In these conditions, a lot of companies are looking for a solution to find a way to maximize the supply that they have. One way to do that is to improve inventory traceability. That means capturing the right data and using it to manage inventories, and orders, more efficiently. Tracking DOT codes and tire sizes in the inventory is a first step they can take.
The tire industry needs better online selling processes
The selling process of tires is still very much motivated by the demand: customers will engage with retailers only when they are in need of new tires. However, tire retailers could play a bigger role in the process with the proper data available.
Michael Tempel, IT Expert at Gettygo told us:
“I think [the tire industry] needs a lot more experience to think of the automation of the selling process of tires to customers. [Anyline’s] solution is a piece of a complete solution [to do that].”
With proper data, tire retailers are able to be a step ahead in the selling process:
- Having their customers’ tire DOT codes give them the age of their tires, thus a better understanding of when they will need to change them.
- Tire size codes allow them to send targeted offers, with tire models that are right for their vehicle.
The issue for tire retailers is to get that data. With a mobile data capture solution, it’s possible to record this information when tires are sold, or during tire inspections. That way, retailers are able to better engage with their customers and send well-timed, targeted offers.
Data is key for the future of the industry
From what we saw on exhibitionners’ booths and what we discussed with visitors, the digitization of tire data is key for the future of the industry. Without proper data, manufacturers and retailers are condemned to navigate in dark waters.
If you want to learn more about our mobile tire scanning solution, you can download our demo app and try it yourself, or you can contact our team!
You can also watch the full episode of our podcast, the Auto Tech Show.
