Virtual conference to examine industry trends, new technology

The aftermarket needs to keep up with new technology or risk future growth, says one of the scheduled speakers at the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) annual Technology Conference.

Dr. Alison Burham, vice president of data science at RepairSmith, will share her insights on the intersection of vehicle technologies and aftermarket business processes, focusing on the use of telematics data to understand the service and parts needs of a fleet of passenger vehicles.

“With new vehicle technologies come lots of new and changing customer expectations. The automotive aftermarket will need to keep up in order to keep growing and remain competitive,” she said. “I’m looking forward to joining a great panel at the AASA Technology Conference to dive into this crucial topic.”

The event, to be spread over three days — Sept 28-30 — will be a virtual one, with a wide range of speakers that include technology specialists and industry

She will share the virtual stage with executives from Otonomo and Pitstop on the session panel.

The conference, which is billed as the aftermarket’s business technology event, will feature a panel of industry experts who will discuss the adoption of new vehicle technologies.

Also among the speakers will be Dale Hopkins, vice president and chief information officer at the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance. He’ll share insights on how the use of leading business technology has supported the organizations’ ongoing successes, and how it has created a strategic outlook to locate ROI when adopting new technologies.

“The strategic use of proprietary and open-source technologies coupled with win-win partnerships has enabled tremendous success for The Alliance,” he said.

In a session on the future of mobility, Sandeep Kar, chief strategy officer at Fleet Complete, will share his insights on how changing vehicle ownership and economies of scale are driving an expansion in fleet management models.

“The era of ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft is forcing a major shift in vehicle ownership trends, and that will continue to drive an increase in fleet management,” said Sandeep. “The aftermarket must remain prepared for these trends by embracing the full suite of advanced technologies available.

Organizers of the 2020 AASA Technology Conference say they will invite the brightest minds in aftermarket business technology to lead a series of sessions, panels, and round-table discussions covering the latest trends within the aftermarket technology community, including business processes, IT, part data, vehicle data, and more.

This year’s key topics include:

Must-Follow Technologies for the Aftermarket
Member Spotlight: A Case-Study
Customer Spotlight: Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance
Where Vehicle Technologies and Aftermarket Business Processes Intersect Fleet Management: The Next Generation of Servicing Passenger Vehicles
Can the OES Channel Learn from the Independent Aftermarket?
Cybercrimes: The First Step to Better Defensives
Heavy Duty and E-Commerce: Connecting the Dots

The ATC Technology Innovation Award will also be presented at this year’s conference.

You can get more information about the 2020 AASA Technology Conference HERE.