The automotive industry includes many facets - from manufacturing to modifications - and as such, there’s a significant demand for ways to boost efficiency in a wide range of areas.

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What’s more, it’s an industry that expands year on year and constantly edges towards technological advances and innovations - and to accommodate the advancement of these new technologies, it’s important to rely on the right software solutions.

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In this guide, we’ll go through some of the must-have tools for the automotive industry and why they’re important for greater operational efficiency.

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Data Analytics

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On the enterprise level, data-driven decisions are what allow companies in the automotive industry to push the envelope and make meaningful progress toward high-level strategic goals.

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As a result, data analytics platforms can be essential for sifting through customer data and making sure every move they make benefits the end user. In the case of producing or selling vehicles, customer data could inform large-scale marketing campaigns.

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With information about historical customer behavior, you can predict future trends and shape your messaging to resonate with the right people.

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Workforce Management

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Traditionally the domain of HR teams, workforce management uses data you’ve collected on individuals rather than customers.

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In the automotive industry, your ability to produce, promote, and ultimately sell vehicles is predicated on the performance of your workforce. That’s why using the right workforce management platform can set you on the right track.

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With a workforce management solution you can:

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• Drill into the data on individual and team productivity
• Identify trends and proactively address potential issues such as employee burnout
• Find ways to improve productivity and efficiency

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Combining general and customer data analytics with workforce analytics will arm you with all the information you need to refine internal processes and market your services to your customers effectively.

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Every high-performing enterprise builds its business strategy on the back of a wealth of data, which leads us to the next type of tech the automotive industry can use to drive progress.

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Employee Monitoring Software

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Just as the automotive industry relies on software to manage every aspect of the vehicles themselves, it also uses people-focused platforms for effective internet and workplace productivity.

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Work tracking software is an excellent way for the automotive industry to track individual and team performance and productivity. With a productivity tracker for remote workers, it’s easy to manage output and identify trends.

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Here’s what you can do with a task time tracker like Insightful:

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Sort and interpret time data - At the end of each week, month, or quarter you can break down the time data of your employees using various filters to identify outliers and establish a benchmark for employee performance productivity and spot trends

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Apply custom settings for apps - Use employee surveillance to find out if your team uses the CAD software app as much as you expect them. Enable custom settings for different apps, such as setting up regular screenshots and labeling the use of a specific app as ‘productive’ or ‘unproductive’ for different teams.

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Monitor idle time - For effective remote worker tracking, you can use Insightful’s activity chart to see individual employee idle time throughout the day at a glance 

Use an employee performance tracking app for monitoring employee computer activity remotely, so you don’t need to worry about idle time costing your company valuable resources.

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Project Management 

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Beyond data, what other software ingredients combine to create a recipe for success in the automotive industry?

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Project management platforms can redefine how you work, and provide every team member with a system for producing at the highest level day after day.

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Under the umbrella of project management platform, there are several aspects you’ll want to focus on to optimize internal workflows and processes:

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Collaboration

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With most project management platforms, you can create a strong collaborative culture in which each team member feels like part of a collective.

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Similar to an assembly line in a car manufacturing plant, project management software lets you pass tasks on from one team member to another. 

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Approval requests make it easy for senior leadership to sign off on tasks so nobody is left waiting for instructions, and task dependencies can automate processes to help you save time. 

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Communication

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Another important facet of project management is how team members relay important information to one another.

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Typically, with project management tools you would rely on the following methods of communication:

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• Labels
• Comments
• Messages

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Though you might want to supplement this with video calling and conferencing and more versatile messaging tools. A combination of synchronous and asynchronous communication helps you overcome obstacles such as time differences while also supporting real-time updates and regular meetings.

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Time Management

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Time management and project management go hand in hand, without the former, the latter becomes much more complicated.

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In the automotive industry, you likely deal with clients who might require a high volume of vehicles, vehicle parts, or related technology products.

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In such cases, you need to be on top of how you and your team spend your time. Set appropriate timelines and use employee monitoring tools to stay on top of your strategic goals and make sure you can consistently make meaningful progress.

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