I-Corps: Commercialization of SaaS for Automotive Dealership Service

California State L A University Auxiliary Services Inc., Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project addresses significant industry, consumer, and social needs. First, this project responds to perceived large needs in the automotive industry that result from the rise of the corporate social responsibility movement, the emergence of a new generation of consumers with different demands and habits, and a change in the business model of franchised new-car dealerships. Second, consumers in the automotive industry stand to benefit tremendously from this project. By partnering directly with dealerships and providing a platform for car owners to use when they need to service their vehicles, the innovation proposed in this project holds the promise to provide both a better user experience and lower prices for the customer. The team's biggest hurdle is challenging consumers' ingrained pre-conceived notion that dealerships are expensive and untrustworthy. Car owners do not have many trustworthy choices when it comes to obtaining auto service. Dealerships are pouring a tremendous amount of funding into marketing that is ineffective. It is shocking that U.S. dealerships still rely on archaic methods to manage their service and parts operations. The proposed technology enhances the competitive advantage of the U.S. automotive industry by making the technology accessible to service managers who like the technology but are unfamiliar with how to use it. Third and finally, the proposed project activities provide direct benefits to society. As part of the entrepreneurship and innovation efforts that bring together members of the College of Business and Economics and the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology at Cal State L.A., this project will provide a an opportunity for members of underprivileged groups to participate in the process of academic entrepreneurship through the commercialization of technology developed at the university. Through the NSF I-Corp Teams Program this I-Corps team will be able to continue its learning through customer discovery and further its learning from interviews that were conducted during our Regional Node program. The proposed technology can be used by manufacturer-authorized dealerships. Speaking with the target partners and customers will allow the team to further develop the consumer facing demo as well as the dealership portal demo, both of which will be refined and adjusted to reflect the insights regarding customer needs. The team's initial focus will be on dealerships in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, due to its large concentration of vehicles and franchised car dealerships. Besides Los Angeles, the team members will also arrange to travel and interview potential customers and dealerships in other metropolitan areas with a high population of car owners and franchised dealerships. These areas include: Las Vegas, Atlanta, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida. By the end of the program, through the interviews the team expects to be able to reach its goal of completing a consumer facing demo with a correlating dealer portal backend that can be used to onboard potential customers and prospective dealerships; ultimately leading to commercializing the proposed technology.