Case Study: How a Dealership Improved Service Turnaround and Turnover by 10% Using AI

Published on 2025-10-14 00:00:00 +0000 UTC

When a leading multi-brand dealership started missing delivery commitments, it wasn’t because of poor technicians — it was visibility. Vehicles were ready but still waiting. Bays stayed full, and same-day deliveries kept slipping.

That changed when the team implemented Platemate AI and AIDeal together. What followed was a 10% increase in service capacity — without adding staff or a single extra bay.

The Challenge: Bottlenecks Hidden in Plain Sight

The dealership aimed for a 24-hour turnaround for all service jobs.
But once the vehicle entered the workshop, visibility vanished.
Cars were often completed but undelivered — waiting for billing, approval, or a cashier.
No one knew exactly how long each vehicle had been on site.

The result:

  • Bays remained occupied by finished vehicles
  • New jobs piled up in the yard
  • Same-day turnarounds hovered between 40–60%

The Solution: Automated Tracking and AI-Driven Reporting

Using existing CCTV cameras, Platemate AI began capturing every vehicle’s entry and exit timestamps automatically.
No manual input, no extra devices — just real-time detection of number plates and movement.

Meanwhile, AIDeal analyzed this data, linking it with job status, service type, and completion reports.
Managers started receiving daily email alerts listing vehicles still on the premises after 24 hours.

This simple change created complete operational observability — everyone knew what was pending, for how long, and why.

The Results: Measurable, Immediate Impact

Within weeks, the dealership saw transformation across the workshop:

  • 10% more service capacity — same bays, faster rotation
  • Same-day delivery rates up to 90%
  • Customer satisfaction scores improved due to reliable delivery times
  • Bottlenecks identified in areas like billing and electrician availability
  • Supervisors acted earlier, before jobs piled up

The biggest surprise? No new investment in infrastructure. Just better use of what already existed.

Insights from the Team

“Once we started seeing the daily pending list, the whole team became more alert. The system didn’t blame anyone — it just showed the facts. That changed everything.”

“We thought we needed more bays. Turns out, we just needed better visibility.”

Key Takeaway

AI isn’t just about automation — it’s about awareness.
When your system can see vehicles coming in and going out, it naturally helps people make better, faster decisions.

With Platemate AI and AIDeal, visibility becomes the new productivity tool — giving dealerships an instant, data-driven path to improved turnaround, happier customers, and more business.

Next in this series:
→ “24-Hour Turnaround: Why Visibility Is the New Efficiency Metric”
(Coming October 24)