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AITURBO: A New Era in Automotive Maintenance Records

Lecre, a Tokyo-based company, has unveiled an innovative AI cloud platform named AITURBO. This cutting-edge solution leverages AI technology and photo tagging to streamline maintenance records in the automotive repair industry. As the demand for transparency and efficiency grows, AITURBO provides a unique answer through a straightforward process that begins with simply taking photos. This transformation allows for the structuring of raw information and addresses the pressing need for clearer accountability in vehicle repair shops.

Background: Challenges Faced by the Automotive Repair Industry

The automotive repair industry is struggling with significant workforce shortages, necessitating a focus on securing skilled labor and financial resources for wage increases. According to a survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the industry suffers from a severe lack of labor cost coverage, ranking last in the ratio of cost transfer among contractors. This endemic issue inhibits the appropriate billing of repair costs to insurance companies and car owners, exacerbated by the analog practices still prevalent in most workshops.

In many repair facilities, manual record-keeping leads to inefficiencies, with an average of 23.3 hours spent monthly merely on organizing photographs, handwritten reports, and verbal communications. To tackle these systemic problems without imposing additional burdens on field workers, Lecre has integrated their extensive experience in building quality assurance and photo management systems from the construction sector into the automotive scene.

Proprietary Technology: Photo Tagging and RecAI

1. Effortless Data Structuring

With AITURBO, technicians simply take photos with a dedicated app during the start and completion of their tasks. This minimal input triggers the proprietary photo tagging technology and the intelligent AI named RecAI to convert data into structured information in real time. This process efficiently correlates previously unconnected work hours, project progress, assigned personnel, and case specifics, turning them into a valuable digital asset for businesses.

2. Justifying Cost Transfer with Immutable Evidence

Unlike standard photo images or handwritten reports, the data captured through the app ensures authenticity, safeguarding against alterations. This robust system provides solid proof of actual working hours, which supports accurate labor cost claims to insurance companies and car owners, thereby addressing the industry's need for transparency and accountability.

3. Real-Time Management Visibility

Managers and front office staff can now monitor project progress and technician activity remotely, utilizing PCs or tablets without needing to visit work sites, effectively bridging the information gap between the office and the field.

Future Prospects: Evolution into an Industrial Data Platform

Moving beyond mere management software, AITURBO aims to serve as a comprehensive data platform designed to enhance the overall productivity of the automotive aftermarket.

1. Capitalizing on Implicit Knowledge

The structured data from accumulated repair images and task durations will enable RecAI to learn continuously, facilitating the automation of critical decisions concerning task allocation, workflow optimization, and delivery strategies, previously reliant on the experiences of seasoned professionals.

2. Integrating External Systems for Enhanced Management

Lecre plans to connect AITURBO with existing quotation software widely used in the collision repair industry, allowing comprehensive analytics on repair estimates, actual work output, costs, and timelines, ultimately creating a robust management dashboard for factory operations.

3. Expansion into General Maintenance Areas

In the long run, AITURBO will broaden its scope beyond collision repair to encompass general maintenance services such as inspections and regular upkeep. This aims to further maximize the stock revenue ratios in a deskless economy.

What is AITURBO?

AITURBO is an AI cloud solution that integrates photo documentation with management tools for repair projects and workflow supervision in automotive maintenance. It allows technicians to focus on their craft while administrators can effortlessly track the condition of the entire shop in real time, propelling the digitization of automotive repair facilities.

For more information, visit the AITURBO official site.

About Lecre

Established with the mission to "update the world through records," Lecre develops a Record DX platform aimed at resolving structural challenges within deskless industries by enhancing overall organizational productivity. The firm is led by President Hiro Nobu Arima, whose vision drives the advancement of digital solutions in various sectors since its founding in September 1995.

For additional insights, explore the Lecre corporate site.