Technology potential solution to skills shortages say Thinkcar UK
While the skills shortage continues to afflict the automotive sector, innovative AI-enabled tooling and increasing demand for remote support is revolutionising the way garages work and Thinkcar UK says these trends are set to accelerate as the sector moves towards 2030.
“Technology is changing the way technicians work,” said Alex Gillbanks, Managing Director of Impact Diagnostics, the specialist supplier behind Thinkcar UK, “both in terms of what they face on the ramp, and the tooling they use to deal with this.”
Staffing remains a major issue for garages though. The most recent Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) Automotive Vacancies Report showed there were 20,000 vacancies across the sector in September 2024, equating to 3.5 for every 100 employees. At the same time, the number of available roles advertised actually fell, compounding pressure on workshops. Job postings dropped by 38% between July 2023 and July 2024 according to the IMI’s Labour Market Report.
New tech offers one solution. Artificial intelligence (AI) has forged new pathways across countless sectors, and this is increasingly the case in the automotive aftermarket thanks to Thinkcar UK. “The AI-enabled tool range we launched in 2024 is set to expand rapidly over the next few months,” said Alex “This will revolutionise the sector.”
The THINKTOOL Euro 399 14-inch diagnostic device was the first tool launched from the range. “The 399 has been designed with a unique, optimized UI interface and operates on the powerful THINKCAR TCOS operating system,” said Alex. “It also offers split-screen capability, and provides dual vehicle diagnostics via an additional Vehicle Communication Interface (VCI). Thanks to this, mechanics will be able to work on two vehicles at the same time, effectively doubling output.”
Workshops are increasingly realising that these solutions can help them boost productivity and increase profitability. “When you consider the ongoing staff shortages afflicting garages,” said Alex, “the wide adoption of AI-enabled tooling across the industry could have unexpected benefits.
Garages have already embraced new ways of working via remote diagnostics, which open up a host of opportunities. “Thinkcar UK’s pioneering remote offering has built up an ecosystem of Thinkcar workshops that support each other with access to vehicle manufacturer level diagnostics,” said Alex, “including live guidance, and this continues to expand.”
These innovations will continue to change the way independent garages work. “Garage owners know that the rising tide of vehicle technology had been slowly drowning technicians in ever-more complex problems,” said Alex, “but these solutions will change the game.”