Paul Golata, senior technology specialist at Mouser Electronics, took conference attendees on a ride to the “Futuremarket of the Aftermarket” in his keynote address which was given Oct. 1 at the 2018 Technology Conference, presented by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA).
“The AASA Technology Conference is the industry’s leading technology event as evidenced by Paul’s comments, which made attendees think about technology’s direct impact on their businesses and careers,” said Chris Gardner, AASA vice president. “He challenged everyone to develop ways to plan for disruptive innovation with products and with traditional processes. This is one of the primary objectives of the event.”
In his keynote address, Golata addressed how the automotive aftermarket must prepare to deal with the breakneck speed of technological changes and their ramifications. He noted that autonomous vehicles (AVs) are causing the automotive aftermarket to shift gears quickly, affecting markets through transition and displacement, accident prevention and reduction, as well as ride sharing. Golata also discussed Mouser’s recent project series with celebrity engineer Grant Imahara and Local Motors to build a 3-D-printed vehicle with drone-launching technology that was used to add AV capabilities.
AASA President and COO Bill Long addressed “Aftermarket Technology Leadership” at the event. The agenda also included a keynote address by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Andrew Sekela, “Cybercrimes Move in New Directions”; the Channel Partner Spotlight with Marc Pappas, MAAP, ACP, vice president – data services and e-commerce, Federated Auto Parts; and the Member Spotlight with Osvaldo Gallegos, director, CV & AFM Strategy, Dana Inc.
Other presentations included “Current Challenges to Servicing a Modern Vehicle” by Dirk Fuchs, technical training manager, ZF Services and “Augmented Reality for Repair Shops: Enabling the Aftermarket to Service Complex Vehicles” by Rika Nakazawa, vice president strategy and partnerships, Atheer.
The AASA Technology Conference continues today with breakout sessions focused on heavy-duty, marketing and information technology, and these presentations in the General Session:
- “Self-Healing Vehicles So Soon?” – Roger Ordman, executive vice president marketing, Aurora Labs
- “Should the Aftermarket Fear Washington?” – Ann Wilson, senior vice president, government affairs, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA)
- “AASA Research and Technology Insights” – Bill Newman, strategic industry advisor (chief), NA Automotive Industry, SAP, and Philip Atkins, director, strategic research and planning, AASA
Conference attendees will be able to have hands-on experiences with the latest technologies this afternoon in the live technology demonstrations. Confirmed companies and technologies to be demonstrated currently include:
- Atheer: Augmented Reality for the Shop
- CARQUEST Technical Institute: Technician training through a gaming interface
- Dana Corp.: VR and new axle technologies
- Mitchell1 (Snap-on): Connected vehicle interface with shop management
- PhaseZero Ventures: Sensor-based data for e-commerce
The AASA Technology Conference is sponsored by Autologue, Automotive Distribution Network, AutoNetTV, Corcentric, DSS, Edgenet, Epicor, Experian, IHS Markit, InteractOne, JNPSoft, MAM Software, OptiCat, PhaseZero Ventures, Pricedex Software, Snap36, Stibo Systems, TecAlliance GmbH, TIE Kinetix and WHI Solutions.
