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Australia and NZ Car Dealers – Solution to a Worrying Trend
The Australian Automotive Dealers Association (AADA) CEO, James Voortman, has sounded the alarm: Cyber security is one of the car industry's biggest threats. This pressing issue will take centre stage at the 2024 AADA Convention and Expo at the Melbourne Convention Centre from July 24-25, 2024

In December 2023, Eagers Automotive, which operates over 350 motor vehicle dealerships and service centres across Australia and New Zealand, experienced a devastating cyber attack. Their IT systems were hacked, compromising personal information about customers and employees.

The same month, Nissan faced a similar fate. A notice on the Nissan Australia website confirmed a “cyber incident” that potentially exposed the personal information of up to 100,000 customers in Australia and New Zealand. The compromised data included 7500 driver’s licenses, 4000 Medicare cards, 1300 tax file numbers, and 220 passports. To make matters worse, in May, the third-party call centre handling the initial breach also suffered a data breach.

Adding to the chaos, “The Age” reported a Melbourne couple who unknowingly paid $139,000 to scammers after cyber criminals doctored their invoice from Mercedes-Benz Australia for a GLE 400 purchase. Instead of going to the carmaker, the payments—totalling $139,000 across three transfers—were redirected to the hackers’ accounts.

Last year, Australians reported losing $16.2 million to payment redirection scams. Despite a 28 per cent decrease in the number of reports to watchdog Scamwatch, the total amount lost increased by three per cent, indicating that Australians lost significantly more money per scam last year compared to 2022.

The impact on the Australian economy is significant, and car dealerships are particularly vulnerable. They hold sensitive information on customers, vehicles, finance, and insurance processes—prime targets for hackers.

Ironically, a proven solution has been available in Australia for years, but many dealerships largely ignore it.

Car Avenue, with Mercedes dealerships across Europe, employs DocuWare Cloud to secure, manage, and automate their entire sales process. This system streamlines operations by eliminating paper clutter and securely encrypts and protects customer information.

Similarly, Auto Schubert in Germany, one of the largest Toyota dealers, uses DocuWare to manage, automate, and secure customer data, handling around 1500 new and 1000 used vehicles annually.

Like these two business cases, many other European and US dealerships leverage DocuWare to automate their processes across sales, accounts, and repair orders while safeguarding customer privacy.

The Solution for Australian and NZ Dealerships

Imagine transforming a bustling Australian car dealership with an AI-driven DocuWare Document Management System. This game-changer improves sales, accounts payable, and repair orders processes, seamlessly integrating with the Dealer Management System while ensuring the utmost security for customer data.

  • Sales Efficiency: Quickly access customer information, vehicle histories, and financing documents, ensuring a smoother sales process—Automate workflows to reduce errors and speed up approvals.
  • Streamlined Accounts Payable: Use AI-driven OCR to automate invoice processing, reducing manual errors. Automated workflows ensure timely payments and improve cash flow.
  • Efficient Repair Orders: Quickly access digital work orders, service histories, and parts inventories. Automated updates enhance customer communication and satisfaction.
  • Seamless Integration: Centralize data from sales, service, and finance departments, creating a single source of truth. Real-time updates eliminate data silos and improve decision-making.
  • Security: Protect sensitive customer information with robust encryption and strict access controls. Stay compliant with Australian data protection regulations, reducing the risk of data breaches.

To summarise, the AI-driven DocuWare System can transform car dealerships in Australia into efficient, customer-centric operations. By automating processes, enhancing data security, and integrating seamlessly with Dealer Management Systems, dealerships can focus on what they do best—providing exceptional service and driving sales.

Contact Docuworx to experience the future of dealership operations with DocuWare, where innovation meets excellence.

Author: Carlos Lucia
Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the document management industry. Skilled in sales, business development, document management solutions, marketing strategy, and building new business. Strong background in business finance and passionate about facilitating companies' digital transformations. Co-founder and Director of Docuworx, an Australian company that facilitates the digital transformations of businesses and organisations across Asia-Pacific.