Long lines at the counter. Different ways of doing business at each auction site. Reams of complex paperwork.
A three-year, $400 million high-tech makeover of Manheim's auction operations eliminated many such frustrations that buyers and sellers used to experience.
"Clients are really embracing the changes," said Grace Huang, president of inventory solutions at Manheim's parent, Cox Automotive, as seen, for example, by the number of buyers who settle transactions and pay online, rather than standing in line post-sale. "We're telling our people: 'Just because you don't see them at the counter anymore doesn't mean they aren't having a great experience.' "
As Automotive News reported in 2014 when Manheim began its Designing the Future project, the overhaul was intended to let employees spend more time handling customers' specific needs, rather than shuffling paperwork. Manheim's goal was to deliver a better customer experience and to better position its business for the future by re-engineering every process and replacing old technology.