Working To Reshape Automotive Aftermarket Sector: Amit Kumar, Ramp Global
Ramp Global uses digital tools to streamline automotive processes, simplify insurance claims and collaborate with IIISLA for digital transparency, aiming to reach international markets and foster international collaboration, said Amit Kumar, Co-founder and CEO, Ramp Global, in an exclusive interview with BWAutoworld. Excerpts-
Share the concept behind Ramp Global. How will that impact the current automotive industry in India and across the world?
Ramp Global started in 2017, because a friend needed an easier way to manage workshops, reflecting the challenges in the industry—complex workshop management, keeping track of vehicles, wasting materials, and dealing with time constraints. Founder Amit saw the opportunity to address a broader need. He got three checks from workshop owners in one day. RAMP emerged not just to solve workshop problems but to reshape the automotive aftermarket sector by dealing with its various challenges.
The first issue Ramp Global noticed in the automotive aftermarket industry was the lack of organised business practices in auto repair workshops. This problem, mainly focused on the absence of systematic processes, led to big financial losses across the industry. Ramp Global's initial steps included making the internal business processes in vehicle service workshops digital. This move aimed to make things more clear and give better control over operations for these workshops.
As RAMP Global looked deeper into the industry, it became clear that the organisational problem in business management practices extended beyond individual repair shops to include the entire automotive sector. This bigger issue was causing significant financial losses globally. The automotive industry faced a bigger problem, with different people working in isolation and lacking proper digital tools and integration. This unorganised approach seriously hurts the industry's overall efficiency, resulting in an estimated global yearly loss of more than USD 200 billion.
To address these problems, Ramp Global started the journey of creating a simple platform. This platform aimed to make collaboration and business management easy for everyone, getting rid of waste in various forms, such as bad business management, inefficient purchases, high business costs, and low customer retention rates. The goal was to create a simple, digitally-driven system to improve the automotive aftermarket sector.
What are the key services provided by the company? Who is the current competition in the segment?
Ramp Global provides SAAS-based enterprise and retail solutions to automotive stakeholders like auto repair workshops, spare parts suppliers, insurers, fleet companies, construction companies and fleet leasing companies.
Garage management software for auto repair workshops (GMS)
Garage Management Software (GMS) is for auto repair workshops. This software helps these workshops manage their day-to-day tasks more efficiently. It includes features like customer relationship management (CRM), invoicing, inventory management, counter sales, tracking technician productivity, renewal alerts, payment integration, loyalty management, stakeholder integration, and business intelligence. By using Ramp's software, auto repair workshops can have better control over their business, retain customers and improve their overall performance.
Preventive Fleet Maintenance Solution (PFMS)
This provides a preventive fleet maintenance solution (PFMS) to help fleet companies manage and monitor all their vehicle maintenance needs in one place. PFMS is crucial for keeping fleet vehicles in good condition, which is important but can be expensive. On average, maintenance makes up 12 per cent of a company's overall expenses, with fuel and tyre costs making up 30 to 40 per cent. PFMS helps save costs and reduce vehicle downtime by streamlining and monitoring maintenance procedures, providing alerts and reminders, and creating reports to give a clear picture of the fleet's performance. It helps address issues like fleet idling, fuel waste and maintenance theft.
FUPO for construction companies
It provides the latest offering for the construction industry, Fleet utilisation, productivity and optimisation (FUPO). This solution is designed for companies that operate a large-scale fleet of machinery, equipment, vehicles, trucks, buses, and power tools. FUPO assists construction teams in planning, engagement tracking, productivity management, movement tracking, and building employee and operator accountability. The solution can be deployed across the company based on its specific organisational structure. FUPO allows users to access the system from anywhere in the world, promoting accountability for their deliverables.
Ramp Global doesn’t have a direct competitor in the market, as no one is providing all services under one umbrella. We have some indirect competitors who are working with single stakeholders, like Autorox, Fleetio, FleetX and many more.
To better understand the concept of the company, navigate through a case study of how a normal car owner can avail of RAMP Global service if they have suffered severe damage to their car.
Case Study: Seamless Car Insurance Claim Process with RAMP Global's RUMPUM
Scenario:
John, a car owner, has unfortunately suffered severe damage to his car in a recent accident. In this case study, we'll explore how John can leverage RAMP Global's RUMPUM application to streamline the process of getting his car repaired and making an insurance claim.
Incident Occurrence:
John is involved in a car accident, and his vehicle sustains significant damage. In this stressful situation, he remembers that he has the RUMPUM app installed on his smartphone, which can assist him in dealing with the aftermath of the accident.
Accessing RUMPUM:
John opens the RUMPUM app on his smartphone, providing him with a user-friendly interface and easy navigation. The app serves as a centralised platform for various services related to vehicle repair, accidents, insurance claims, etc.
Emergency Assistance:
In case of emergencies, John can quickly access one-click emergency services through the RUMPUM app. With just a few clicks, he can call for immediate assistance, such as towing services or medical help if needed.
Booking Workshop Appointment:
Understanding that his car needs immediate attention, John uses RUMPUM to locate and book an appointment with the nearest authorised workshop. The app provides a list of workshops, their availability, and customer reviews, allowing John to make an informed decision.
Claim intimation:
If John wishes to claim insurance for the damage repair of his vehicle, the RUMPUM app facilitates a one-click option to submit a claim to the concerned authorities. Once claim intimation is done, the system automatically allocates the nearest available surveyor, and the surveyor gets designated to complete the vehicle’s primary survey within 24 hours.
Digital Survey and Inspection:
Surveyors use RAMP’s surveyor app to conduct a digital survey of the vehicle. It has many features to capture images, assess the extent of the damage, and input necessary details directly into the system for the generation of a claim report. This digital inspection process ensures accuracy and efficiency. The app directly authenticates and generates the survey report, which can now be submitted to the insurers for approval.
Insurance Claim Processing:
The workshop team can check the insurance status of John's vehicle in real-time through RAMP’s workshop management software, which the workshops shall use. Based on the status of the claim report, the workshops begin with work and continuously update the status of work in the workshop management software.
Customer Communication:
Throughout the process, RUMPUM keeps John informed about the status of his claim, repair progress, and estimated completion time. Automated notifications and updates ensure transparency and keep the customer in the loop.
9. Repairs:
With the insurance claim initiated, the workshop proceeds with the necessary repairs. RUMPUM helps in coordinating and tracking the repair process, ensuring that the vehicle is restored to its pre-accident condition efficiently. RAMP facilitates quality checks at multiple stages to ensure the right quality of work on John’s vehicle.
Post-Repair Feedback:
Once the repairs are complete, RUMPUM prompts John to make the payment (if any) and provide feedback on the overall experience. This feedback loop is essential for continuous improvement and maintaining high-quality service standards. RUMPUM also saves the history of John’s vehicle for him to refer to at a later date.
In this case study, the RUMPUM app by Ramp Global simplifies the entire process for John, from the moment of the accident to the completion of repairs. The app integrates emergency services, workshop appointments, on-site assessments, insurance claim processing and customer communication, providing a complete solution for car owners facing unforeseen incidents.
You are soon going to partner with the government to provide digital infrastructure for insurance claims. How will that benefit the end customer?
In partnership with the government, Ramp is set to introduce a digital platform aimed at transforming the insurance claims industry. This initiative seeks to address common challenges such as customer unawareness of rights and concerns regarding fair claim procedures.
Currently, customers often rely on in-house assessors, creating a potential conflict of interest. The platform will enable customers to engage with government-licenced surveyors, ensuring impartial assessments and transparency. This move aims to eliminate inappropriate claim disbursements and prevent malpractices, contributing to insurers' profitability.
The key advantages for customers include enhanced transparency through a cloud-based solution, faster claim processing, improved service quality, expedited vehicle recovery, real-time customer feedback, efficient communication, and adherence to professional standards.
The availability of spare parts is one of the key challenges and pricing shifts dynamically are the ultimate loss for a consumer. How do you plan to bridge the trust between retail workshops and consumers?
Addressing the challenges of spare parts availability and dynamic pricing shifts is crucial for building trust between retail workshops and consumers. Ramp recognises this issue and has implemented a solution to enhance transparency and instil confidence in consumers.
Through the integration of Tecdoc, Ramp offers a portal containing a comprehensive list of spare parts with detailed information. When a consumer initiates a claim, the workshop proceeds to create estimates of parts required from a pre-approved list of parts from approved OEM and OES vendors. The electronic parts catalogue is made available by Tecdoc, which is a global leader in auto product catalogues.
Subsequently, any previously added prices are replaced with the actual prices listed in the Tecdoc catalogue, limited to the vehicles under claim processing. Similarly, the possibility of choosing duplicate or used parts is eliminated as the surveyors are mandated only to approve parts listed by the approved vendors.
Vendor approval is also a democratic process where any vendor manufacturing original parts is free to apply and if they comply with the defined quality standards, they shall be made available on the list of approved vendors. This process ensures that consumers are not subjected to substandard parts or inflated or inaccurate pricing, promoting transparency and preventing financial losses.
What is the latest quarter's performance? What are the major targets of the company for the next five years?
Ramp Global reported a growth trajectory of 200 to 250 per cent annual growth. We have ambitious plans for the future, with a focus on expansion, technological advancements and fostering valuable partnerships. The company is steadfast in its commitment to growing in key markets, with a keen interest in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa. By venturing into these regions, the company aims to tap into fresh opportunities, connect with new customer segments and address the burgeoning demand for automotive aftermarket services.
How does Ramp identify itself as a garage management software provider to retailers, an aftermarket automotive service provider, or a platform for OEMs to provide software as a service (SaaS)?
Ramp sees itself as a versatile software provider in the automotive industry, offering more than just garage management software. While its Garage Management Software is our main product for retail garages worldwide, we go beyond that.
RAMP SaaS provides various software products, including fleet management, fleet maintenance, fleet leasing, equipment management, customer-facing applications and advanced insurance claims management systems. Essentially, we've created a comprehensive ecosystem and a unified platform for different stakeholders in the automotive aftermarket industry.
