The Ford Mustang is on display at the New York Auto Show on April 6, 2023.
Scott Mill | CNBC
Dearborn, MI— Ford A new training program launched Wednesday for more than 3,000 U.S. franchises that uses artificial intelligence for employee coaching, assessments and simulations Netflix YouTube’s interface offers more than the automaker’s traditional training courses.
Ford said the main goals of the “Ford University” platform are to improve customer service, better engage employees – especially young people who are accustomed to binge-watching videos – and provide dealers and companies with more data to assist the business.
“This will help ensure that we are actually creating the most impactful training that will actually improve individual employee performance in a measurable way,” said Abby Vietor, global director of dealer training and productivity. skills. “This is data we haven’t had so far. So this is a rich area for us. “
Vieto joins Ford March 2023 After learning from leading global games Amazon Web Services will manage Ford University. She declined to say how much the company spent on the new training.
Dealership associates are independently employed by the dealer and are critical to the company’s sales, performance, and customer engagement and satisfaction. Automakers have long touted the idea that a better dealer experience makes customers more satisfied and more likely to return.
Abby Vietor, Director of Global Dealer Training and Productivity for Ford and President of Ford University.
Ford
These employees are also considered critical in promoting electric vehicles, including all-electric models, to mainstream consumers.
Ted Ryan, Ford archivist, said the platform, including the mobile version, is the most significant change in Ford dealer employee training since it moved from physical to digital manuals in the early 2000s.
Ford University also includes more traditional printing training resources, company officials said. But Ford said word-based training will be phased out and replaced with hybrid modules that include “artificial intelligence-powered tasks, videos and learning tools.”
Electric vehicle education
The new training relies heavily on videos rather than written text for employee education and “gamification,” or game-like learning, to help increase engagement and retention.
“It’s more relevant to today’s society and the way people learn today,” said Peter Battle, a business coach and senior dealer general manager at Pat Milliken Ford in Michigan. “They don’t learn by opening the owner’s manual and reading what their car does.”
Examples of videos on the Ford University platform, inspired by streaming services.
Ford
Many of the new videos available at Ford University at launch focus on electric vehicles, including all-electric models, such as Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E. There will also be general topics such as education about electric vehicle charging and installation.
A lack of understanding of electric vehicles is one of several issues automakers have identified as causing adoption to be slower than expected. Cost and infrastructure also play a role.
“Electric vehicles are definitely part of the focus of the training we’re going to provide,” Vittor said. “This is an area where customer conversations are constantly evolving and changing. We want to make sure all employees are prepared to talk to them.”
Artificial intelligence assessment
Ford University will use artificial intelligence coaching designed to improve employee knowledge and communication skills — a new artificial intelligence tool that automakers are experimenting with for the best use cases of the emerging technology.
For example, employees can have practice conversations with an AI or be asked to submit a video describing themselves, their job title, and certain key facts about a product.
The AI tool will then assess the employee’s enthusiasm, demeanor and knowledge, among other potential targets. Based on those results, along with viewing history and specific areas for improvement, the platform can recommend additional titles or information to employees — much like Netflix and other streaming services do after a viewer watches a show.
“We’ll be able to extend this service through artificial intelligence for everyone,” said Kathy Munoz, Ford dealer training and productivity manager. “This platform is all about practice, practice, practice.”
The AI was developed by Ford using Generative Pre-Training Transformer (GPT) and MicrosoftAzure Co-Pilot.
Ford University will launch first with front-office employees such as salespeople, but is eventually expected to expand to service workers and other more technical departments.
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