PORTLAND, Ore. — Inventory-tracking and audit solutions provider AutoMap announced the immediate availability of “A.I.R.” (for “AutoMap Inventory Retrieval” system), a solution designed to enable dealers to easily search inventories from a desktop or a mobile phone to find customer-requested vehicles currently in inventory.

Inventories are scanned and become digital images, which are then converted by an OCR process into text files. The scanned information is fully integrated with the AutoMap car finder solution and inventories can be searched and edited by dealers using A.I.R., AutoMap’s text-based inventory database, to quickly see which vehicles are currently on the lot, all according to the announcement.

“As we all know by now, OCR is much, much faster than manual retyping,” said Mark Sargeant, Vice President of Logistics and Business Development for AutoMap. “Once we convert an inventory image into actionable text, we want to give dealers an efficient way to search for and access that key sales information.”

Utilizing A.I.R.’s proprietary algorithms, dealers can search their lot virtually by year, make and model, and even at a finer level of detail, such as by matching exact equipment or options. Separate inventories can be created as needed, such as for sales or accounting departments. If an exact match is not available, A.I.R. recommends alternative vehicles, helping to keep the customer interested and in the store, Sargeant said.

“Consumers are willing to spend only a certain amount of time at a dealership. A.I.R. is the most efficient, quickest way to connect those consumers with a desired vehicle that’s actually on the lot. Combined with our vehicle locator solution, A.I.R. enables dealerships to better manage both their inventory and their sales process.”

Visit AutoMap at Booth 7453W at NADA Show 2019.