Latest news with #Tekion
Associated Press
09-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Interactive EQ Launches SaaS IEQ, the AI-based Talent Assessment & Development Platform for SaaS
Interactive EQ, an interactive talent assessment platform that combines AI and interactive videos to measure emotional quotient (EQ), today launched its SaaS IEQ product for software as a service (SaaS) businesses. This new intangible skills decoder helps people managers maximize operational efficiency and productivity when hiring and developing talent. SaaS IEQ was developed for people manager and HR teams to measure talent soft skills (EQ), increase talent efficiency, improve quality of hire, reduce turnover and thereby improving employee retention. This platform also helps talent evaluators add more depth to the hiring process, evaluate existing talent for areas of improvement, and identify potential leaders best suited for promotion. Interactive EQ was created and developed by former Tekion executive and automotive industry leader Napo Rumteen. With more than 30 years in retail and SaaS sales, management, operations, and learning & development — including playing an instrumental role in helping Tekion achieve more than $4 billion in valuation in the SaaS space — After experiencing recurring gaps in interviewing, hiring decisions, and people development across all industries, Rumteen had a light bulb moment that compelled him to create Interactive EQ. Harvard Business Review research shows that sales departments experience over 27% annual employee turnover, twice that of the overall labor force. In some industries this number exceeds 80%. Talent evaluation is critical in filling SaaS sales roles considering the additional time needed to meet pipeline and quota targets. US firms spend $15 billion a year training salespeople and another $800 billion on incentives. Furthermore, managers are time compressed and struggle to effectively hire and train employees resulting in excessive turnover and loss of sales. They are forced to make rushed decisions on hiring and struggle to develop talent leading to employees being thrown into a sink or swim environment. Improving manager effectiveness and employee engagement through accelerated development with the help of SaaS IEQ, will improve productivity and avoid derailing sales plans through lost talent. 'Personality tests measure temperament, accounting only for behavioral inclinations to perform job tasks well,' said Rumteen, founder and CEO of Interactive EQ. 'SaaS IEQ goes beyond disposition — it objectively identifies and measures situational reactions, proactive action, and leadership potential of employees, specifically in the SaaS space.' How it Works Interactive EQ assesses intangible skills through immersive video adventures of real-world business scenarios across key categories, including: Observation skills: Ability to read the room and take the pulse of an audience. Situational awareness: Aptitude for thinking through possible outcomes and navigating various scenarios, from sales opportunities to crisis management. Business acumen: Capacity to understand and contribute to broader business goals, e.g., knowing when to sell versus close a deal, offer a discount, or hold price. Empathy: Capability to recognize, understand, and respond to the emotions of others, e.g., active listening skills to shift upset customers toward positive resolutions. Collaborative aptitude: Competence to integrate with and thrive on existing, often times distributed, teams. Solutioning: Faculty for critical thinking and practical problem solving skills. Cultural fit: Potential to align with company values and team dynamics, specific to each organization. SaaS IEQ assesses participants in these key categories based on a proprietary AI model that scores EQ across hundreds of relevant soft skills. Upon completion, the employer is given access to the participant's overall IEQ Score with detailed descriptions. SaaS IEQ is now available for SaaS companies of all sizes. AutoIEQ launched in January 2025 for automotive dealers. Products tailored to the healthcare and hospitality industries are in development and expected to launch shortly. About Interactive EQ
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tekion Named as an Approved Toyota SmartPath/MONOGRAM CRM Provider, Expanding Dealer Options
Toyota and Lexus dealers can now select Tekion as a SmartPath/MONOGRAM CRM provider, delivering unified, data-driven experiences for users. PLEASANTON, Calif., April 02, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tekion, innovator of the first cloud-native platform serving the entire automotive retail ecosystem, today announced its latest integration with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMNA). With this approval, Toyota and Lexus dealers in the United States can now select Tekion's Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) as their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) provider operating within the SmartPath / MONOGRAM digital retail program. ARC is a comprehensive, cloud-native platform that includes retail, service, parts, accounting, customer relationship management, analytics and more in one seamless platform to help elevate and materially improve an auto retailer's end-to-end operations. Powered by AI, Tekion's CRM unifies data, streamlines processes and delivers best-in-class experiences, enabling dealers to increase profitability and customer retention. "Tekion's CRM brings simplicity and intelligence to dealership operations, perfectly aligning with Toyota's SmartPath vision," said George Kang, EVP, Partner and OEM Solutions. "By streamlining workflows and centralizing customer data, we help dealers spend less time managing systems and more time building meaningful customer relationships." To learn more about Tekion and its continued partnership with Toyota, visit About SmartPath/MONOGRAM Toyota's SmartPath and Lexus' MONOGRAM digital retail solution empowers consumers to be in control of their buying experience, every step of the way. Customers can browse real-time dealer new & used inventory, compare pricing, and customize their payment options — all from the comfort of their home or on-the-go. The information is seamlessly synced between the SmartPath/Monogram Digital Retail tool and the CRM so the dealer receives real-time information along the customer's purchasing experience. About Tekion Positively disrupting an industry that has not seen disruption in over 50 years, Tekion has challenged the paradigm with the first and fastest cloud-native automotive platform that includes the revolutionary Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) for retailers, Automotive Enterprise Cloud (AEC) for manufacturers and other large automotive enterprises and Automotive Partner Cloud (APC) for technology and industry partners. Tekion connects the entire spectrum of the automotive retail ecosystem through one seamless platform. The transformative platform uses cutting-edge technology, big data, machine learning, and AI to seamlessly bring together OEMs, retailers/dealers and consumers. With its highly configurable integration and greater customer engagement capabilities, Tekion is enabling the best automotive retail experiences ever. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Marylou Hastert at press@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tekion Launches AI Agents on Its Platform, Boosting Business Value for Automotive Retail
PLEASANTON, Calif., March 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tekion, innovator of the first cloud-native platform serving the entire automotive retail ecosystem, announced today the next evolution of its AI-powered platform with the introduction of Tekion AI Agents. Building on the success of Tekion AI Copilot for Service, first unveiled at NADA 2025, Tekion plans to launch a first-of-its-kind suite of AI Agents for the automotive industry, starting with Tekion AI Agent for Service. Tekion AI Agents represent the next evolution of AI within Tekion's Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) platform, designed to move beyond assistance into full workflow automation. It functions as an autonomous AI solution that executes tasks and actions on behalf of users and organizations. AI Copilot streamlined communication between technicians, service advisors, and customers which was a great first step for AI adoption. Tekion AI Agents take action—handling complex service processes end-to-end with minimal manual input. Tekion AI Agent for Service is the first in a broader suite of AI-driven solutions, automating key workflows such as identifying necessary repairs, initiating approvals, and coordinating next steps, all while ensuring the right level of oversight. "AI is at the core of Tekion's vision to modernize and transform automotive retail," said Jay Vijayan, Founder & CEO of Tekion. "Tekion AI is a Machine Learning Model (ML)-agnostic, Large Language Model (LLM)-agnostic, and vendor-agnostic AI engine that seamlessly integrates both Generative and Predictive AI models. This flexibility allows a seamless switch between models, ensuring the best results for our customers. Tekion AI is backed by a business context-rich, unified Data Layer that enables seamless adaptation to the rapidly evolving AI landscape. With Tekion AI Agents, we're moving beyond insights to real action—automating workflows, enhancing efficiency, and empowering dealership teams to deliver an unparalleled customer experience. Dealers are seeing real value, and this is just the beginning of what Tekion AI will bring to the industry." Customer feedback: "Tekion AI is revolutionizing our service department by allowing our advisors to focus more on customers and less on manual processes," said Finley Ewing IV, CEO of Ewing Automotive Group, one of the early adopters of Tekion AI. "Seeing AI recognize deferred recommendations, track mileage since the last service and proactively surface insights is beyond impressive. This level of automation not only helps technicians and advisors sell valuable services – it ultimately leads to safer cars on the road. We're excited for what's next with Tekion AI Agents, taking automation even further to enhance both the customer and dealership experience." How Tekion AI Agent for Service Transforms Dealerships: Seamless Task Execution – Automates end-to-end workflows, reducing manual intervention. Enhanced Customer Interactions – Provides real-time, AI-driven service updates and approvals. Increased Efficiency – Cuts down on administrative tasks, allowing advisors to spend more time with customers. Improved Profitability – Reduces bottlenecks, enhances upsell opportunities, and drives operational success. Tekion AI: A Vertical AI Solution for Automotive Tekion AI Agents are part of Tekion AI, a broader Vertical AI initiative designed to revolutionize automotive retail operations across all departments. Unlike traditional AI tools focused on siloed tasks, Tekion AI Agents proactively execute dealership workflows end-to-end, ensuring real-time collaboration and process automation. The introduction of AI Agent for Service is just the beginning of many more to come. About Tekion Positively disrupting an industry that has not seen disruption in over 50 years, Tekion has challenged the paradigm with the first and fastest cloud-native automotive platform that includes the revolutionary Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) for retailers, Automotive Enterprise Cloud (AEC) for manufacturers and other large automotive enterprises and Automotive Partner Cloud (APC) for technology and industry partners. Tekion connects the entire spectrum of the automotive retail ecosystem through one seamless platform. The transformative platform uses cutting-edge technology, big data, machine learning, and AI to seamlessly bring together OEMs, retailers/dealers and consumers. With its highly configurable integration and greater customer engagement capabilities, Tekion is enabling the best automotive retail experiences ever. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact, Tekion: Marylou Hastert press@
Reuters
11-02-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Auto tech giant CDK accuses rival Tekion of hacking 'campaign' in lawsuit
Feb 11 (Reuters) - Automotive retail software giant CDK Global has sued rival Tekion in U.S. court, accusing it of an illegal cyber hacking campaign to scrape confidential data from dealerships' computer systems in a bid to drive new business. CDK said in its complaint, opens new tab in the San Francisco federal court on Monday that Tekion was attempting to gain market share 'through unlawful practices that damage competition and harm customers.' The lawsuit accused Pleasanton, California-based Tekion and one of its business partners of running a 'sophisticated' scheme to breach CDK data systems that dealers use to run daily sales and service operations. CDK said Tekion was interfering with its business relationships with dealers and violating California's unfair competition law. 'This court must intervene to restore a fair and legal playing field among CDK and its competitor Tekion,' CDK's lawyers at Susman Godfrey said in the lawsuit. Tekion and CDK did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit again locks the two companies in a court battle, after Tekion in December accused CDK in an antitrust lawsuit of monopolizing the market for dealership management systems. CDK has denied the claims and asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit. Austin, Texas-based CDK, which has been in business for more than 40 years, said its dealer management systems serve nearly 15,000 car and truck dealers in North America, according to its lawsuit. Millions of transactions are processed daily, CDK said, in a data ecosystem that supports billions of dollars of commerce annually. Tekion, according to CDK's lawsuit, has instructed dealers on how to create a virtual 'tunnel' from their data management systems to Tekion. The lawsuit said Tekion was "converting new dealer–customers by enticing them to breach their contracts" with CDK. CDK said it was seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order to bar alleged further intrusions into the company's data systems. The case is CDK Global LLC v Tekion Corp, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:25-cv-01394. For CDK: Vineet Bhatia and Shawn Raymond of Susman Godfrey For Tekion: No appearance yet Read more: Auto tech firm CDK reaches $630 million settlement in US dealer data case Automotive tech company CDK sued by rival Tekion over dealer systems Auto tech company CDK settles dealers' antitrust lawsuit for $100 mln here.
