To train car dealers on EVs and other topics, Ford turns to gamification and AI-powered education

DEARBORN,
Mich.
—


Ford
Motor
is
launching
a
new
training
program
for
more
than
3,000
U.S.
franchised
dealers
on
Wednesday
that
uses
artificial
intelligence
for
employee
coaching
evaluations
and
emulates


Netflix
and
YouTube
interfaces
more
than
the
automaker’s
traditional
training
courses.

Ford
says
the
main
goals
of
the “Ford
University”
platform
are
to
improve
customer
service,
better
engage
employees
—
especially
younger
ones
who
are
accustomed
to
binge-watching
videos
—
and
provide
dealers
and
the
company
with
more
data
to
assist
business.

“This
will
help
make
sure
that
we’re
actually
creating
a
training
that
can
be
most
impactful
and
is
actually
going
to
drive
in
a
measurable
way
the
skills
of
the
individual
employees,”
Abby
Vietor,
global
director
of
dealer
training
and
productivity,
said
during
a
media
briefing. “This
is
data
that
we’ve
not
had
to
date.
So,
this
is
a
rich
area
for
us.”

Vietor,
who
joined

Ford
in
March
2023
after
leading
global
games
learning
for


Amazon
Web
Services,
will
oversee
Ford
University.
She
declined
to
disclose
how
much
the
company
has
spent
on
the
new
training.

Dealership
employees,
who
are
independently
employed
by
dealers,
are
crucial
to
the
company’s
sales,
performance
and
customer
engagement
and
satisfaction.
Automakers
have
long
touted
the
idea
that
better
dealer
experiences
lead
to
happier
customers
who
are
more
likely
to
become
repeat
customers.

Such
employees
also
are
viewed
as
critical
to
educate
mainstream
consumers
on
electrified
vehicles,
including
all-electric
models.

The
platform,
including
mobile
versions,
is
the
most
significant
change
in
Ford’s
dealership
employee
training
since
it
switched
from
physical
handbooks
to
digital
ones
in
the
early
2000s,
according
to
Ford
archivist
Ted
Ryan.

Ford
University
also
includes
more
traditional,
print-based
training
resources,
company
officials
said.
But
word-based
training
will
be
phased
out
and
replaced
with
a
mix
of
modules,
including “AI
supported
missions,
video
and
learning
tools,”
according
to
Ford.

The
new
training
heavily
relies
on
videos
rather
than
written
words
for
employee
education
as
well
as “gamification,”
or
game-like
learning,
to
assist
in
engagement
and
retention.

“It
much
more
fits
today’s
society
and
the
way
people
learn
today,”
said
Peter
Battle,
a
corporate
coach
and
veteran
dealer
general
manager
of
Pat
Milliken
Ford
in
Michigan. “They
don’t
learn
by
opening
an
owner’s
manual
and
reading
what
their
car
does.”

Many
of
the
new
Ford
University
videos
available
at
launch
are
focused
on
electrified
vehicles,
including
all-electric
models
such
as

the
Ford
F-150
Lightning
and
Mustang
Mach-E.
There
also
will
be
general
topics
such
as
education
about
EV
charging
and
installation.

Lack
of
understanding
around
EVs
is
one
of
several
problems
identified
by
automakers
that’s
contributing
to
the

slower-than-expected
adoption
of
the
vehicles.
Cost
and
infrastructure
also
play
a
role.

“EV
is
definitely
a
part
of
our
focus
for
the
training
that
will
be
available,”
Vietor
said. “It’s
an
area
where
the
customer
conversation
is
evolving
and
changing.
We
want
to
make
sure
all
the
employees
are
prepared
to
speak
to
it.”

Ford
University
will
use
AI
coaching
designed
to
improve
employee
knowledge
and
communication
skills
—
a
new
AI
tool
as
automakers
experiment
with
best
use
cases
for
the
emerging
technology.

For
example,
employees
could
have
a
practice
conversation
with
the
AI
or
be
asked
to
submit
a
video
describing
themselves,
their
position
and
certain
key
facts
about
a
product.

The
AI
tool
would
then
evaluate
the
employee
on
their
enthusiasm,
mannerisms
and
knowledge,
among
other
potential
targets.
Based
on
those
results,
as
well
as
viewing
history
and
specific
areas
for
improvement,
the
platform
could
then
suggest
additional
videos
or
information
for
the
employee
—
much
like
Netflix
and
other
streaming
services
do
after
a
viewer
watches
a
program.

“We’re
going
to
be
able
to
scale
this
for
everyone
with
AI,”
said
Kathy
Munoz,
Ford
manager
of
dealer
training
and
productivity. “The
whole
point
of
the
platform
is
practice,
practice,
practice.”

The
AI
was
developed
by
Ford
using
generative
pre-trained
transformers,
or
GPT,
and


Microsoft‘s
Azure
Copilot.

Ford
University
will
first
be
rolled
out
for
front-of-house
employees
such
as
salespeople,
but
is
eventually
expected
to
expand
to
service
workers
and
other
more
technical
departments.