Go and See for Yourself: “Genchi Genbutsu” and the myKaarma Secret

Genchi Genbutsu, roughly translated, means “go and see for yourself.” A familiar term in management circles and a central principle of the Toyota Production System (TPS), it also guides myKaarma’s relentless drive toward making the dealership service experience exceptional. It’s at the heart of myKaarma’s philosophy. 

Everyone, from CEO Ujj Nath to the latest hires across the company, visits dealerships regularly. Even members of our India team visit dealerships during their visits to the home office in Long Beach, California. For our staff to understand myKaarma’s role in helping drive efficiency and profit, it’s crucial to observe and interact with service department staff to fully appreciate the service experience. Tom Farrell, our new Digital Marketing Manager, visited dealerships on his second day of employment.

An Eye-Opening Dealership Experience

Accompanied by a more seasoned myKaarma employee, Tom visited two dealerships: BMW South Bay and Kia of Carson. Both are longtime users of myKaarma’s multiple integrated solutions and are great examples of how our tools can be used effectively. With his extensive experience in data and software integration and familiarity with many SaaS (Software as a Solution) tools, he quickly recognized myKaarma’s distinction as a genuinely valuable tool.

“myKaarma is utilized throughout the day rather than just another tool that the staff might use occasionally. Instead, it’s completely intertwined with their day.” Tom noted that the myKaarma screen was constantly front and center. “Knowing how integral it is to a lot of their activities, that was eye-opening and really cool.”

Tom has broad experience in data integration and marketing, but this is his first foray into the automotive industry. The dealership visits gave him an invaluable perspective on how and why myKaarma has become a favored tool in nearly two thousand dealerships. It offered him a clear picture of our company mission and how we all play a role in achieving that mission.

Why Dealerships Like myKaarma

In addition to speaking with service managers to gain the big picture, Tom had the opportunity to visit with service advisors. He discovered how they used myKaarma, and the “pain points” they encounter each workday. They shared their favorite myKaarma features:

• Recording Calls
• Taking Internal Notes
• Tracking Declined Services
• Omnichannel Communications
• Efficient Scheduling

Tom watched Service Advisors directly interact with customers, observing how they utilized myKaarma’s smartphone-based Check-In tool to gather details from both the vehicle and the customer quickly and performed a walkaround inspection video. He visited the Parts Department and then walked through the service bay to see technicians in action. myKaarma was prominent on every screen and every device. Tom learned how we make the entire service process easier and faster, from scheduling to inspections to payments.

Of course, other employees had told Tom about how dealerships utilize myKaarma, and he had seen some demo videos, too. But being right there “in the trenches,” amid the organized chaos of a service department, was an incomparable step in his onboarding as a myKaarma employee. At myKaarma, there’s no such as “the next best thing to being there.”

myKaarma and “Kaizen”

Dealership visits aren’t a “one-and-done” commitment at myKaarma. Genchi Genbutsu has a central role, but it’s not the end of the story. If we lose touch with the service process, we can’t do our best for the dealerships we serve. Tom and the rest of the myKaarma team will continue visiting dealerships many times in the months and years to come.  

Dealership service departments and technology are evolving rapidly, and we’re dedicated to Kaizen. In short, that means we’re committed to continuous improvement, evolution, and innovation— In other words, we can’t do our job without knowing yours. 

To learn more about the philosophy behind myKaarma, click here for a message from myKaarma CEO Ujj Nath.