The automotive aftersales industry is under pressure. Rising repair costs, labor shortages, and growing demand for digital services are exposing long-standing inefficiencies—especially for fleets, insurers, and OEM networks.
Imelda Labbé, newly appointed member of Fixico’s Supervisory Board and former senior executive at Volkswagen Group, Skoda, Opel, and GM Europe, believes the real revolution in automotive is no longer just about what happens under the hood. It’s about how the industry manages repairs, maintenance, and claims—areas where outdated processes are costing businesses time, money, and trust.
“Digitalization is the revolution. Bigger than the EV shift, because it changes the entire customer experience and operational backbone of the industry” — Imelda Labbé
With decades of experience driving operational excellence and digital transformation at scale, Imelda brings a fresh perspective on what the aftersales industry needs next:
More transparency across the value chain
Smarter workflows that reduce friction and cost
Platform-driven models built for today’s market realities
In this blog, together with Imelda, we explore why aftersales needs to evolve—and how industry leaders can turn today’s pressures into tomorrow’s competitive advantage.
A lack of transparency in an increasingly complex industry
Vehicle technology has advanced rapidly—yet the repair and claims journey has not kept pace. In many European markets, price clarity, service timelines, and quality assurance remain inconsistent. This lack of transparency is particularly problematic for fleets and insurers managing high volumes of vehicles across borders, where even small inefficiencies scale into major operational costs.
Results from our annual customer survey confirm this gap as it showed that 32% of Fixico customers indicated they don’t know how repair lead times have evolved in the last year.
“Repairs are still a trust-based business,” Labbé explains. “Customers—especially fleet operators—don’t have clear visibility into cost, turnaround time, or the scope of repair. That creates hesitation and inefficiency.”
Other industries like travel and retail embraced digital platforms years ago, making pricing and service levels fully transparent. Aftersales, however, still runs on outdated systems, manual processes, and static repair networks—slowing down operations and making it harder to deliver the fast, seamless experiences customers expect today.
Investments by franchised networks in training and operational efficiency, which lead to shorter repair cycles, are not as transparent to customers as parts prices and labor rates. Since customers primarily focus on the total cost of repairs, increasing transparency can help reshape perceptions and reveal hidden sources of value.
The challenge of managing claims and repairs across Europe’s fragmented markets
Across Europe, the repair and claims industry looks very different from market to market. While some countries are making progress toward digitalization and transparency, others remain highly fragmented, relying on traditional, offline processes.
According to Labbé, Germany and the UK stand out as two of the most advanced markets—both showing strong momentum toward digital repair management and scalable solutions. Germany, in particular, is seeing increased adoption of digital platforms, while the UK continues to lead in openness to new technologies.
But in other parts of Europe, particularly Southern markets like Italy and Spain, the landscape is far more fragmented.
“In Italy, there are thousands of independent repairers, and very little transparency,” says Labbé. “The range in pricing and service quality is extremely wide, making it difficult for businesses to manage repairs consistently across their networks.”
These differences make Europe a highly complex environment for fleets, insurers, and OEMs operating across borders—requiring solutions that can adapt to local market realities while bringing more structure, visibility, and control to the repair process.
Labor shortages, cost constraints, and customer expectations
Beyond the structural gaps in transparency, the industry is also facing macroeconomic and workforce challenges. According to Labbé, some repairers, even in branded OEM networks, are limiting volume—not due to lack of demand, but because they simply don’t have enough manpower.
And when OEM-branded labor is available, it’s costly. In Germany, labor rates have increased beyond inflation rates, even for routine maintenance. This has created new pain points for cost-sensitive customers and put pressure on branded shops to justify their pricing.
Providing greater transparency on actual repair times enables customers to make informed decisions based on the total cost of repairs, not just its individual components.
“We’re seeing early signs of softening demand,” Labbé notes. “Customers are resisting high repair costs. OEM networks are starting to realize they need to become more proactive in leveraging their strengths to win business.”
The shift to one-stop-shop platforms
Across Europe, customer expectations are evolving. Businesses managing large fleets or high repair volumes are moving away from fragmented, disconnected systems. Instead, they are looking for a single platform that can manage the entire vehicle journey after damage occurs—from damage intake and claims handling to repair routing, scheduling, and even routine maintenance.
“Especially in Germany, we’re seeing a strong pull for a one-stop solution,” says Imelda Labbé. “Fleet managers and insurers don’t want their personnel dealing with five different systems. They want visibility, simplicity and cost efficiency—and that’s what platforms like Fixico can deliver.”
Fixico is responding to this industry need by expanding its platform beyond repair management to include claims handling and maintenance services. This makes it possible for businesses to manage the full post-damage process in one place—helping them reduce complexity, improve visibility, and keep vehicles on the road faster.
Connecting businesses with the right repair expertise and trusted partners
Labbé emphasizes that Fixico’s model works because it elevates—not replaces—trusted repairers. The platform connects businesses with the right workshops based on real-time data, specialization, and capacity.
“It’s not just about price—it’s about expertise and throughput. Shops that are highly specialized and can handle consistent volume are exactly what the market needs.”
This also opens the door for OEM-branded workshops to participate. As they face declining demand and rising operational pressure, many will need to explore new channels to drive service volume. Fixico’s platform offers a way in—without compromising their standards.
A future-ready infrastructure for a changing industry
Looking ahead, Labbé sees the role of platforms expanding beyond scheduling and routing. As vehicles become more connected, so too must the systems that manage their upkeep. Predictive repair, sustainability reporting, and integrated claims handling are all part of the roadmap.
“We’re moving toward a data-driven, customer-first aftersales environment. The winners will be those who can provide transparency, automation, and quality at scale.”
For Imelda Labbé, the answer lies in combining transparency, technology, and trust. With Fixico, she sees the potential to deliver just that—at a time when the industry needs it most.