When approximately 35,000 vehicles are sold each year, information about each one must be available quickly and reliably. Rinta-Joupin Autoliike uses Good2Know to investigate vehicle backgrounds, equipment, damage history, and service history. Centralized information supports vehicle acquisition, pricing, and the reliability of the information provided to customers.
Rinta-Joupin Autoliike at a glance
- Approximately 35,000 vehicles sold annually, with locations across Finland
- Approximately 20% of the vehicles purchased are imports
- More than 70 years in the automotive business
- A family-owned company and Finland's third-largest used-car retailer
- Every incoming vehicle is checked according to the company's process, and a large share of these checks are conducted through Good2Know
- Featuring Chief Digital Officer Susa Niemelä and Sales Director Niko Puska
The customer
Rinta-Joupin Autoliike is one of Finland's largest automotive retailers. The family-owned company has been in business for more than 70 years and now sells approximately 35,000 vehicles annually through locations across Finland and, increasingly, online.
Susa Niemelä has been with the company for 23 years and leads its digital operations, which include marketing, IT, and digital automotive sales development. Niko Puska serves as Sales Director at Rinta-Joupin Autoliike.
They have seen firsthand how customer buying behavior and automotive retail have changed.
"The biggest change in automotive retail has been customers moving online. Today, people arrive looking for a specific vehicle or buy remotely online. So-called tire kicking has been replaced by browsing websites."Niko Puska, Sales Director, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
When a customer buys a vehicle online without seeing it in advance, the listing information must be comprehensive and reliable. The retailer must know the background of the vehicle it is selling and be able to communicate that information openly to the customer.
The challenge: essential information was fragmented
Previously, the information needed to investigate a vehicle's background was scattered across multiple sources.
"Previously, the same information had to be retrieved from several different sources. The service history, damage history, and vehicle equipment list were checked in different systems and portals."Niko Puska, Sales Director, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
Compiling the necessary information could take days. Sometimes information was gathered from as many as ten different sources. In addition to reviewing the usual services and systems, staff might also have to contact the vehicle's previous owners.
Susa Niemelä has witnessed the same shift from a digital business perspective. Just a few years ago, information was stored in documents that traveled with the vehicles and in customers' folders. Today, more and more of that information has moved into digital form.
At the same time, vehicles have become more technically complex. They have more equipment than before, new automotive brands are entering the market quickly, and used-car retailers need to be able to identify the features of different models.
Obtaining comprehensive information is particularly important for imported vehicles. Approximately one in five vehicles purchased by Rinta-Joupin Autoliike comes from abroad. Even if a vehicle has already been registered in Finland, its service, damage, and equipment information may be scattered across different systems in its country of origin. The more sources that must be searched, the longer the process takes and the more difficult it becomes to assess the vehicle reliably.
The solution: information from one service
At Rinta-Joupin Autoliike, checking vehicles is a systematic part of the operation.
"Every incoming vehicle is checked according to our process, and a large share of these checks are conducted through Good2Know. The service makes key vehicle lifecycle data, including the equipment list, damage history, and service history, readily available."Susa Niemelä, Chief Digital Officer, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
Good2Know brings together the information needed to check a vehicle in one service. Using a VIN or registration number, the information can be available in just a few minutes.
"Now, with a single VIN or registration number, the information is available in one portal. It makes the process significantly easier and faster."Niko Puska, Sales Director, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
According to Niemelä, the first phase of implementation went quickly, and the portal is easy for salespeople to use.
The benefit: better information supports better decisions
The value of verified data is especially clear in how it can influence a purchasing decision in either direction. The information helps identify risks, but it can also confirm that a good vehicle can be purchased with confidence.
If the data indicates a potential service or repair need, the issue can be investigated further and the necessary work completed before the vehicle is sold. In addition to vehicle acquisition, verified information therefore supports reconditioning, pricing, and the reliability of the information provided to customers.
One recent example from Niko Puska involves a BMW Z4 purchased for the Vaasa location. The vehicle was registered in Finland, but its history records came from Germany.
"We reviewed whether we could purchase the vehicle and what kind of history it had in Germany. Based on the information, we were able to buy it with confidence. Both we and our customers benefit from this."Niko Puska, Sales Director, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
More detailed information can also make a transaction possible when a general damage record alone might otherwise cause the vehicle to be rejected.
A damage record does not always tell the whole story
Susa Niemelä recalls a case in which a vehicle's history included a damage record associated with a high cost. More detailed information showed that the extent of the damage was less significant than the cost alone suggested. The high amount was explained by the vehicle's expensive equipment.
"The more detailed information showed both the costs and the damaged areas. The extent of the damage proved to be less significant than the cost alone suggested. The high amount was explained by the vehicle's expensive equipment."Susa Niemelä, Chief Digital Officer, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
Without the detailed information, the vehicle might not have been purchased. With a clearer picture, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike was able to make an informed purchasing decision.
Verified information strengthens customer confidence
The benefits of checking a vehicle are not limited to acquisition. The same information supports pricing, the preparation of vehicle listings, and conversations with customers.
Nearly every car buyer asks about a vehicle's history. Thanks to digital information, the answer no longer depends solely on the service booklet in the glove compartment. Salespeople can also verify information electronically.
"The customer's biggest concern is whether the vehicle has a damage history or an irregular service history. We recognize that. At the time of purchase, the customer knows if the vehicle has undergone damage repairs or if a service interval has been exceeded. It does not come as a surprise."Niko Puska, Sales Director, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
When a vehicle's history is known, it can be communicated openly to the customer before the purchase decision. In this way, verified data supports both the salesperson's work and the customer's confidence.
Rinta-Joupin Autoliike aims to be worthy of its customers' recommendations. The company's operations are guided by speed, trust, warmth, and courage. Boldly adopting new operating models supports its goal of being a trusted place to buy, sell, or trade in a vehicle.
According to Susa Niemelä, using data is no longer optional for automotive retailers:
"Automotive retailers that are not yet managing their operations with data are hopelessly behind."Susa Niemelä, Chief Digital Officer, Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
Next: making checks part of every purchase and sale
Rinta-Joupin Autoliike has a clear direction. Good2Know will be integrated into the retailer's own system through APIs. This will allow verified vehicle data to become part of the same processes used to purchase, price, and sell vehicles.
Use of the service will be expanded throughout the organization. The goal is to check every incoming vehicle and make verified vehicle data available to everyone involved in purchasing and sales.
When one of Finland's largest automotive retailers makes vehicle data checks an integral part of its purchasing and sales process, verified information can support thousands of vehicle purchases and sales each year. At the same time, it sets a higher standard for transparency across the used-car market.
About Rinta-Joupin Autoliike
Rinta-Joupin Autoliike is a family-owned automotive retailer with more than 70 years of experience and locations across Finland. The company sells approximately 35,000 vehicles annually and is Finland's third-largest used-car retailer.