For nearly a hundred years, Aaland Bil has been part of automotive history in Ålesund. Today the family business represents Citroën, Fiat, Jeep, Opel, MG and Subaru, and in 2025 it was named MG Dealer of the Year.
Even though Aaland Bil has deep roots in traditional automotive retail, the company has never been afraid to adopt tools that make everyday life easier for customers and salespeople. Short Shift therefore quickly became a natural part of the sales process.
Aaland Bil was introduced to Short Shift during an industry trip in 2024. Shortly after, the dealership started using the solution for used cars, and when the importers later rolled out Short Shift's new-car configurators for MG and Subaru, the system was already familiar. – We had already seen what Short Shift could contribute to our daily work. So when the new-car configurators became available, it was very natural for us to start using them, says managing director Petter Aaland.
Today Short Shift is used both in the showroom and online. It makes it easier for customers to explore cars, compare options, understand prices and try different financing options, while salespeople get a tool that makes it easier to guide the customer through the choices. – The system has made everyday life easier both for our customers and for those of us who work here every day, says Aaland.
Making the choices easier for the customer
Buying a car involves many choices. The customer has to understand model variants, equipment levels, colours, campaigns, interest rates, monthly costs, delivery times and available cars. For many, the process can quickly become hard to follow. This is precisely where Aaland Bil believes Short Shift has made the biggest difference.
Instead of the customer having to deal with several different websites, price lists or vague explanations, the salesperson and customer can stand together in front of the screen and explore the car step by step. Customers can see how different choices affect the car, the price and the financing, making it easier to understand what they are actually choosing. – It makes the process much more approachable. The customer feels included and gains a much better understanding of the choices made along the way, says Aaland.
For Aaland Bil this is important. Not because the technology should take over the sales process, but because it improves the conversation between customer and salesperson. When the customer can see the options, try different solutions and understand the consequences of their choices, the dialogue becomes more effective. The salesperson does not have to explain everything verbally from scratch, and the customer gets a more visual and concrete picture of the car.
Financing becomes easier to understand
One of the features Aaland Bil highlights is the ability to explore financing in a simple way. For many customers, the monthly cost is at least as important as the car's total price. Even so, financing can often feel complicated. Down payment, term, residual value and interest rate all affect what the car actually costs per month.
With Short Shift, the customer and salesperson can quickly see how different financing choices affect the monthly cost, making it easier to find a solution that suits the customer's needs and finances. – It makes it much easier to have a concrete conversation with the customer. When the customer can see for themselves how different choices affect the monthly amount, the whole process becomes more understandable, says Aaland.
He believes this is an important part of a modern sales process. – For many, the question is not just which car they like best, but what actually fits within their budget. Being able to show the options clearly right away is a major advantage, he says.
The same experience online and in store
Another important advantage is that Short Shift ties the website and the showroom more closely together. The solution is not only used on screens at Aaland Bil – it is also integrated into the dealership's own websites and the importers' websites. As a result, customers see the same information, cars and options regardless of where their journey starts. – Perhaps the most important thing is that we connect the website and the store more closely. The customer gets the same experience no matter where the journey starts, everything is available in one place, and the whole process becomes clearer, says Aaland.
For the customer, this creates a more natural transition from exploring a car at home to talking to a salesperson in the showroom. The online journey can continue in the showroom, where the salesperson builds on the same information the customer already has digitally. – It creates a completely different connection between what the customer sees at home and what we show in the store. Customers see the same cars, prices and options no matter where they start, he says.
Always up-to-date information
The car industry changes quickly. Prices, campaigns, interest rates, model information and available cars can change often. For a dealership, that means salespeople need access to the right information when the customer is standing in front of them.
The systems are continuously updated with information from the importers, while local factors such as shipping and other surcharges are handled within the solution. This gives both customer and salesperson a better and more up-to-date starting point for the conversation. – We no longer have to be unsure whether we have the right prices or campaigns. Everything is there when we need it, and the car can be tailored to the customer's needs in just a few minutes, says Aaland.
The solution also works as a digital overview of available cars. The customer can see which cars are available locally, which are available at the importer, and which options can be delivered quickly. – It makes it much easier to arrive at a concrete choice together with the customer. When the information is gathered and up to date, we spend less time searching and more time advising, he says.
Technology that empowers salespeople
Aaland is clear that the technology is not meant to replace the salesperson. It is meant to make the salesperson better. Customers still come to the dealership for advice, reassurance and expertise. The difference is that the salesperson now has better tools to present the cars, explain the choices and help the customer move forward.
– The system frees up time. We spend less time on administration and more time with the customer. The customer still gets advice from experienced professionals, but the salesperson has better tools at their disposal.
Petter Aaland, managing director at Aaland Bil
Aaland believes this is becoming increasingly important in an industry with tougher competition and squeezed margins. – At a time when margins are under pressure and competition is tougher than ever, we have to find smarter ways to work. This is the right direction for the industry, he says.
The solution also works well for different types of customers. Some want to explore the cars on their own, others want to go through the whole process together with a salesperson, and Short Shift makes both possible. The customer can use the solution themselves, or the salesperson can use it as a shared tool in the conversation.
For Aaland Bil, it is precisely the combination that is valuable. The customer gets more control and a better overview, while the dealership remains close at hand with advice and local knowledge.
Built for everyday dealership operations
For Aaland Bil, the collaboration with Short Shift is about more than technology. It is about working with a supplier that understands how car sales work in practice. – It's fun to work with people who really understand the challenges we face as a dealership. They see the problems, but even more importantly, they see the opportunities, says Aaland.
He believes more people in the industry should follow developments closely. – You can tell that Short Shift knows the car industry. This is built for the way we actually work, not for an ideal process that does not exist in everyday life, he says.
For Aaland Bil, digitalisation is not about making car sales impersonal. It is about making the process simpler, clearer and more efficient, both for the customer and for the salesperson.
– This is built for our everyday reality. It makes selling cars easier, and this is how we think car sales should work.
Petter Aaland, managing director at Aaland Bil