droideka

Mazda to allow online order tracking for the RX-8.

WTF is wrong with Nissan?

WashUJon

What's wrong with Nissan? Mazda had the chance to see how Nissan could have done better and seized the opportunity. Good for them.

TriX

Yes Mazda did make improvements but its not that difficult to come up with a tracking system.

I am sure then have marketing people.

droideka

It's not exactly like Nissan had no other experiences to draw upon. If they just would have copied BMW's online tracking there would have been a helluva lot less grief around here last summer.

Do you not remember some of the **** we pulled such as posing as dealer employees to get info out of the regional offices?

WashUJon

LOL Did you really do that?

droideka

I was under extreme duress when I, I mean the other guy that did that.

WashUJon

gammbino350z

i still remember the day when i saw the daytona blue and brickyard that scaf took pictures of

articfury

Oh, yes, the memories....


But, if you could have tracked your order, then you wouldn't have spent 20 hours a day on this site looking for any tidbit of info.

JD

Phatmitzu

iTrader: (34)

Mini Cooper USA have the similar tracking system for new car orders.

350zSpeedRacer

They're owned by BMW now, wouldn't they just use the same tracking system?

droideka

Exactly. Not something difficult to implement seeing as how BMW has been doing it for a few years now.

m'sZ

iTrader: (1)

It shouldn't be difficult for anyone to track a car. Fedex and Ups track millions of 1lb. boxes every day that goes to many, many different places. How hard is it to track a 3,000lb. car that goes from the factory, to the ship, to the dock, to the truck to a dealership.

rai

I actually didn't get my 350Z because I was told by the dealer that he had no idea when it would be built. They told me "when we hear anything we'll call you."

The first I was notified about my car was the day they called me to pick it up. I'm sure it was built and shipped weeks before.

I bought a S2000 because my date had been pushed back to "sometime in the future". If I had known my car was on it's way I would have put off buying the S2000 and in all probability would have gotten the Z.


Nissan missed out by not implementing a simple tracking system.

OtownZ

I'm sure you all work in software design and know just what it would take to do all of this right?

Just because some other company is doing it doesn't mean it is easy for another company to implement the same solution. It might have been nice I'll admit, but putting those types of things in place isn't cheap. Many times there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than you think.

rai

I am not a software designer but I think it could be put in place with off the shelf software for a minimal cost.

droideka

I'm not a developer, but I am a Producer for a team of developers that does this **** every day. We've got patents on our tracking systems. It's not that difficult.

m'sZ

iTrader: (1)

I'm a developer. It's very easy for this day and age. If they can build automated machines to build these cars, they can without a doubt build a simple tracking system. They're half way there with the VIN #s. Now all they need to do is read the vin and report back to a db their location.

And it could apply to ALL of their vehicles, not just 350Z.

OtownZ

Then if you are developers you'd know that sometimes current hardware and software can't facilitate what you want to do. Also, you'd have to consider the potential additional resources (ie. bandwidth and hardware) that would be required to offer such an option.

In case you didn't notice, Nissan is a business. I'm sure somewhere someone suggested the tracking system, but if the can't make a good business case then I doubt they'd invest money.

Look at the dealer inventory system. Look at how good that thing works? For those of you that haven't looked, it sucks and isn't even close to accurate.

Would tracking have been nice? Definitely. It isn't worth crying over that Mazda has it and Nissan doesn't especially when you don't know all the details. I'm guessing if it was REALLY that easy Nissan would have done it. Give them some credit-- I think they know what they are doing.

Vlad

Working for production company, I can tell you that it isn't hard when technology is in place, and ready. But to go from no-tracking to tracking is quite an investment. You have to build/buy a system, you have to buy equipment/scanners, you have to train your personel... Do you think that factory worker, docker, and truck drivers will write down VIN on a piece of paper and the run to the PC to enter it? It's not all that simple as it seems