Keys Inc. is expanding its software ecosystem to include a full procurement network, it announced Aug. 7. The system will allow locksmiths to identify, source, compare and order automotive keys directly through its app without contacting distributors by phone.
Keys is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform serving the U.S. locksmith and roadside service industry. The company announced the continued expansion of its Keys Distribution Network. It described the network as a nationwide sourcing and commerce infrastructure to connect locksmiths directly with automotive key distributors.
“We’re building toward a future where a locksmith doesn’t have to think about where the key is coming from,” said Loay Jamal Alyousfi, founder and CEO. “They simply need to know that Keys can help get them to the right product, from the right source, at the right moment.”
How the Keys Distribution Network works for locksmiths
The correct key or fob for a vehicle depends on a variety of details, Keys said. Those can include:
- Year
- Make
- Model
- VIN information
- FCC ID
- Frequency
- Transponder type
- Blade configuration
- Programming requirements
A locksmith can begin with vehicle information. Keys technology will help identify the appropriate key or fob before matching that product against participating distributor inventory.
Rather than opening multiple distributor websites, calling suppliers, or manually searching catalogs one by one, a locksmith using Keys.App can move from identifying the correct product to ordering it within the platform. The network is designed to rank available distributors by availability, location, price and fulfillment speed.
“The goal is not to tell the locksmith where a key might be and then send them somewhere else to figure it out,” Alyousfi said. “We want the locksmith to find the correct key, see who has it, choose the best source and order it directly through Keys.App — one connected transaction.”
Keys Inc.’s marketplace model
Instead of building a centralized warehouse to compete with existing distributors, Keys distributors make their products available through Keys.App and gain another direct channel into professional locksmith demand. The approach keeps inventory distributed while adding an intelligent technology layer on top.
Where a participating distributor supports it, a locksmith could identify the correct key, purchase it through Keys.App, and select pickup instead of waiting for a shipment. That feature is particularly useful in automotive locksmithing, where the end customer may already be standing beside a disabled vehicle, according to the company.
“When somebody is standing beside a vehicle and needs a key, two-day shipping may not solve the problem,” Alyousfi said. “If that product is available across town, the locksmith should know that.”
The local pickup functionality mirrors the store pickup and same-day fulfillment capabilities that have become common in retail ecommerce.
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