August 5, 2026 Newsletter
24-7 Members Hub • Leaderships Xchange Groups • Service & Warranty Lifecycle
The 6th annual Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit is beginning to take shape!
This week, we’re spotlighting the first industry leaders joining the 2026 Summit, recognizing the organizations that help power MAPconnected’s year-round conversations, introducing a practical framework for AI prioritization, and previewing the next round of Xchange Group meetups.
What connects each of these initiatives is a shared commitment to advancing collaboration across the Service & Warranty Lifecycle, turning insights into action and industry challenges into opportunities for progress.
Meet the first 2026 Summit speakers
The most impactful Summit conversations don’t come from theory. They come from experience.
Daryl Kreskowiak, Director NA Warranty Recovery Stellantis
Graham Swan, Executive Director Global Warranty Cummins
James Kiriazes, Director Customer Quality Engineering Bridgestone
Jordan Tauriainen, Senior Director of Global Automotive Go-To-Market ServiceNow
Our first speakers bring firsthand perspectives on what’s changing across the industry, what’s delivering results, where challenges remain, and how organizations are adapting to meet what’s next. Their stories, lessons learned, and practical insights will help shape the conversations that matter most.
These speakers bring perspectives from warranty recovery, global warranty leadership, quality engineering and automotive technology. Their participation reflects the cross-functional nature of the Service & Warranty Lifecycle and the value of bringing different operating viewpoints into one conversation.
JOIN US!
A clearer way to prioritize AI investment
AI is creating new possibilities across the Service & Warranty Lifecycle, but the number of possible applications can make it difficult to know where to begin.
The new MAPconnected AI OPPORTUNITY MAP identifies ten actionable projects and provides a practical framework for evaluating them against ROI impact, ease of implementation, data availability, organizational readiness and strategic value.
Developed by MAPconnected in collaboration with Mike Roberts, President of MR Insights, the map covers opportunities across customer concern capture, diagnostics, parts, shop operations, repair documentation, claim preparation, approval, adjudication and quality intelligence.
Its central argument is that the greatest value will not come from automating isolated tasks. It will come from improving the quality and continuity of decisions across connected processes.
The AI OPPORTUNITY MAP includes a phased 36-month roadmap to help leadership teams balance immediate operational opportunities with the foundations needed for more advanced capabilities.
The MAP is available for:
- MAPconnected members: $495
- Non-members: $695
August Xchange Group Meetups
The 3rd round of meetups continues in August, including sessions for:
- TAC Strategy and Technology Enablement August 11 11-12:15pm ET
- Warranty Administration August 13 3-4:15pm ET
- Parts Return & Quality Analysis August 18 11-12:15pm ET
- Field Services Connected Data August 20 11-12:15pm ET
Each group is designed around practical peer exchange rather than one-way presentation. Participants can bring questions, current priorities and lessons from their own organizations into a structured industry conversation.
View the current Events Calendar for further details and registration routes:
Thank you to the key supporting organizations
MAPconnected’s work extends beyond one event. Throughout the year, the community creates opportunities for leaders to exchange knowledge, examine emerging challenges and build stronger connections across warranty, quality, technical services, customer experience, service operations, financial products, insurance and aftersales.
We are grateful to our annual featured business partners:
Their involvement helps make space for continued learning and collaboration across the ecosystem.
Organizations interested in contributing expertise and becoming more involved in the MAPconnected community can explore the available sponsorship opportunities.
Looking ahead
Over the coming weeks, MAPconnected will unveil additional Summit speakers, share new program highlights, and create opportunities for our community to connect and collaborate ahead of October.
The 2026 Summit is being designed around the realities of the complete Service & Warranty Lifecycle, bringing together the leaders, innovators, and practitioners shaping every stage of the customer journey. From warranty administration, quality, technical services, and diagnostics to customer experience, supply chain, service parts, financial products, insurance, engineering, aftersales, and the technologies that connect them all, the conversation will reflect the complexity and opportunity of today’s ecosystem.
We’re excited to share what’s ahead and look forward to welcoming you to the industry’s most connected conversation!
Pam Walter and the MAPconnected Team
Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit | October 19 to 21, 2026 | Westin Southfield Detroit
Follow MAPconnected for speaker announcements, Xchange Group updates and new Service & Warranty Lifecycle resources.
