Business operating
One of Scotland's largest automotive dealers, Eastern Western Motor Group, has partnered with local AI innovator ScotAi Limited to deploy Axel, a groundbreaking AI-powered HR management toolkit that allows managers and employees to get instant answers through natural conversation.
The partnership represents a massive win for Scottish innovation, with Broxburn-headquartered Eastern Western choosing Linlithgow startup ScotAi's 'mAint Knowledge Assistant' platform over established international competitors. Eastern Western Motor Group has a long-established policy of supporting local businesses whenever possible.
Axel transforms how Eastern Western colleagues access HR information. Instead of searching through policy manuals or waiting for HR responses, managers and employees can now ask questions in plain English or Polish and receive immediate, accurate answers drawn only from the company's approved procedures and policies. The system provides accurate and tailored responses for different roles within the automotive business and escalates complex queries to specialist HR support when needed
"Now that we have over 1800 colleagues at over 50 businesses, giving everyone instant and easy access to the HR information they need is more important than ever," said Kim Gilfillan, Group HR Manager at Eastern Western. "The combination of our vision and ScotAi's capability has resulted in a powerful system that's already making a real difference to our business."
Implementation of the system, rolled out in November 2025, addresses a critical challenge for large automotive dealers: ensuring consistent HR support across multiple locations and shift patterns. Early testing suggests there could be significant reductions in routine HR queries and faster policy compliance across the dealership network.
ScotAi, founded in 2024 by co-founders Nick Thomas and Moray Melhuish, has rapidly gained traction in critical sectors including defence and energy with its secure data interpretation platform. The Eastern Western partnership marks the company's expansion into the automotive sector. "As a startup, we're delighted that our innovation has been recognised by Eastern Western, a genuinely forward-looking business," said Thomas. "What we've achieved with Axel positions Eastern Western at the leading edge of modern HR technology innovation in the automotive sector."
Group Managing Director Keith Duncan emphasized the strategic importance: "We are always looking for ways to support our colleagues and removing the need to trawl through stacks of policies and procedures in order to find answers to simple questions will be welcomed by everyone. It's also great to be able to do this multi-lingually"
The partnership strengthens Scotland's position in AI innovation while demonstrating how local startups can compete successfully for major corporate contracts. Both companies are exploring opportunities to extend the collaboration.
Eastern Western Motor Group has a 99-year heritage and remains a privately, Edinburgh-owned business. It operates 14 major automotive brands across Scotland from its Broxburn headquarters. With over £1 billion turnover, Eastern Western ranks as one of the UK's leading independent automotive businesses.
