One of the hallmarks of our times is the increasing interconnectedness of information technologies and other industries. This is also the case in the automotive industry. A variety of apps are emerging to help drivers with complete control of their car's functions, or dealers with car sales. Let's take a closer look at two such apps.
The problem faced by car dealers is the lack of possibility to show the customer the car in all its variants and equipment versions other than on the web configurator, because it is not possible to have all the variations of the cars in the dealerships. This obstacle is largely eliminated with the use of digital applications combined into a single digital showroom used by Skoda Auto in its showrooms in Europe.
An app developed in collaboration between Skoda Auto and Etnetera follows the latest trends in the industry and can already be seen in 18 showrooms across 12 European countries. It allows the customer to use a tablet or touch table to configure the car to suit their exact requirements. The car can even be projected on a life-size video wall and then viewed in detail. Even if the client does not immediately decide to buy, they will go home with a scanned QR code referring to the configuration they chose in the showroom, or the dealer can send it to them later. The ultimate goal is to create a fully digital, paperless store of the future.
Etnetera is also working on a project to unify the mobile platform, which will cover all existing mobile applications of the Mladá Boleslav car manufacturer into one central point, from which the car owner will be able to see an overview of all information concerning their car, as well as be able to control some of its functionalities. The app is currently used by hundreds of thousands of users, but due to its global impact, millions of users are expected to have the app with their Skoda.
As a good example summarising a comprehensive experience, we can use road trip planning. In the warmth of his/her home, the client checks via the mobile app that his/her car is in good order and ready to go, plans his/her route in peace and quiet and when he/she gets into the pre-heated car, the route is automatically uploaded from his/her phone and he/she can set off. The whole experience is intuitive, fast and convenient. So the driver can get on with his/her or her destination with ease.
"The future in the automotive segment is not only in the production of cars, but also in the services related to their operation. Whether fossil fuel, electric or hybrid, all of these types of cars are already in our midst and can benefit from downstream services. Thus, car manufacturers will not only sell physical products, but the product and related services as a whole," summarises Ing. Ondřej Henke, Project Manager at Etnetera.
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