A Tech Tonic For Revival

The COVID-19 global pandemic has altered the way the world functions, illustrating the need for newer ways to operate. every brand and business irrespective of the size or scale has taken to technology to ensure business continuity and efficiency.

In India and across the world, people are interacting with their colleagues, friends and family on video calls; we are standing at a distance from each other in public spaces and even at superstores. None of us had ever imagined this changed way of living. The prevalent change for many has been the concept of working from home. For over three months, employees have worked from home and they continue to do so. In my opinion, businesses will continue this style of work for a couple of more weeks or months and many organisations may retain this style of working for a longer period.

Technology Is The Key

To tackle an exercise of this degree, businesses need efficient technology solutions in order to achieve cost optimisation, thereby increasing profitability. When I say cost optimisation, I mean it from the perspective of expense trimming and not people.

I believe that the more complex the environment, the stronger the need for innovation. The adaptation to new ways of working and business sustenance have emerged faster than ever before. Technology has demonstrated that it is no longer just a tool for business growth; it plays a pivotal role in business continuity by minimising impact and enabling a faster bounce back.

The pandemic has impacted multiple businesses. For the first time ever, automakers witnessed zero sales in April 2020, passenger airlines didn’t operate for over 60 days and hotels didn’t welcome guests. The quick adoption of technology came to the rescue of many businesses, including automotive with new channels of engagement including the online sales and service bookings of cars.

Taking into perspective the automobile industry, while aspects of production do require a plant set-up and manufacturing personnel, a large part of the organisational and managerial work has moved to digital and will continue to go digital. Brick and mortar dealerships will continue to be extremely important, but customers will research their cars online and now even have the option to book it digitally as well. We call it the ‘phygital’ way forward.

Continued focus on technology and digitalisation will drive businesses in 2020 and the years ahead. A general idea across industries that is finding flavour today is the one where traditional ways of selling are giving ways to enhanced ‘phygital engagement’; one where intellectual property and data are the most valuable assets to stimulate consumer demand and drive productivity.

The ‘new digital infrastructure’ will thrive with the deployment of advanced mobile wireless networks, data centres on the cloud and other digital disruptors such as internet of things, machine learning, big data analytics and artificial intelligence. I am a firm believer that technology will play an increasingly vital role in aiding recovery and resumption of economic activity. In this rather complex and digital world, it is time to reinvent, innovate, and rebuild for businesses. A number of leading brands, including us at Audi, recognise that going forward spending decisions will increasingly depend on the quality of information our customers are able to glean from the digital platforms themselves, followed by an emotional interaction with our sales forces at showrooms.

The Phygital Engagement

Digital customer-centric initiatives have been a key focus area for Audi in India. We have been at the forefront of enabling and introducing future technologies for our customers – including augmented and virtual reality elements. From late 2019 onwards, all the cars that we sell in India are connected via myAudi App. Very recently, we have also begun digital sales for our product portfolio and after-sales support for our existing and future customers.

While our belief in a digital future is already profound, the advent of Covid-19 has only made it stronger as to how we interact with our customers going forward. As a brand, we are investing holistically in all possible avenues to be future ready.

At Audi India, we believe digitalisation will help us have a more frugal business approach. There are several areas we are going to digitise internally so as to ensure business efficiency. We will create more opportunities for innovation and we will ensure the optimum use of our resources, be it financial or human capital.

To sum things up, I believe that every business must maintain a strong and pervasive digital culture. As employees continue to work remotely, behavioural patterns, leadership styles, mindsets and ways of working matter now, more than ever. It is important to nurture values and thrive on technology as we get things done in this new digital age. ‘In this rather complex and digital world, it is time to reinvent, innovate, and rebuild for businesses. A number of leading brands, including Audi, recognise that going forward spending decisions will increasingly depend on the quality of information our customers are able to glean from the digital platforms themselves...’