The road to success:
SAP solutions for automotive growth

To succeed in today’s competitive environment, automotive companies must not only improve their internal processes but also strengthen customer relationships. With a growing demand for digital services, businesses need to offer seamless online experiences. 

As customer expectations continue to rise, automotive businesses must adapt to provide more personalized and seamless experiences throughout the entire sales and aftersales journey. In a time when new car sales may not be as high as expected, automotive companies face increasing pressure to maintain profitability. This makes optimizing customer relationships and offering convenient, digital services more crucial than ever. 

 One of the key challenges businesses face is engaging customers effectively, both in the sales process and after the purchase. Traditional in-store sales are no longer the only channel customers rely on. Online car sales platforms have become essential for meeting the demand for digital and remote purchasing options. These platforms allow customers to browse, configure, and purchase vehicles from the comfort of their homes, providing the convenience and flexibility that modern consumers expect. 

Additionally, offering a vehicle configurator is critical to catering to the growing desire for personalization. Customers want to tailor vehicles to their exact preferences, and the ability to do this online enhances their overall satisfaction and decision-making process. 

As customer expectations for speed, ease, and personalization increase, businesses must not only enhance their sales processes but also streamline aftersales services. Customers expect smooth interactions across all touchpoints—from purchasing the vehicle to managing service, warranty claims, and spare parts. Companies that can integrate these functions into a seamless online experience will be able to drive customer loyalty, increase satisfaction, and ultimately improve lifetime value. 

In the fast-paced automotive industry, staying competitive means embracing innovation at every level of your operations. A core component of this transformation is the migration to SAP S/4HANA — the next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. With extensive experience in delivering successful S/4HANA transformations for automotive companies, we understand the critical role this technology plays in driving business success. 

One of the key insights we’ve gained through these projects is the importance of managing and organizing the sales process within the core ERP system. When sales processes are fully integrated into the ERP system, companies can experience a seamless flow of information across departments, improving decision-making and accelerating response times. This integration is essential not only for operational efficiency but also for meeting the growing demands of customers in an increasingly digital world. 

By leveraging SAP S/4HANA, automotive businesses can achieve: 

• Increased Customer Satisfaction: Real-time access to data and predictive analytics enables businesses to anticipate customer needs and deliver personalized solutions. 

• Internal Cost Reduction: Automation and streamlined processes reduce manual efforts, minimize errors, and lower operational costs. 

• Revenue Growth: Enhanced visibility into sales performance and better alignment between sales and production leads to faster delivery times, improved sales forecasting, and optimized inventory management. 

Furthermore, integration is at the heart of this transformation. SAP S/4HANA offers a fully connected ecosystem where all business functions—from procurement to production and sales—work together seamlessly. This integration allows for smoother processes, better collaboration across teams, and ultimately a more agile business that can adapt quickly to market changes.

The deployment of specialized SAP applications marks the initial phase of a broader transformation. To unlock the full potential of these tools, a successful rollout is crucial.

A well-executed SAP rollout offers significant advantages, including improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, increased customer satisfaction, and scalability. It lays a strong foundation for automotive companies to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market, while ensuring compliance and effective risk management.

These collective benefits empower national sales organizations, importers, and distributors in the automotive sector to swiftly respond to new challenges and opportunities, ensuring long-term success. A SAP rollout integrates all solutions into global operations while addressing local market demands, regulatory requirements, and operational efficiency.

A meticulously planned rollout for an automotive company ensures:

• Scalability: Whether deploying a solution in a single market or across multiple countries, SAP’s modular design and global capabilities facilitate scalable growth. Integrating tools like SAP VMS or SAP WTY during rollouts ensures seamless operations for national sales organizations, importers, and distributors across regions.
• Local Adaptation: Each market has distinct challenges, such as regulatory issues or variations in business processes. Rollouts ensure that SAP applications are tailored to local needs while maintaining consistency across the organization.

• Optimized Use of Solutions: A structured implementation strategy allows automotive companies to maximize the effectiveness of their SAP applications. Ensuring thorough employee training, system integration, and smooth data flow across channels are essential for success.