TESLA Motors Inc Use of Intelligent System to Create Customer Convenience - Research Paper Example

[School] Number] September 11, TESLA Motors Inc. use of intelligent system to create convenience Tesla Motors Inc. is a car manufacturer company that designs and manufactures vehicles that are fully electric and also other advanced electric vehicles powertrain components. The company provides after sale service for the electric powertrain components sold to both individual customers and companies involved in automotive manufacturing. Tesla has its headquarters in Palo Alto, CA and manufactured its first electric vehicle in 2008. In the manufacture of its electric vehicles, the company utilizes proprietary technology, state of the art manufacturing processes and word-class design in its practice of manufacturing of new generation and highway capable electric vehicles. Tesla also uses innovative distribution models i.e. company owned service centers and sales. This technology utilized by Tesla enables it to maintain high levels of customer experience and also improved from customer feedback loops so as to ensure the needs of its customers are fulfilled. This therefore provides the company with a competitive advantage over other traditional vehicle manufacturers. In wherever industry, an affective customer service and convenience is key for success. This is important since it helps companies retain its current customer and also attract more customers. Therefore, the key to improved customer experience and service is the use of intelligent systems. These systems offer a two – way method of exchanging information between the customers and the companies so as to complete the feedback loop. The idea behind integration of intelligent systems is to provide an enabling competitive advantage over competitors through full engagement of customers hence a high level customer service that ensure future loyalty. To accomplish this, Tesla Motors, Inc. has leverage embedded devices which are connected to intelligent systems which allows the company to differentiate their offerings, attract and retain customers. Tesla Motors, Inc. operates retail outlets and service centers across North America. Intelligent hardware and software are used in these retail outlets and service centers to provide a customized digital signage that is based on knowledge of the preferences of the customer hence provide the customer with suggestions based on their past purchases, service received and test-drives taken. These intelligent systems look up for a customer’s shopping patterns, their preferences, past service interactions, their recent purchases and orders made in a backend Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This CRM systems collects and analyzes the real-time data regarding a particular customer and delivers a personalized special offer for a customer while still at the showroom and this data is fed back to in-store devices so as to ensure improved shopping experience for the customer. This ensures a better customer experience hence improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. The customers also feel to be dealing with a company that cares for them than any other company hence raising their expectations and enhances convenience. Tesla Motors, Inc. also uses large displays to improve customer experience and convenience at its showrooms and service centers. The customer interaction and experience starts as soon as the customer enters the showrooms and service centers. This large displays placed strategically in the showrooms and service centers provides advertisements that customers can interact with gestures. This displays have cameras that collect information about the customer i.e. their age, gender and height so as to enable them to have personalized content. This intelligent display system can even adjust the height of the personalized content provided so as to be at the same level with the customer’s eye. If the customer sees a car model of interest, they can take a picture of this model with their smartphone which they then place on a flat-bed display system. This information is the transferred to the back-end CRM system and customers will now be able to take a close look at the car models being displayed both on their smartphones and on the display. For instance, through the use of gestures and touch, the customer can compare more than two car models side by side either on the display or on their smartphones, get a car model description, the prices and any other information of interests. Once the customer selects the car mode of choice, the sales representative places a tablet on the flat bed display hence the customers shopping cart is populated. This now gives the customer an option of paying a refundable $5000 for a test drive. The customers are then taken to another display systems that allows them to test the cars and see how they look and their performance before being directed to the parking area for the test-drive and the vehicle charging system. The cars on display are also open and customers can even sit in and take photos with them. All this activities ensures stronger relationships between the company and their customers since it ensures that the customer order for a car model that they have actually tested. Also, when coming up to buy or test-drive a certain model, customers are presented with other suggestions based on the knowledge of their past test drives, purchases and preference patterns. Tesla Motors, Inc. is also adopting an extensible and integration ready platform that is service oriented architecture (SOA) based so as to enable it deliver affordable and high performance electric cars. This includes integration of a Manufacturing Process Intelligence (MPI) that provides real time data and analytics for its manufacturing process. The service oriented architecture (SOA) has enabled Tesla Motors, Inc. to deliver real-time, flexible and collaboration-enabled information technology that ensures improved customer experience and convenience. This architecture enables easy addition of capabilities once the car is purchased by the customer and also ensure increased data integrity and accuracy across the operations of the car. The application of Manufacturing Process Intelligence (MPI) and service oriented architecture (SOA) is beneficial in terms of improving customer experience and convenience through real-time data presentations to users via dashboards and charts. These are updated once new information becomes available. Customers also have access to all the showrooms and service centers hence enabling them compare and analyze different models and prices. The latest Model S by Tesla Motors, Inc. have an app on the four wheels. Therefore, frequent software updates will keep model current with any latest features developed by the company. This therefore means that the car can be literally be improved without a need for a service center through the application of over the air updates. This therefore has prevented potential vehicle recalls hence better customer experience. Tesla Motors, Inc. has also put up a valet service where a customer’s car can be picked up with a replacement with a loaner vehicle which will be returned as soon as the repair are made. Also, using the app, the car owners can book for a ranger visits in which a technician can come as perform warranty repairs and other maintenance. This is important in ensuring improved customer experience and convenience since there are limited service centers compared to the number of car owners. Tesla Motors, Inc. also applies business intelligence systems in understanding customer behavior and experience in general. Together with its Manufacturing Process Intelligence (MPI) and service oriented architecture (SOA), the business associates in the showrooms and service centers can monitor the customer life cycle and profitability through tracking the customer interactions. In addition to that, these systems allow an in-depth analytical capabilities that allow the sales representatives to identify trends in the customer’s behavior hence enable the planning of how to maximize the acquisition and retention of customers and also perform segmentation of these customers. Therefore, through the analysis of the life cycles and needs of the consumers, these intelligent systems enable Tesla Motors, Inc. to utilize one-to-one and relationship marketing strategies in order to develop long-lasting relationships with the customers and also convenient service provision hence improved experience. Works Cited IDG Tech Network. "The Key to Improving Your Customer Service: Intelligent Systems. “Windows Embedded 2012: 1-4. Print. Kim, Yongseog. "An intelligent system for customer targeting: a data mining approach. “Decision Support Systems 16.1 (2004): 89-100. Print. McCarthy, Vance. "Idevnews | Tesla Drives Improved Manufacturing with Apriso’s SOA Solutions." Integration Developer News: Architecting the Intelligent Enterprise with SOA, BPM, Enterprise Architecture and Cloud Computing. Web. 5 May 2014. MicroStrategy Inc. "Major Applications of Business Intelligence Software in the Retail Industry." Business Intelligence and Retail 2007: 1-24. Print. 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