Digital enhancements to the transporter ecosystem - Tata Motors

Tata Motors improves its products, it is aggressively transforming its enterprise structure into a more versatile, trendy digital platform, in addition to harnessing several aspects of digital and know-how.

Historically, automakers have been involved in the process of building automobiles, selling them to customers, and providing services to those customers. Tata Motors is progressing beyond that in this digital age.

Typically, a consumer buys an automobile for a variety of reasons and expects to have a specific type of experience with it. According to Gopinath Jayaraj, CIO, of Tata Motors, the company is taking a closer look at what customers are experiencing when using the product and figuring out how to improve it.

On the cargo transportation front, the company had recently launched Tata Intra - India's first compact truck in the SCV segment, the globally benchmarked Prima, Signa, and Ultra trucks in the Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle (M&HCV) segment, the Xenon Yodha in the pickup category, and the segment-redefining Tata Ace.

Tata Motors has launched the Starbus Electric (9m and 12m) and Starbus Hybrid (12m) buses in passenger transportation, ushering in the future of mass public transportation. Tata Motors had rolled out a range of smart buses that are designed, produced, and powered by alternative fuels to fulfil the current and future passenger transportation needs in smart cities. These buses developed in-house, are secure and pleasant, as well as economically viable Made in India solutions. The house of TML is also working on the country's first "Fuel Cell Bus." Tata Motors has launched the Starbus Electric (9m and 12m) and Starbus Hybrid (12m) buses in passenger transportation, ushering in the future of mass public transportation.

Tata Motors, founded in 1945, is India's largest automotive manufacturer, with a revenue of Rs 2.82 lakh crores and over 75,000 employees.

While Tata Motors improves its products, it is aggressively transforming its enterprise structure into a more versatile, trendy digital platform, in addition to harnessing several aspects of digital and know-how.

"The relevant module placed within the car transfers data to its digital ecosystem via the cloud, and finally to the client's appliance. The customer is then able to view a number of related data associated with the automobile, such as its remaining cost and range, its position, the closest servicing centre and charging station, and so on. The consumers may send directions similar to turning on the AC and remotely opening the automobile from a distance," Jayaraj says.

Tata Motors also introduced Fleet Edge, a similar automobile solution for fleet management. The solution assists clients in improving their business operations through travel management, expense management, and maintenance planning. Over 180K linked Tata CVs are currently operating on Indian roads with these increased connectivity options.
Digitizing the spares ecosystem to reduce transporter complexity

Transporters want their vans to be on the road practically 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When a vehicle breaks down and goes off-road due to mechanical issues, it becomes a problem for transporters because supply is delayed, ultimately affecting customer satisfaction.

While Tata Motors has a large dealership network across the country, vans may experience mechanical failure at a remote place in some cases.

Tata Motors, as a commercial vehicle manufacturer that appreciates its customers' success, recognized this issue and hastened the process of serving truck owners by delivering the spare and mechanic to the correct location to get it repaired.

The manufacturer has digitized its customer support and spare parts ecosystem. The company's online spare elements market is known as E-Dukaan, and the Bandhu app connects drivers and truck owners with roadside garages and mechanics.

"Our Bandhu software connects the company's mechanic ecosystems, allowing customers to build job playing cards on the fly and order spares online," Jayaraj explains.

The moment Tata Motors registers a VOR (Automobile-off-road) name (through the digital portal or a name), the assistance team begins determining the critical spare that is required and entering a DigiVOR order into the system.

Digi-VOR conducts a computerized search of all spare inventories held by Tata Motors with seller distributors and authorized service centers in the vicinity of that vehicle.

"We also allow the back-end system to place an order for that half so that it gets delivered into the hands of the mechanic and they can send it to the automobile as soon as possible," he says.

Tata Motors can boost customer satisfaction by ensuring the automobile is back on the road as soon as possible with this digital intervention. At the same time, it allows the manufacturer to ensure the sale of a genuine spare part to a buyer who would have ended up browsing for any spare available on the gray market.