Smoothing the Customer Journey in the Automotive Industry with CIAM
In the rapidly evolving automotive industry, 2023 marks a significant shift as many car manufacturers adopt the agency sales model. This transition necessitates reevaluating the customer experience (CX) throughout the customer journey, which now falls squarely on the shoulders of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Integrating Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) systems can play a pivotal role in smoothing customer journeys across various channels. Here, we explore how CIAM can be a game-changer in providing a seamless and personalised customer journey.
The Challenges Ahead
Firstly, the modern customer, conditioned by other sectors, expects a seamless and connected experience across all stages of their journey. They are less likely to tolerate disruptions between online and offline channels and call centres.
Secondly, adopting the agency model means OEMs will ultimately own the customer journey, a new territory for many. This ownership comes with providing a consistent and enjoyable CX from start to finish.
Mapping the Customer Journey: A Complex Web
The customer's journey in the automotive sector is intricate, involving various touchpoints like social media, OEM websites, chatbots, call centres, and physical dealerships. These touchpoints occur in different sequences and durations, sometimes repeating multiple times.
The challenge here is integrating numerous data silos and platforms to achieve a unified view of the customer, which is crucial for a seamless pre-sales experience.
Technology: Simplifying the Process
The first step towards a seamless customer journey is to focus on the experience rather than data. Instead of embarking on time-consuming and costly data-unification projects, OEMs can opt for a more straightforward solution: an online interface accompanying the customer throughout their journey.
This interface, facilitated by a modern Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solution, can display personalised content, manage appointments, and offer various services based on the customer's preferences and behaviours.
The CIAM system would act as a bridge, connecting various data sources and presenting a unified view to the customer without needing a single data repository. This approach simplifies the process and speeds up the implementation, allowing for a smoother transition to the new sales model.
Let's explore what else CIM can do for you.
Key Features of CIAM
Identity Management
CIAM facilitates the management of customer identities by consolidating data from various sources. It helps create a unified customer profile that can be accessed and managed centrally. This feature enables the system to recognise customers across touchpoints, providing a cohesive and personalised experience.
Access Management
CIAM ensures secure and controlled access to customer data. It includes functionalities like authentication and authorisation, which help verify the customer's identity and grant them appropriate access based on their profile and preferences.
Omnichannel Personalisation
By analysing customer data and preferences, CIAM can help deliver personalised content and offers to customers. It can track customer interactions across various channels and use this data to tailor the content, thus enhancing the customer experience.
Data Security
CIAM systems prioritise data security, ensuring customer data is protected from unauthorised access and breaches. It employs various security protocols and measures to safeguard sensitive customer information. And the best of all, the vendors such as SAP guarantee it!
Compliance and Regulations
CIAM helps adhere to various compliance requirements and regulations related to customer data protection. It ensures that the handling and processing of customer data are in line with legal and industry standards.
CIAM in the Automotive Industry
In the automotive industry context, CIAM can play a pivotal role in enhancing the customer journey, especially as OEMs transition to the agency sales model. Here's how:
Unified Customer View
CIAM helps create a unified view of the customer by integrating data from various internal and external sources, even owned by different parties and with different customer consent! This unified view enables OEMs to integrate with their dealer networks, understand the customer's journey better, and offer a seamless and personalised experience across different channels.
Streamlined Customer Journey
By focusing on the customer experience rather than just data, CIAM helps streamline the customer journey. It facilitates a smoother transition between different touchpoints, thus reducing friction and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Rapid Implementation
Implementing a CIAM solution is quicker and less complex than traditional data-unification projects. It allows gradual integration of various data sources, speeding up the transition to the new sales model.
Conclusion: A Win-Win Scenario
By integrating CIAM solutions, car manufacturers can create a seamless and personalised customer journey through all sales owned by them, their dealers, agents and partners.
A CIAM represents a win-win scenario and a crucial step towards a more connected, personalised, and enjoyable customer journey, setting the stage for a new era in the automotive industry.