Volkswagen and Audi to adopt mySAP CRM globally
Volkswagen (VW), Audi, and the VW Bank have decided to implement mySAP CRM enterprise-wide for future customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives.
The decision follows a successful pilot project during 2001, in which mySAP CRM was used for a service centre supporting the launch of the VW Phaeton, as well as a new Audi call centre.
The software is now supporting two new Audi call centres, based in Cologne and Ingolstadt, Germany, with 220 employees serving almost half a million customers around the clock. Future plans also include introducing the system at VW Financial Services, and using the system for other future CRM initiatives.
A corporate template Customers no longer interact solely with dealers when purchasing a new car, exploring financing options, or filing a customer service enquiry. According to VW, customers are increasingly contacting vehicle manufacturers directly - so there is a pressing need to establish enterprise-wide CRM initiatives to control and improve customer service and satisfaction.
The firm's overall strategy is a uniform CRM solution for the entire group. Rather than seeking a 'one size fits all' application, it sought a standardised 'template' that could be customised and developed specifically for the group's various business areas.
"From the beginning, we wanted a CRM solution that would easily integrate with our existing systems," explained Gerhard Nagele, project director for the VW Group. "We had a fair amount of SAP expertise within the group. And Audi, as well as the VW Bank, had already implemented SAP's business information warehouse (SAP BW). Naturally, this influenced our decision to select mySAP CRM."
Implementation plan The new CRM initiative is being implemented jointly by all IT departments throughout the group, with the support of SAP Consulting. Both existing projects (the Audi call centre and the VW Phaeton service centre) were also supported by German systems integrators Syskoplan AG and Ecenta AG, as well as PwC Consulting.
Paperless business processes Audi's first objective was to integrate and improve customer relationship and customer enquiry management. It also wanted to consolidate all of its contact channels (telephone, fax, e-mail and post) into one system, and to integrate its existing systems (such as document management) to make the process as paperless as possible.
In addition, the company chose to integrate and optimise its reactive processes for incoming customer enquiries. The active processes (such as direct marketing and dealer integration) will follow later. Audi also plans to implement mySAP CRM's analytical features to review and optimise its advertising efforts, based on the data collected in its existing SAP BW system.
It's all about the customer Christoph Wargitsch, head of CRM at Audi, said, "Regardless of how a customer reaches us, our internal processes run completely electronically and therefore very efficiently. Automatic routing systems and escalation routines ensure that customer enquiries are quickly and efficiently channelled to the appropriate person, resulting in greater customer satisfaction."
The rollout of the CRM solution at VW, along with a pilot implementation of a campaign-management solution at Audi Italy, has already begun. The third phase will be the implementation of mySAP CRM at the VW Bank.
"The projects at VW and Audi show how distinct brands within a group network can employ a uniform CRM solution to their advantage," said Peter Zencke, executive board member of SAP AG. "VW and Audi can share the costs for the implementation of basic processes as well as development, and each company profits from the experience of the other."
More Info: