Impact Of Dealer Management System towards Innovation & Excellence

1. The Impact of Dealer Management System: India has one of the fastest growing auto industries in the world. It has the immense capability as well as capacity to grow. The Indian auto industry is one of the largest in the world and accounts for 7.1% of the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). According to SIAM statistics, the industry produced a total 25,316,044 vehicles including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three wheelers, two wheelers and quadricycle in April- March 2017 as against 24,016,599 in April-March 2016, recording a growth of 5.41% over the same period last year. Category 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Passenger 31,46,069 32,31,058 30,87,973 32,21,419 34,65,045 37,91,540 Vehicles Commercial 9,29,136 8,32,649 6,99,035 6,98,298 7,86,692 8,10,286 Vehicles Three 8,79,289 8,39,748 8,30,108 9,49,019 9,34,104 7,83,149 Wheelers Two 1,54,27,532 1,57,44,156 1,68,83,049 1,84,89,311 1,88,30,227 1,99,29,485 Wheelers Grand Total2,03,82,0262,06,47,6112,15,00,1652,33,58,0472,40,16,0682,53,14,460 Automobile production trends: http://www.siamindia.com Let’s have a look at domestic sales trends automobiles 2017: Source: SIAM •The sales of Passenger Vehicles grew by 9.23 percent in April-March 2017 over the same period last year. Within the Passenger Vehicles, Passenger Cars, Utility Vehicles and

2. Vans increased by 3.85%, 29.91% and 2.37 respectively, during April-March 2017 over the same period last year. •The overall Commercial Vehicles segment listed a growth of 4.16% in April-March 2017 as compared to the same period last year. •Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles (M&HCVs) registered growth by 0.04% and Light Commercial Vehicles listed growth by 7.41% during April-March 2017 over the same period last year. •Three Wheelers sales witnessed decline by (-) 4.93% in April-March 2017 over the same period last year, whereas passenger Carrier sales recorded a decline by (-) 8.83% and Goods Carrier sales shown growth by 12.75% in April-March 2017 over April-March 2016. •Two Wheelers sales recorded a growth at 6.89% during April-March 2017 over April- March 2016. Within the Two Wheelers segment, Scooters, Motorcycles and Mopeds increased by 11.39%, 3.68% and 23.02% respectively in April-March 2017 over April- March 2016. The graph below clearly shows domestic market share for 2015-16 and we can compare with the changes at present to understand current trends.

3. Source: http://www.siamindia.com/statistics.aspx?mpgid=8&pgidtrail=12 Technology, Automobile Industry and Changing Customer Behaviors: Automobile sector in India is witnessing growth and new products are being produced in almost all the categories across commercial and non-commercial segments. It becomes essential for manufacturers and dealers to be on toes. Changing behaviors of buyers prove to be an important aspect here. Technology is every sector is advancing every day and the automobile industry is too experiencing the impacts of this powerful tool in influencing consumer behavior. It is clear that new technologies impact industries and companies of all sizes and hence consumer needs become a prime consideration to win the position. Let us have a look at the impact of technology on consumer behavior: •Speedy adoption of digital technologies has contributed to changing consumer behavior across industries, including in the Passenger Car and Two Wheeler industries.

4. •Customer journeys nowadays are further accessible and dynamic, and increasingly incessant. •Several smart devices and gadgets are making smart homes a reality. From smart fridge to voice-activated trash vehicles, futuristic devices are grabbing the attention of all making life easy, and convenient. Consumers are making smart choices easily from mobiles and expect a convenient shopping experience. Furthermore, they look for the ones who are the early adopters. Companies need to use consumer insights. •Considering the impact of technology, the conventional "engagement funnels" from discovery and moving all the way through consideration, evaluation, purchase, and ultimately, use, seems to have lost its significance. Above points clearly portray the key implications for OEMs in the automobile industry and that is to understand customer shopping behavior and then explore ways to engage with prospective customers and sell product and services accordingly. Buying any vehicle is no longer a unidirectional, predictable and linear process now. Almost each customer is a digital customer today. Digital customer enjoys connectivity, and discovers new products faster and easier than before, constantly compares and evaluates products and services swiftly than before, and buying has become just a matter of few clicks of a button. Several types of research on consumer behavior and client experiences depict that customers frequently re-evaluate their decisions and available alternatives making the customer journey dynamic, fluid and continuous. The ability to easily tap into multiple digital touch points in addition to physical touch-points, the customer is able to tap into multiple digital touch points, may it be on the road, home, or at a dealership, or anywhere else. Traditional versus modern ways to manage dealerships:

5. •Traditionally, manufacturers could focus their sales effort at the point of sale or at the dealership. Nevertheless, in today’s digital era, consumers customers need to be won at the "evaluation" stage itself and this can be incessant and iterative itself. •Earlier automakers and dealers were controlling processes; however, now independent online information sources, mobile technology and proliferation of social media has put customers in charge. •The traditional combination of showroom salesmanship and mass-market advertising is gradually losing its punch. Customers are now using digital channels to make better purchasing decisions. In-vehicle digital technologies have started redefining the after- sales market as well. OEMs and dealerships traditionally centered on geographic territories now need to evolve to fit the digital age. Research shows that more than 2/3rd of buyers begin their search online. Numerous customers decide what to purchase before they step into a dealership and this shift has started reducing the dealer’s role to providing test drives and delivering the vehicles. However, this has also increased several other concerns for dealers which need to be addressed for managing dealership effectively. Today digital shopping is the norm. As digital transformation has pushed e-commerce and mobile shopping into the mainstream, it becomes for OEMs and dealers to focus on delivering a superior shopping experience. OEMs in the auto industry have started maximizing the use of digital revolution and investing heavily in connected technologies. As digitization has changed the way automobiles are marketed and sold, OEMs need to change the ways to manage dealerships. Gradually, numerous OEMs have started embracing these channels. Automakers are joining forces with their dealers to build first-class digital sales and

6. marketing capabilities. For this borderless online marketplace, fundamental changes in the role of dealers and geography-based distribution systems need to be designed. It is clear that OEMs who don’t evolve with these changing trends are likely to lose touch with customers. On the other hand, automakers that understand changing trends and adopt digital changes and embrace innovative ways to manage dealerships are likely to succeed in engaging prospective buyers across a range of channels and rejuvenating their sales and marketing. Surely, converting digitally minded consumers into loyal longtime customers is bit tricky; but dealer management systems prove to be a boon here for OEMs and dealers as well. The onset of digitization across the automotive industry and changing consumer mindsets are transforming auto marketing, sales, and services. OEMs now need to unleash the power of digital technology to generate leads, convert them into sales, and build fully integrated, long-term relationships with customers. Not only this, but some OEMs have started tapping the full potential of these innovations and using them as effective sales and marketing tools. OEMs have begun leveraging troves of available data of available reclaiming the initiative in digital sales and marketing. They are using it for the development of powerful multichannel strategies. Maximizing the benefits of technology with Dealer management systems Dealer management systems have started gaining prominence here as they aid in maximizing the benefit of digitization while managing the dealerships effectively. Dealer management systems help create seamless systems to drive continuous engagement with customers at each step, from building brand awareness and selling vehicles to service and parts transactions. Dealer management systems prove beneficial to reap the full potential of digital sales and marketing techniques within the confines of established automotive industry structures. Taking a step ahead towards Innovation and Excellence with Excellon

7. In today’s highly digitizing world, movement spells how enterprises perform. OEMs, dealers and distributors face several challenges including timely feedback and action, maintaining inventory, fulfilling the needs of a demanding customer, filing reports and lots more. It is certainly challenging to manage all the areas of business manually. At Excellon Software, innovation and excellence is our prime focus in each of our endeavours. Developing intuitive, robust and effective tools & platforms is at the core of our efforts. With an integrated and pragmatic approach to products and services, we ensure that your workflows are more efficient, transparent and profitable. More than 30000 users @ 8500 locations worldwide are enjoying benefits of Excellon Software products. Excellon Software has partnered with some of the blue-chip companies from India and the world over to transform their Sales, Distribution and Service networks. The awards and accolades that Excellon has received demonstrate commitment, diligence and efficacy. With a product portfolio that encompasses a complete dealer management system, sales and distribution management, and service management software, Excellon solution is relevant to budding markets with its adaptable tax setup and structure, and the ability to handle city, state, regional, and national level complexities. Exceeding customer expectation is now in your hands with the capability to plan, organise and execute all your operations. With years of experience in this field and skilled team members, we have developed Excellon 5 Platform. This is an enterprise solution for managing Multiband Sales, Service and Distribution networks. It integrates all business processes right from service booking to integrated claims management, from order booking to invoicing giving you a solution that utilizes business resources effectively and streamlines your entire Sales, Distribution and Service Network.

8. Complex Business Operations, Automated OEMs in every sector require extensive coordination with dealers and distributors, usually spread across thousands of kilometers and hence efficient flow of information is vital to the success of any business. This coordination can get extremely challenging sometimes. This is where Excellon 5 Cloud based Dealer Management Software proves to be a perfect and permanent solution that help transform business operations. •Excellon 5 a comprehensive end-to-end distributor management solution that revolutionizes a company's working pattern. •Many large companies use this platform to transform their sales, service and distribution functions. •Excellon Software is well-known for its cutting-edge yet simple-to-use sales, distribution, and service management software.

9. •Excellon’s research persists to leverage modern advances in Cloud, Mobility and Analytics for innovative solutions to complex problems of enterprises and their customers. Industry focus: Whether it be automotive, industrial equipment, consumer durables or retail o anything else, Excellon 5 will efficiently take a business a notch higher by enabling a rich and a rewarding customer experience. Excellon takes pride in offering solutions for almost every segment. Let us have a look: AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY - OVERVIEW The days are gone where the automotive industry had product driven approach. Now there is a paradigm shift in the industry to keep customer loyalty and to adapt the dynamic customer behaviour and expectations with a customer-centric approach. The proliferation of Big Data, Social Media, Analytics and Cloud, and Mobility, consumers nowadays are well-informed and more connected than ever. Automakers have started embracing new technology and devising tactics for enhancing the buying experience and building customer loyalty. From checking out latest offers to obtaining the best quotes, searching for the best dealer location to booking & tracking services, Excellon 5 makes it easier to manage dealerships effectively. Consumer Durables- Consumer Durables industry is gaining prominence over the last few years. Though the surge in demand for innovative and new products, the market is expected to witness growth in the near future, there are several challenges. Strong competition and rising costs of raw materials are likely to create hurdles in the sector. Excellon offers dynamic and unique software solutions to beat the issues faced by Consumer Durables Industry today. The software features ability to offer real-time data access helps in responding quickly to the price changes and fluctuating demands. This gives companies an edge to stand ahead in the competition.

10. Industrial Equipment: Industrial Machinery & Equipment is a highly fragmented and progressively more globalized industry. The industry is undergoing substantial changes on account of customer behavior trends and new technologies. Excellon offers powerful, comprehensive solution that helps align supply and demand. It helps transform business with manifold benefits like streamlining operations, supporting efficient supply chain planning, optimum inventory management, efficient procurement and thus keeping business keep up with customer expectations. FMCG: Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry has lots of processes that work as a chain and turnaround time is very quick. Furthermore, maintaining a smooth flow of all functions to ensure timely delivery of the products is of utmost importance. Technological advancement and products are rolling out very often, it is essential to abreast with the industry. With Excellon’s powerful, comprehensive solution helps meet and exceed all the business challenges by providing real-time access to critical data and intelligent reports thus making decision- making quicker and easier. Retail: This is one of the highest grossing industries. Day by day managing and handling the ever-growing demand is putting a big challenge to the industry players owing to several factors like the surge in the customer's buying power and proliferation of urban population. Excellon’s comprehensive solution helps improve the current distribution systems. By incorporating digital technology and mobility into the in-store experience certainly makes the difference. Summary: The automotive industry is going at a fast pace. Changing market demands and booming technology has made it essential for businesses to improve their efficiency in all aspects of their business. Dealer management software has been developed with this need as a core of effort. This fully integrated technology helps streamline dealer networking, product ordering, sales and customer tracking, inventory management and lots more. A dealer management system proves to be a useful and efficient tool to providing services while justifying costs.

11. Excellon is a renowned name in the industry that is helping manufacturers of any type who need to communicate across multiple locations and manage the selling and servicing of products since last two decades. Excellon’s solutions allow businesses to communicate across their dealer networks and minimize errors and thus enhancing the ability to provide services. If you are a manufacturer/dealer looking to integrate and streamline business processes and communications, then choosing Excellon as your partner for an effective solution will certainly help you spell success. Get started now!