Windows 7Customer Solution Case Study

Automotive Leader Enhances Customer Experience, Sees Potential Gain with Windows-based Tablets

OverviewCountry or Region: IndiaIndustry: Automotive

Customer ProfileThe Mahindra Group operates in key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology, and vacation ownership. A U.S.$ 15.9 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra employs more than 144,000 people in over 100 countries.

Business SituationTo enhance sales and customer experience M&M wanted to deploy a technology driven solution to help enable better sales.

SolutionM&M decided to equip its sales executives with an application deployed on Windows based Acer tablet computers.

Benefits Builds a brand and gives a competitive

advantage Enables sales force to deliver a

consistent, engaging experience Increases dealer enthusiasm

“By offering a comprehensive and consistent story at the customer’s choice of location, we take the sales process to an advanced stage by giving a classy experience to our customers.”

Arun Malhotra, Chief Sales and Customer Care Officer – Auto Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Mahindra & Mahindra, an Indian automotive leader, sells well-known personal vehicles such as Scorpio, Xylo, Verito, Quanto, Rexton, and XUV 500. It constantly adopts latest technologies to maintain its competitive advantage. With Windows operating system based Acer tablets, it takes the sales process to the next level at dealerships. This gives sales executives the flexibility to meet customers at a place of their choice. The solution demonstrates vehicle features interactively, and captures customer enquiry, test drive feedback. It also integrates with the Dealer Management System. Customer information and requests are updated from any location, not from the dealership point alone. Over 850 tablets are in use to deliver consistent product messaging. This also speeds up the buying decision in many cases.

SituationThe Mahindra Group operates in key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology, and vacation ownership. Mahindra has a presence in the automotive industry, two wheelers, agri-business, aerospace, components, consulting services, defense, energy, financial services, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, and steel. A U.S.$ 15.9 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra employs more than 144,000 people in over 100 countries.

M&M is deeply connected to its customers and strives to understand their individual needs so that it can develop products and services that enhance their livelihoods.

M&M drives sales for its personal vehicle segment through its dealers. With the launch of high-end SUVs in India, it is difficult for its high-end customers to go through various product features in paper format. Even at the HNI level, customers in

India want to take an informed decision, not just with basic features of a vehicle, but also the various models available and their unique features. M&M tried to overcome the issue by approaching customers in a manner which is helpful and convenient, offering them a quality experience that would position products customized to the needs of every individual.

However, the approach had its own set of challenges. Sales executives who visited customers with brochures still couldn’t communicate the complete features of the vehicle in the given format. “Today, vehicles come with more sophisticated features, which are difficult to explain with a brochure,” says Bishwanath Ghosh, VP IT & KM, M&M. “On the other hand, there are features that cannot be demonstrated even with a vehicle, such as ABS, air bags, hill hold, and descent functions that can’t be experienced on regular roads but are a must-have for off-road driving.”

“We want our sales team to be as helpful to customers as possible, and our goal is to provide a system that facilitates that interaction,” says Vijay Nakra, VP Sales Auto Division, M&M.

SolutionIn July 2011, M&M decided to build an application for XUV 500, a popular luxury SUV, and deploy it on an Acer Tablet running the Windows 7 operating system. “Windows 7 offered us much more than just an operating system,” says Amol Deshpande, DGM – IT Program Management, Strategy & KM, M&M. “With streamlined network access and integration with our existing server set-up, it’s a

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Sales Executives using Acer Tablets

“This is the first of its kind solution in the Indian automotive industry. We are the first ones to introduce this ground-breaking sales methodology in India.”Arun Malhotra, Chief Sales and Customer Care Officer – Auto Division, Mahindra &

Mahindra Ltd.

business-enabling platform for our sales processes and works well for our solution strategy.”

Anupam Bhattacharjee, DGM Sales Auto Division, M&M says, “We are the front runners to offer interactive information on a tablet to retail customers in the country. Currently, there are 850+ tablets in use and this number is expected to grow in the near future.”

With just a couple of hours of training, sales executives were able to adopt the solution without any difficulty. They now use the tablets in dealerships and when

they visit customers at their choice of location.

M&M have a touch screen-based kiosk available at the dealership, which customers can use to explore vehicle features. Similar methodology and architecture was adopted for the tablets. Simulations were developed for unique features, which allowed sales executives to demonstrate them, including the ones that were not possible to demonstrate in a test drive. Sales executives can now easily capture customer details, and test drive feedback. Arun Malhotra, Chief Sales and Customer Care Officer – Auto Division, M&M says, “By offering a comprehensive and consistent story at the customer’s choice of location, we take the sales process to an advanced stage by giving a classy experience to our customers.”

BenefitsM&M is finding that the solution is already indicating numerous benefits to the company. Sales executives have all the information they need while interacting with customers, which in turn is generating consumer enthusiasm and brand association.

Builds a Brand and Gives a Competitive Advantage The M&M team stresses that this is the first of its kind solution in the Indian automotive industry. By providing the sales staff a device that goes beyond the standard selling technique, they are effortlessly building on the brand image and value, making a strong luxury brand statement.

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Windows Acer Tablets – Fast Facts Total number of

tablets in use 850+

Features Hybrid multi-touch tablet and keyboard docking Dual 1.3 MP webcam with AV recording Touch optimized user interface 4 hours of unplugged HD video playback and 6

hours of Internet browsing

Sales Executives using Acer Tablets at the Dealership

M&M anticipates that its solution will improve customer experience and thus build a competitive advantage for the company. “This is the first of its kind solution in the Indian automotive industry. We are the first ones to introduce this ground-breaking sales methodology in India,” says Arun Malhotra.

Enables Sales Force to Deliver a Consistent, Engaging ExperienceM&M wanted a solution that would deliver a consistent sales story, using technology that would engage the customer, entertain all queries, and educate him/her on all features.

Sales executives are now able to use the tablets in locations where laptops are impractical, for example, on test drives with customers. They can use the tablets to

engage with customers at any time and any place. They can work with the tablet application back and forth in a very natural manner. “The customer can take a close look at a particular feature or get a feel of the luxury car. It also leaves the perception of a luxury brand in line with the latest trends,” explains Bishwanath Ghosh.

“The customer is truly engaged in the interaction and it all helps to close the sale,” adds Vijay Nakra.

Increases Dealer EnthusiasmWindows based Acer tablets are earning high praise from those using them. There is a natural pull from the dealers for this format of sales, which has now become an integral part of the sales process on a pan India basis.

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Acer Tablets being used to provide an engaging experience

Windows 7Works the way you want: Windows 7 will help your organization use information technology to gain a competitive advantage in today’s new world of work. Your people will be able to be more productive anywhere. You will be able to support your mobile workforce with better access to shared data and collaboration tools. And your IT staff will have better tools and technologies for enhanced corporate IT security and data protection, and more efficient deployment and management.

For more information about Windows 7, go to:www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7

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For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:www.microsoft.com

For more information about Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. products and services, visit the website at: www.mahindra.com

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published February 2013

Software and Services Windows 7

Hardware Acer Iconia W500 Tablet