In another step to advance digital connectivity and features in vehicles, Stellantis, which has its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills and offers 14 brands, and Salesforce, a global leader in customer relationship management (CRM), today announced new details of AI, real time data, and automation features.
Salesforces’ New Automotive Cloud features help automotive companies increase productivity, revenue, and customer loyalty. With Automotive Cloud, automotive companies can deliver immersive, in-car experiences powered by real-time personalization and build connected experiences at every customer touch point, whether they are driving, buying, or servicing their vehicle.
“Automotive Cloud is the connective tissue that brings together vehicle data, retail data, and customer data,” says Achyut Jajoo, senior vice president and general manager of automotive and manufacturing at Salesforce in San Francisco. “Adding Data Cloud, automotive companies can unify all of this data into a single, real-time profile for every customer, and build personalized experiences at every touch point.
“What we are really doing is creating an interactive, real-time data platform that helps you build this orchestration engine for new consumer experiences. With Automotive Cloud connecting vehicle data with customer, retail, and household data, automakers can now understand what someone needs and when they need it,” says Jajoo.
“And in the future, the quality and level of personalization for the driver experience will matter as much, if not more, than the car itself. Software is the new brand differentiator for the auto industry.”
That real-time aspect will come in handy in a variety of situations, according to Jajoo. Layering web-based and location-based data, for example, a car will alert a hungry driver that their favorite fast food dining spot is coming up in a few miles. From the car, the driver can instantly place an order via a voice-enabled chat bot and even utilize a special coupon generated on the fly for the driver.
During a media briefing Wednesday at the Shinola Hotel in downtown Detroit, officials from Stellantis, including Ryan Miller, chief digital officer at Stellantis Financial, and Mamatha Chamarthi, head of software business and product management at Stellantis, along with Jajoo, discussed the potential for the new technology.
Chamarthi, an avid muscle car fan, says in the future a customer could take a sportscar to an enclosed racetrack, add extra horsepower as a feature on demand, and start racing. In turn, fleet systems would have access to new safety systems and driving solutions to prevent stress.
Other alerts would let people know, following an accident, where an ambulance is coming from, how long it will take to arrive, and potentially move digitally equipped cars out of the way automatically to make room.
In another instance, if a customer left a car window open and it started raining, Chamarthi says the digital system would send an alert to the customer’s phone, and they could then close the window via an app.
On the commercial side, vehicles will serve as platforms for advanced fleet management and telematics solutions. With route optimization, real-time planning, remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and driver performance monitoring, businesses will be able to minimize driver downtime and further optimize fleet operations.
Another common situation where connected cars will thrive? Fender benders. In a connected car future, camera recognition technology will confirm everyone is OK and doesn’t require medical assistance. Then, with Salesforce technology, a workflow will automatically kick off — alerting the insurance carrier, proactively calling a tow truck, and initiating the claims process all automatically and in real time.
Currently, 68 percent of consumers report plans to reassess their spending with automotive brands over the coming year amid a tightening economy and high inflation. Delivering connected car experiences will be key for automotive brands, as 72 percent of consumers report that digitization has increased their satisfaction with the car buying process, and 37 percent of consumers worldwide reported they would switch car brands for better connectivity.
Automotive Cloud uses the full power of the Customer 360 to pair best-in-class apps with out-of-the-box solutions containing industry-specific data models and processes. Now, automotive companies can create a single view of the entire customer and vehicle lifecycle with intelligent, automated, and real-time technology.
New capabilities coming to Automotive Cloud include:
— Automotive Cloud Intelligence will leverage Salesforce Einstein AI and CRM Analytics to provide real-time intelligence and actionable insights across the auto ecosystem – like vehicle inventory and dealer performance – to make faster, more informed decisions and improve profitability with features like Parts Forecasting, Lead Scoring and Inventory Analysis.
— Automotive Cloud also increases efficiency with automation. With new capabilities like Warranty Lifecycle Management, complex warranties can be created and managed easily. And, by automating the claims process, service teams can get claims approved quickly.
— And, with Salesforce Data Cloud and MuleSoft, automakers can process and integrate real-time vehicle, customer, and retail data with Automotive Cloud to deliver more personalized connected car and customer experiences.
— With Inventory Management, business users will be able to search and segment retail and network inventory data to track sales performance and manage shortages with the ability to easily transfer inventory across their networks.
— The new Experience Cloud for Automotive will create connected, personalized digital experiences, fast. It also helps auto companies collaborate more efficiently with ecosystem partners — like dealers and agents — and empower consumers with new features like Scheduler for Automotive that makes it easy to set up test drives, service appointments, and more, with just a few clicks.
“Automotive Cloud creates endless possibilities with a comprehensive, real-time data foundation that enables automotive companies to do everything from powering the rise of software-defined vehicles, to creating new revenue streams, to delivering faster, easier, and more personalized consumer experiences at every interaction,” says Jajoo.
“By layering in powerful AI, analytics, and automation, automotive companies can drive efficiency and growth, improve strategic decision-making, and free up time and resources.”
In the near future, Automotive Cloud will take advantage of Einstein GPT and conversational AI to help automotive companies engage customers in hyper-personalized ways and do things like recommend best next-steps and new products and services based on a customer’s unique needs.
Salesforce partner Conversica also has launched a new, pre-built generative AI integration, available now on AppExchange. AI-powered digital assistants engage and move buyers through the sales process, help build campaigns, and more.
For more information, visit salesforce.com.
