European Automotive OEMs: leveraging connected technologies and digitalization as a vital prerequisite to sustain Coping with the changing customer demand in a disruptive business environment

Abstract

This Master Thesis will assess the question; how much digitalization, and connected technology is of importance to sustain as an automotive OEM in the long run. Our research focuses on the 3 leading German premium OEMs namely Audi, BMW and Mercedes, a Daimler brand, as we believe they provide a representative picture of the overall OEM's status quo when it comes to applying connected technology and digitization in their vehicles. In addition, we will study whether digitalization and connected technologies are vital prerequisites to be understood and embraced in full by automotive OEMs in order to sustain as a brand, or even as an entire industry. In order to study this and find supporting evidence to confirm our hypothesis, we created a model allowing us to combine the behavior of the customer, the (mega)trends within society, the business structure of the automotive industry as well as the (smart)phone industry and the offerings of the chosen 3 German OEMs. The inputs for this model are based on available datasets provided by global acting research institutes, qualitative analysis, and scientific research papers. By applying the Porter’s 5 Forces (P5F) model to assess the industry and its connected offering, and blending our findings with customer behavior, customer generation assessment, and mega trends influencing the automotive industry, we aim to improve our understanding of where the chosen OEMs and – pars pro toto – the entire automotive industry is situated and heading to, in regard to connected technology. Comparing the automotive industry with the mobile/smartphone industry and its inherent business disruption that occurred starting in the mid-2000s, we intend to transparently showcase both the growing force of the buyer, and the lack of customer understanding leading to new entrants taking over a mature and established market place. Placing a special focus on the upcoming Self-Aware and Self-Centered customer generations (Y & Z), and their disruptive change in purchase behavior, brand perception, and information gathering, will assist in understanding future needs when it comes to creating relevant mobility products for the end customer.