Mazda's Three-Pronged Mobility Approch

Comment | Print | RSS

• Login to Rate

After all, DiMarzio said in an interview that his department has a trio of primary customers: internal employees of the Irvine, Calif., car manufacturer, its dealers, and consumers. The company could strictly control employees' mobile devices, but it has no ability to determine the type of device other users prefer. Nor does it want to. As a result, it needed a mobility approach that embraced smartphones, tablets, and notebooks.

Like many other organizations, Mazda North America chose not to limit employees' mobile options, preferring to adopt a bring-your-own-device approach that mirrored consumer use, he said. But when the manufacturer unveiled one of its first mobile solutions for its dealers, it focused on the Apple iPad, in part because of the device's general popularity and in part because of how easy it is to use.

"Dealers are very traditional in the way they do business," DiMarzio said. "We're not trying to replace the sales consultant or do his or her job. Rather, we want to assist them."

Developed internally, Mazda North America's iPad application gives sales reps access to a wealth of information about the company's vehicles. Since it was rolled out in June, the app has been a hit. Between 60 percent and 65 percent of dealers now use it, he said.

"The turnover at the salesperson level is over 100 percent per year. Dealers are constantly retraining, and having everybody knowledgeable about all our products is virtually impossible."

The app lets sales reps pick and choose the information they see or show to customers, such as videos, vehicle specifications, and features. It is designed to complement sales reps' face-to-face selling techniques, not replace them. Customers enjoy the technological approach to information, he said. "Consumers are able to see it in a way that jumps out at them."

Mazda North America plans to introduce apps to assist in other employee roles within dealerships, DiMarzio said. For example, an app could track work on customers' vehicles, warranties, and orders. The company is also investigating tools for dealers' finance departments.

Within Mazda North America, authorized employees can view up-to-date vehicle sales information on their iPhones. Consumers can use an app to make service appointments, check service histories, and mark their parking spot at an arena or mall.

"We've taken a very cautious approach," DiMarzio said, "but we're on a path for growth. People have a very good understanding of how to visualize this information. Give it another year or two, and you'll see more. We're embracing consumerization."

Virtual support
The use of virtualization supports Mazda North America's mobility implementation -- and a whole lot more.

The automaker virtualized on VMware and Dell servers, in part to enable finance department users to access information stored in SAP software quickly, DiMarzio said. Its storage needs continued to grow, both in size and cost.

Last year, Mazda North America piloted virtualized desktops, giving some employees mobile devices and others thin clients, depending on their screen-size needs. The program generated savings, which was ploughed into more wireless access points, an upgraded network backbone, and more Dell Compellent storage.

The virtualization program also "saves from a support point-of-view," he said. "We haven't billed it as a dollar savings internally, because we wanted to take any savings we get and invest them internally. We want to improve the infrastructure and provide better service."

However, the IT department delivered straight dollar savings to the chief financial officer when it virtualized infrastructures in the United States and Canada and ended its disaster recovery contract with SunGard. "That is a cost-saving. Using a third-party like SunGard is a very expensive way to do things. It's very professional, and it's very safe, but it's very expensive."

In fact, the virtualized solution delivered a payback in less than a a year.

Since its data is safe and accessible, its employees are equipped with the most appropriate devices, and its IT professionals are busy developing the next generation of applications for mobile users, Mazda North America is ready to keep consumers moving.

Related posts:

• Extra-Natural Disasters
• Tablets Haven't Replaced Laptops