The collaboration aims to boost digital sales and customer experience in Europe for the new Chinese-built electric smart cars
Infosys a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, has announced that it has signed a five-year collaboration with automotive marque smart Europe GmbH to refine its Direct-to-Customer (D2C) business model in Europe.
Daimler-owned smart has a three-decade reputation for small city cars that is now being relaunched as a Chinese built electric-only brand.
In a press statement the company said it will “provide enhanced customer experience, data-driven personalization and engagement for the existing model smart #1, the newly announced smart #3, and other upcoming all-electric models from the iconic brand. Through this strategic collaboration, Infosys will help smart Europe GmbH redefine the online EV buying experience and apply state-of-the-art Machine Learning (ML) models to accurately forecast sales and aftersales demand.
Infosys was chosen to assist the premium EV maker in this transformation for its deep expertise in enabling consolidation across automotive sales and e-commerce processes and systems. To enable smart Europe GmbH derive exceptional value from software, data, and cloud investments, Infosys will leverage its trusted process, functional and technical expertise, complemented by a design thinking-led consulting approach. Infosys will also help smart Europe GmbH to efficiently sell electric vehicles across 15 European countries with a D2C sales approach and secure engagement across lead generation, prospect conversion, sales and aftersales channels, supplemented by end-to-end ownership and accountability.
Smart cars have been around since 1998 originally conceived by SMH, the markers of Swatch in Switzerland, a decade before which finally won the backing of German Daimler-Benz, which makes Mercedes-Benz cars.
In 2006, after dwindling sales and heavy financial losses, Smart GmbH was liquidated and its operations were absorbed by DaimlerChrysler directly and operated by the company until 2019.
In 2019, Daimler announced the establishment of a joint venture partnership with Chinese automaker Geely. The deal, worth a total of US$830 saw a new production plant in China. In 2021, the first concept of this partnership, called Concept #1, was unveiled at the Munich Motor Show. The concept vehicle is built on Geely’s SEA platform and features design details of existing Smart models, including a panoramic glass roof, frameless suicide-style rear doors, and a large 12.8-inch (33 cm) touchscreen infotainment system.
Dirk Adelmann, Chief Executive Officer, smart Europe GmbH, said, “We are pleased to have Infosys as our partner on this journey. Infosys’ strong leadership commitment backed by its ability to drive end-to-end application development and maintenance with efficiency and effectiveness, will help us boost our operational performance and user experience.”
Jasmeet Singh, EVP and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said, “We are delighted to deliver our cutting-edge technologies to innovative companies like smart Europe GmbH to help ramp up their competitiveness in the European market. Infosys has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to powering innovation-driven customer experiences across touchpoints through our automotive and mobility offerings. Leveraging a blend of our expertise in the domain and strong regional presence, we will help smart Europe GmbH fast-track the adoption of cutting-edge digital solutions. The success of this engagement will be a real game changer for both smart Europe GmbH and Infosys in the electric mobility era.”
About Infosys
It says: “Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace.”
Discover more about the company visit www.infosys.com
