In order to improve its productivity, Tofaş exploits the impact which new technologies, especially those incorporating artificial intelligence, platform economies, and crowdsourcing have on traditional competitive factors.

Advances in technology deeply affect strategic priorities and practices. In the age of machine-learning, Tofaş is aware of the need, to correctly balance its traditional and data-based decision-making processes on the one hand and its people-centered and machine-based approaches on the other in order to make sure that its success remains sustainable.

The company is careful to incorporate the needs of changing market and customer relationships into its policies and practices and is mindful also of maintaining a balance between traditional and platform-economy-based new approaches in its business management and revenue-stream models. It takes steps to develop structural solutions and business and process definitions according to the needs of the new economy in order to establish the right balance between central and decentralized trends in the ways that business is done.

In this regard, although priority is given to productivity-improving digital-optimization applications, digital-transformation applications that have the potential to change revenue-stream models are also taken into consideration depending on the company’s strategic priorities.

Because new technological solutions may not be directly applicable to existing process and information structures, a two-pronged approach is taken which aims to ready the data-structure and information-management infrastructure and to develop talent on the one hand and to develop case studies accordingly on the other.

STRUCTURAL READINESS AND TALENT MANAGEMENT

Corporate talent for dealing with new technologies has become the most important lever of strategic and business priorities today. For this reason, Tofaş guides the development and the structural/management changes in its information infrastructure and competencies in such a way as to establish the right balance between the “traditional” and the “new”.

As an essential element of its digital transformation program, Tofaş invests in the development of its data-management infrastructure and in information technologies such as 5G, cloud, and cybersecurity while also continuing to improve the features of its existing databases. In 2019, investments were made in order to continue the ongoing robotic transformation of the company’s basic infrastructure and office processes.

• In the commercial domain, the Dealer Management System (DMS) was completely renovated. Besides simplifying access to information, the new system provides for more convenient data deduplication and applications development.
• In the industrial domain, the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure was developed in order to provide for both centralized and localized (edge) solutions. Predictive maintenance applications have also been initiated on the same infrastructure.
• In order to improve both their productivity and their convenience, human-resource management applications were transferred to a web- and mobile-based internal IT system.
• Office process productivity was improved by the installation of a robot that automatically optimizes office processes.

Making use of the infrastructure outlined above, commercial, industrial, product, and human-resource management applications continue to be developed and commissioned in line with business priorities. A participatory management structure has been set up in order so as to ensure broad-based guidance and familiarity with application roll-outs.

TALENT AND ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Ensuring that Tofaş’s entire value-creation derives the full benefit of the capabilities afforded by new technologies and developing a technology-focused solution ecosystem also fall within the scope of the company’s digital transformation program.

Two important considerations in the implementation of Tofaş’s digital transformation program will be the business-oriented fostering of technology culture and competency throughout the company on the one hand and expansion of the ecosystem so as to include appropriate technology solution partners on the other.

For this purpose we have launched a Data Science Program and begun expanding our data science capacity within the framework of our digital transformation plan; we have identified areas of specialization for guiding the acquisition and implementation of such fundamental technologies as data science, machine learning, IoT, robotic process automation; and we have begun developing the elements of a platform management system for expanding the ecosystem that also takes into account the establishment of appropriate legal infrastructure.

Another pillar of this program is concerned with fostering technology literacy and digital transformation culture both within Tofaş and throughout its value-creation chain. For this purpose, Tofaş Academy, working together with our technology partners, has developed a program that turns digital transformation into a cultural journey whose aim is to support the spread and adoption of technology literacy and digital culture. Individualized, classroom, and video training resources are made available under this program.

As part of its corporate initiative approach, Tofaş also regularly takes part in programs with other Koç Holding organizations as well as with external actors such as NGOs, universities, technology transfer offices, incubation centers, and angel investment networks with the aims of enriching the customer and employee experience and of improving productivity.

In order to provide an environment suitable for developing fast and lean solutions for addressing the needs of Tofaş’s supply chain, a special program has been launched that brings the chain into contact with the lean-enterprise world.

In order to make idea management a part of the “idea-to-practice” process and to enable it, the Tofaş Information & Communication Technologies Directorate also supports digital-transformation proposals by taking part in their management and by serving as a facilitator of that process both internally and externally.

PEOPLE-FOCUSED TRANSFORMATION

TofaşGO is a web- and mobile-based app that was developed and launched to serve as an internal communication platform that makes life easier for Tofaş employees. Offering such features as live broadcasts, social group formation, individualized notifications, and multi-direction real-time feedback, TofaşGO supports digital environment personalization and socialization. By providing quick access to all of the company’s human-resources management portals, TofaşGO also lets people manage their own processes conveniently and without red tape. The app’s portals are designed to solicit feedback so that they may be dynamically developed.

Because new-technology solutions also entail discovery and learning processes each one of which may involve unique developmental processes and impose unique competency requirements, the solutions need to be managed accordingly. Tofaş Academy constantly updates its programs and methodologies so as to ensure both that discovery and learning processes are developed and guided methodically and that the processes address changing competency requirements.

FIAT CONNECT

Fiat Connect is a web- and mobile-based support service that was introduced in 2018. It makes it easy for Fiat users to get and manage detailed information about their vehicles, including service history, and also receive individualized reminders about special campaigns and periodic maintenance. Fiat Connect was launched to give drivers the benefit of continuous, two-way connectivity technology in every model of every vehicle that is made by Tofaş.

When Fiat Connect is activated with its original startup settings, it provides a user with convenient access to information about a vehicle wherever it may be. A Fiat Connect user can see where a vehicle is parked, be notified if the vehicle gets towed away or moves out of range, keep track of and manage trips and driving habits, and be warned if the speed limit is being violated. There are also other features such as the ability to lock and unlock a vehicle remotely.

In 2019 the services provided to Fiat Connect users continued to be expanded and enhanced both by exploiting new opportunities afforded by technology and by taking user experience and feedback into account as well. Fiat Connect continues to be developed with the aim of constantly improving users’ driving experience with the addition of other capabilities such as giving users access to third-party safety and guidance notifications and commercial service offers and ideas for gamifying the entire driving experience.