Automatisierung in Autohäusern: Auswirkungen der Digitalisierung auf die Effizienz der Serviceprozesse im Aftersales

Abstract

Advancing digitalization requires an adaptation of processes in the aftersales area of car dealerships. Given the dynamic change in the automotive industry, it is essential to examine the effects of digitalization on the efficiency of service processes and the workload of employees. Customers expect fast responses to their needs and constant availability, which leads to changing expectations and requirements. In addition, technological advances are shortening product life cycles and increasing competition, resulting in new systems and training requirements. The central problem of this thesis deals with how car dealerships can overcome the challenges of digitalization in the aftersales area to remain competitive, work more efficiently, and improve service quality. To answer this question, a comprehensive literature review and qualitative interviews were conducted. Furthermore, the vehicle acceptance process of the automobile manufacturer BMW from 2015 and today was modeled and analyzed to draw additional conclusions. The results show that the digitalization of service processes in the aftersales area leads to significant increases in efficiency. The introduction of the ISPA NEXT system at BMW and partially automated processes has significantly reduced the number of process steps. Expert interviews confirm this increase in efficiency through the use of key readers, which enable vehicle data to be recorded in advance and improve the planning of workshop capacity utilization. These results are in line with the literature, which considers digitalization to be crucial for increasing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of manufacturing and service processes. The study also shows that the volume of staff work remains constant despite efficiency gains. However, the complexity and diversity of the systems used require increased training and changes in the demands on staff. The use of different programs increases the workload and makes it more difficult for older employees in particular to adapt to new technologies. Overall, the work shows that digitalization in the aftersales area of car dealerships leads to efficiency gains, which are currently at least partially offset by increased training requirements and adaptation difficulties. Successfully overcoming these challenges is necessary for competitiveness and to benefit from the advantages of digital transformation in the long term.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Maximilian Gruber (Supervisor)