Clearly the darling of the auto industry today is telematics. The auto industry is toying with a plethora of computer-based vehicle options, but none have yet unleashed high consumer demand. The auto industry has gone through an amazing dotcom, roller-coaster ride. The stock-price crash of dotcom companies is profoundly changing the auto business. Unfortunately, all the auto industry's attention is far downstream from the critical, early stages when a manufacturer first gets the customer's attention.
Marketing is the first step in successfully acquiring new customers.
In one corner is Lean manufacturing. In the opposite camp is computer-based planning and control systems. The explosive growth of e-business is forcing many companies to revisit where they stand in this apparent conflict. The Internet, with its barrage of new business services and pricing formulas, has made it a whole lot more challenging. Covisint is the latest OEM brainchild for leveraging the Internet.