Microsoft and Annata deliver automotive innovation on demand

Microsoft and Annata deliver automotive innovation on demand

Firms’ integrated solutions allowed RCI Serviços and Renault On Demand to work online  
 

Elly Yates-Roberts |


In 2020, the Renault Group launched a start-up, Renault On Demand, with RCI Serviços to roll out a new car subscription service aimed specifically at the Brazilian market. With the new offering, Renault aimed to provide personalised, omnichannel communication methods to its customers with pre-sales and after-sales services.  

However, to achieve this vision and accommodate the potential growth of the service, the vehicle manufacturer required a high-performance platform that would provide unlimited scalability, regardless of the volume and number of accesses of the service by customers. The chosen solution was Dynamics + Annata 365, provided by Microsoft and Annata. 

The base software of the platform combines four Microsoft cloud services – Business Applications, Azure, Modern Work and Data Analytics – with Annata 365, Annata 365 Sales and Annata Analytics. These combined solutions allow Renault on Demand to execute digital marketing campaigns targeting potential buyers to select and customise the vehicle and payment plan of their choice directly from the website. The website then performs data validation, credit analysis, legal analysis and digital execution of the contract. 

“The solution has a very user-friendly and intuitive interface, which facilitates the rapid absorption of knowledge by the operational team,” says Grasiano Gandini, IT coordinator at Renault On Demand. 

As a result of the implementation of Dynamics + Annata 365, customers can use the subscription service to execute their contracts entirely online, without leaving their homes. The first phase of the service launched in early 2020, enabling Renault On Demand to effectively weather the impact of the lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. With its digital framework already in place, it was able to offer flexible short-term leases, vehicle subscription services and simplified contract extensions through its digital platforms with almost no human interaction. The only time that face-to-face contact was required was when a vehicle was delivered to the customer, helping to ensure the safety of both customers and employees.  

Today, Microsoft’s solution and Annata represent the core of the Renault On Demand service. Plans for future developments to the service are set to see Renault deepen its use of the technology it now has at its disposal. 

“We know that the set of solutions we already have has a much greater potential for functionality and we can advance a lot in innovations with what we already have in hand,” says Gandini. 

This article was originally published in the Winter 21/22 issue of Technology Record. To get future issues delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for a free subscription.

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