Voila! Volvo’s Victorious Go Live!

This month’s exciting news is the go live of the Volvo Car UK omni-channel solution to buying cars, which Akeno are proud and honoured to have supported. But what exactly is "omni-channel"….

"Omni-channel" is the ability to switch between ‘bricks and clicks’ for your purchasing experience, based on your own preferences and requirements. Put simply, it gives you, the Customer, the control over your purchasing journey; be that online, or in a traditional Retailer setting, or indeed, a blend of them both. 

For example, you may sit at home on a Friday night, looking at cars online, and even configuring your dream car. You may then decide to pop into your local Dealership to test drive the car on a Saturday afternoon, speaking to a Sales Executive to have your questions answered. You’re a busy person, so don’t have time to sit in the Dealership for hours going through financial figures and having your current car valued to potentially part exchange, so you decide to continue your journey at home. A good omni-channel solution will enable you to do your own financial quotations, and even value your part exchange online. When you’ve configured your finance in a way that works for you, you can then apply online, and some Brands even have the capability to electronically sign your finance paperwork.

Choice is definitely the way forward. As Consumers, our requirements and expectations are greater, and the automotive industry must adapt, otherwise some Brands could easily become the next Woolworths or Blockbuster. That’s not to say that in 10 years’ time everyone will be buying cars online and never stepping foot in a physical Retailer environment. On the contrary, for a big purchase like a car, many Customers will always demand a physical presence, but the industry must adapt to the growing number that require a different experience. 

Some Customers don’t want the ‘performance’ that can sometimes come with a car purchase; the Sales Executive disappearing into “the office” to speak to “the finance guy” to do his best to get us “the best price”, but only if we buy today…. Many people want a simple, efficient and transparent experience. Many of us are time-poor; we just want our transactions to be as easy as possible, in order to fit into our busy lives.

So, what can Akeno do to support a digital omni-channel project?

Our role in a project changes, based on the needs of the Client. We adapt our approach and resource based on the role that’s needed to get the project to a successful completion. Sometimes that role may be Project Management, other times it may be detailed analysis of the business, in order to define requirements and support the design of the solution; both technically and operationally. 

The first step is to understand the project, the Client, and the existing team, so we can advise on the support required, and the roles that need to be fulfilled. We can then propose an approach that will ensure success.

We challenge, advise, design and document, all whilst supporting, and where required, developing, local processes and people, in order to leave a legacy of best practice. 

One thing that is consistent in our approach though, is our attitude. We are positive, approachable, supportive and gracious. We’re there to complement and work with local teams, Suppliers and individuals, in order to achieve a collective success, which is (we are told!), why we get asked back again for new projects!

We are very proud of our most recent project with Volvo Cars UK. They are an incredible Brand, with a wonderful team of people who made even the busiest days, a pleasure. Check out the solution now, and you never know, you might even end up buying a new car…..