Deloitte, Tongji University to Deepen Automotive Cooperation

Riding the trend towards autonomous, connected vehicles, automotive sector original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) now have more opportunities to engage with end users. Amid fierce competition in the mobility market, OEMs need to think laterally and consider soft demand for new user experiences.

Against this backdrop, Deloitte invited two experts in different aspects of user experience to discuss the topic "Growth opportunities in the downturn: Elevating user experience in the automotive industry" at Deloitte's office at Shanghai Bund Center on 28 November 2019.

Deloitte auto sector partners from our management consulting and digital strategy functions, a Tongji University professor and Tencent Auto Intelligence executive shared their insights and predictions for user experience in the automotive industry. They then explored the O2O customer journey in the auto sector, in-vehicle user experience design, and the impacts of emerging technologies on user experience.

From Left to Right:
Andy Zhou, Deloitte Auto Consulting Leader
Ma Jun, Dean of School of Automotive Marketing and Management, Professor of the College of Design & Innovation at Tongji Univerisity
Zhou Ping, Senior Advisor of Tencent Auto Intelligence
Seong Kiu Kang, Deloitte Consulting Digital Strategy Partner
Endy Fung, Deloitte Partner, Digital Transformation COE

To kick off the event, Deloitte Consulting Digital Strategy Partner Seong Kiu Kang presented "The connected automotive purchase experience under a new digital paradigm", analyzing O2O interplay during the automobile purchase journey. He summed up the importance of establishing a CCIC (Central Customer Interaction Center) to plan and coordinate each touch point throughout the customer journey and monitor the execution of standardized workflows.

Andy Zhou from Deloitte Auto Consulting, Ma Jun from Tongji University, Zhou Ping from Tencent Auto Intelligence, Seong Kiu Kang from Deloitte Consulting, and Endy Fung, Deloitte Partner in the Digital Transformation COE, joined a panel discussion to explore "Elevating automotive industry user experience in an interconnected world." The discussion started by exploring what defines a good user experience, went on to discuss the automotive purchase and in-vehicle experiences, and ended a discussion of human-vehicle relationships.

In the internet age, it is extremely important to know how to use digital tools to empower user experiences, bearing in mind Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs from safety to ultimate self-actualization.

The panelists suggested the automotive industry will be more focused on humans rather than mechanics in future, as it seeks to understand the thoughts of younger generations, create scenarios, satisfy user's emotional needs and elevate the user experience to the level of self-actualization. 5G and AI enabled smart cockpits and smart spaces other ways to forge a next-level user experience, utilizing Internet of Vehicles platforms to collaborate with various companies in the ecosystem. The panelists expect Deloitte to be a driver of this ecosystem, connecting with various companies and helping OEMs create new experiences and value.

At the end of seminar, Deloitte Auto Consulting Leader Andy Zhou signed a cooperation agreement with Ma Jun, Dean of the School of Automotive Marketing and Management and Professor of the College of Design & Innovation at Tongji University. Deloitte and Tongji University will work together to explore user experience, connected vehicles and many other aspects of mobility.

Another highlight of the seminar was a user experience booth that was created for attendees to use AR and VR technology to experience autonomous driving and Future of Mobility scenarios. Through this set up, attendees were able to generate more concrete ideas about how advanced technologies might play out in creating the user experience of the future.