Automotive Sales are Slipping
The high price of fuel and general economic slowdown has caused a dramatic drop in automotive sales across the industry. To grow in this kind of environment, you need a competitive advantage—a strong differentiator that distinguishes your automotive firm from the competition. The best way to do that is to give car buyers what they truly want, not what automotive dealers happen to have in their inventories, by configuring vehicles to buyers’ wants and needs.

Auto buyers are Demanding More
Car buyers have made their voice known. No longer content with the same old thing, consumers are fleeing traditional offerings and are flocking to vehicles configured to express their true individuality. Which brings a new problem—how does an automotive firm manage the complexity that such a large number of configured options brings? Clearly, this is a job for a configurator solution like Selectica’s, which was built from the ground up to manage this type of complexity.

Competition is Increasing
An ever-increasing number of global competitors are stealing market share from the former leaders in the automotive market. New competitors like Scion, Smart, and Tata are beginning to make inroads on the US market, because consumers can see that those cars are truly different from the rest. What’s more, many of the new competitors offer highly configurable options. For example, Scion offers scores of options to make a car uniquely yours, such as carbon fiber engine covers, DVD headrest monitors, underdash illumination, LED rear taillights, cold air intakes, and strut tie bars.

Supply Chains are Becoming Global
Supply chains are becoming global and more complex, because so many parts are made in so many different areas of the world. In this environment, it is vital to have a system that facilitates substitutability of products and components. Without substitutability, manufacturers are subject to idle production lines as plants wait for parts, or wait for new engineering designs for new parts to arrive. The configurator plays an important role here, by assuring that the attributes and constraints of one part are compatible with another part, assuring that an assembly will not be compromised with an alternative part.

If you would like to learn more about Selectica and/or see a demonstration of Selectica’s configurator solution for automotive firms, please contact one of our configuration and pricing experts by clicking here.