Mercedes 2015 Annual Report Download - page 16

Digitization of customer relationships —
we’re always where our customers are
Virtual communication channels, social media formats
and online communities are ideal platforms for a lively
exchange between Daimler and its customers — anytime,
anywhere. The Mercedes me portal and the Mercedes me
app allow anyone to become part of the fascinating world
of Mercedes-Benz. This benefi ts everyone. Interested
parties can contact us at any time, from anywhere, and
customers always have online access to their vehicle data.
We always have our fi nger on the pulse of the market and
can therefore ideally align our premium products with the
dynamic requirements of our customers.
E pages 18 f
Digital business models — fascination through
innovation and state-of-the-art products
Automobile production is our core area of expertise, which
we are now expanding with the help of digital technologies
such as those for autonomous driving or accident-free driv-
ing, as well as systems that continue to merge navigation,
entertainment and vehicle operation functions. Connected
services such as our moovel mobility platform and car2go
car-sharing system are also key business areas. And these
achievements are only the beginning!
E pages 20 f
Digitization of the value chain — the key to meeting
customer requirements effi ciently and individually
Customer requirements around the globe are becoming
more varied and complex, and this is aff ecting the entire
product lifecycle — from vehicle design, development
and production all the way to delivery and the provision
of associated services. The thorough networking of our
processes helps ensure that our products can be designed
in a more individual manner and that their production is
more fl exible and effi cient.
E pages 23 f
Preparing employees for the digital world and giving
them the freedom to develop innovative ideas!
Shorter lines of communication and an ongoing creative
dialogue across business units and hierarchies: Digital
networking is also improving the work environment at our
company. Daimler employees around the world can now
exchange information and generate ideas for future mobil-
ity in internal social networks, through projects, by means
of open-space technologies and at events. In this manner,
we are strengthening the independent entrepreneurial
spirit at our company, as well as its culture of innovation.
E page 25
Daimler is moving ahead
with vehicle connectivity and
data protection
Because the car of the future will increasingly
become a digital companion, it will have to be safe
and secure not only on the road. Data will have to be
processed securely as well. After all, data protection
is also customer protection. Daimler therefore has
clear principles and targeted measures to ensure
data is protected. We protect our customers, their
vehicles and their data by taking our principles of
transparency, personal autonomy and data security
into account as early as the vehicle development
stage.
Much more than just the complete
networking of the automobile
“The Internet and connectivity
DAIMLER INNOVATIVE. DIGITAL. LEADING. 17
What will the world in which Daimler
does business be like in the near
future? One thing is certain, namely
that digitization has long since become
a part of normal daily life — and the
options available for data networking
are already enabling us to transform
each and every part of our company.
As a premium automobile manufacturer, we also seek to be
a leader in digitization and to actively exploit the tremen-
dous opportunities off ered by the Internet and connectivity
in general. Daimler has already transformed itself from a
leading automotive company into a mobility services pro-
vider — and we continue to pick up the pace on the road to
the mobility of the future.
The digital transformation has been fi rmly established
throughout the company and is now a part of our core
business. This transformation has been given the same
strategic importance as green technologies and our
measures for growing in new markets.
The digitization process is being supported by the
DigitalLife@Daimler initiative, which we’re using to develop
strategies and implement projects that will lead to the
digital transformation of all our business units. We are
focusing on two questions here: What do our customers
perceive directly, and what do they perceive indirectly?
We are answering the fi rst question by examining how
customers experience our products and how we establish
and maintain relationships with them. With regard to the
second question, we are digitizing our processes in order
to create the basis for meeting customer requirements
more fl exibly and economically with innovative products.
was implemented. E page 23
Completely connected — we are
designing the digital future
Intelligent data networking is creating completely new possibilities for
the automotive industry. With a digital process chain extending from
research and development to production and sales, the digital era is
already well under way at Daimler. We are a pioneer in this transforma-
tion process, in which we are using digitization to develop innovative
vehicles and services and improve the work environment. In doing so,
we are speeding up profi table processes and the creation of new auto-
motive concepts that will enrich the future of mobility.