Shaping the future positioning of xCall service proposition

A leading B2C roadside assistance service provider in the global automotive industry needed to analyse the market for xCall services including eCall, bCall and concierge/iCall. Impacted by recent regulations, vertical integrations by competitors and horizontal integrations by players in other industries, the client sought to reassess its current position in this rapidly evolving market.

The necessity of an agile examination was due to two main factors attributing to a transformed landscape in the automotive service industry. First, OEMs and telematics service providers emphasise telematics to deliver value-added services. Embedded platforms and aftermarket solutions are leveraged to monetise after-sale services. Artificial intelligence, voice recognition, software progression and network upgrades will secure incessant system improvements.

Second, the pan-European eCall mandate requires OEMs to install embedded eCall devices in all new type-approved vehicles from April 2018. Aside from the critical safety benefits, this mandate allows OEMs to boost their connected service offerings. It calls for the attention of players from across the entire value chain, from manufacturing to service provision, with stakeholders looking for ways to realise the benefits, while facing the multiple challenges from shifting delivery procedures.

Defining the key market trends in the industry allowed PTOLEMUS to approach the assignment bottom-up. Regulatory and competitive situations were analysed at country-level by gathering insights and a market overview through research, interviews and workshops focusing on scenario analysis. Additionally, in-depth competitor benchmarking and examination of the OEMs´ strategies generated the core elements necessary for an exhaustive market overview.

PTOLEMUS delivered the project in 3 months, during which our consultants conducted over 20 interviews with key stakeholders in the ecosystem, assessed 8 countries’ regulatory and structural frameworks, analysed and evaluated the likelihood of multiple scenarios, and produced a summary of connected service offerings by OEMs and service providers.

The project’s deliverables equipped the client”s management team with the capacity to crystallise future strategies for market activities in distinctive countries, based on market complexity, competitiveness and demand. Furthermore, evaluation of trends and scenarios underpinned the client’s future value proposition within the automotive industry.