Innovations

Innovations 

After the pandemic, we are moving forward fast

Our cross-functional team and the FastCo initiative prove that even a crisis can be used to increase competitiveness

he FastCo initiative (from “fast forward after COVID”) was initiated by the ŠKODA AUTO Board of Directors during the first wave of the pandemic in May 2020. A medium-term project led by Andre Wehner, head of the GG – Company Development and Digitisation department, FastCo aims to use the crisis as an opportunity to accelerate the carmaker’s transformation.

The core team of around 30 employees was divided into four cross-functional working groups coordinated by Adriana Pavlíková (GGP), Štěpán Lacina (SPS), Kateřina Kramešová (PSI-P) and Dana Plath (VB). In the context of the changed business environment caused by COVID-19, the team was given the unique task of developing measures with an implementation time of between 6 and 12 months to increase the competitiveness of the carmaker in the fields of 1. organisation and structure, 2. ways of work and culture, 3. internal operations and 4. business model, products and services. 

The FastCo team quickly identified 25 measures and presented its first results at the November meeting of the Board of Directors. They covered the coronavirus situation and issues like teleworking, the digitisation of our internal processes and interactive digital showrooms. Selected measures can be found in the “Four innovations” column. ED

Four innovations  

Read what the working group leaders had to say about the presented projects:

1

Digitisation of internal processes  

Organisation and structure 

“One of the big topics in the car industry (IT Strategy) and beyond is the digitisation of internal processes. The aim is to streamline existing processes by using appropriate digital technologies like robotic process automation. One of the implemented projects for the FR department saves 10 hours per week when checking payment proposals. Smart automation for FCP will replace several days of work by creating monthly reports on energy consumption. We are currently working on six automation projects and plan to carry out another 12 next year”, explains Adriana Pavlíková from GGP – Procedural and Organisational Management.

2

Mobile Work 2.0  

Ways of work and culture

“In the Mobile Work 2.0 initiative, we address the hardware and software we use, care for the health of our employees and develop new training opportunities. So far, we’ve simplified the signing of the mobile work agreement and presented important feedback from employees and managers on how to work more efficiently from home. We work closely with the KOVO Trade Union so that the measures taken benefit the carmaker and the company is attractive to the existing and new colleagues”, says Štěpán Lacina from SPS – Social Relations and HR Compliance about the initiative.

3

COVID-19 Case Records @SMART app

Internal operations

“In our team, we thought of identifying employees who are in quarantine or have positive tests. This would speed up the tracing of other employees with whom these people were in contact and who may have become infected. Thanks to the quick response of the team led by Jiří Prokop and Barbora Svárovská from the SG – Health Services and Ergonomics department, we had a functional application available in just two months, which can be used by all the employees. The application uses a more sophisticated and efficient way of tracing, thanks to which we protect the health of the ŠKODA employees even more and help keep the carmaker running”, says Kateřina Kramešová from PSI-P – Production System. See the November/December 2020 issue of ŠKODA Mobil for more details about the application.

3

Digital showrooms 

Business models, products and services 

In the pilot project, 220 dealers in 22 countries use digital showrooms. They are equipped with a set of innovative digital tools that support sales, as such, and represent new trends that respond to customers’ behaviour when they’re buying cars. Thanks to them, our dealers have all the necessary information about the cars on offer and their elements and they can visualise various cars, model variants and equipment levels in high resolution on very large screens. This enables the seller to better deal with their customers while still meeting the hygienic norms. The whole presentation is enhanced by interactive self-service touch screens, tablets and tables. The integration of other sales systems, such as the stock of specific dealers or direct access to the car configurator, is also very beneficial”, says Dana Plath from VB – Business Development.