Business Daily Media

Men's Weekly

.

Microsoft supports Inchcape on its data-driven digitalization journey with Azure 

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 16 March 2023 - In a digital-first world, enterprises are generating data at breakneck speed as they integrate technology into all areas of the business to adapt to market and digital disruptions.



Over the last few years, market changes in the automotive sector have created a growing value gap between manufacturers and consumers. Industry disruptions such as changing customer digital behavior, stricter ESG regulations, and the boom in demand for electric and hybrid vehicles have led companies to rethink their digital transformation strategy, with data and analytics at the heart of it.

To set the foundation for analytics success, global automotive distributor Inchcape turned to Microsoft for its business needs. Inchcape distributes and markets vehicles of some of the world's most popular brands like Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW to over 40 countries across six continents, including Singapore.

Hitting the accelerator on data transformation

Recognizing the value in embracing data-driven digitalization for predictive analytics in customer engagement, pricing optimization, and demand forecasting, the company established a new strategy called 'Accelerate', which had digital transformation at its heart. To build out its data and analytics capabilities, Inchcape sought out Microsoft Singapore's partner, Tiger Analytics Inc, to put its digital strategy into action.

Inchcape's platform of choice for a seamless omni-channel transformation was Microsoft Azure to leverage the company's existing SQL-based systems. Using Azure meant that migration and deployment of workloads could be automated, faster, and more agile compared to other platforms. In addition, Inchcape could access Databricks and Data Factory to facilitate efficient data transformation.

Navigating data-driven digitalization with Azure

Inchcape identified three areas for initial use cases for its data models, utilizing them as tools for making better business decisions. The first was a lead scoring tool centered around car sales built using the Azure Databricks Data Analytics Platform for customers. The solution allowed Inchcape to determine customers by their 'digital body language' based on website interactions, showroom visits and sales history.

The second use case was for after-sales churn prediction, which was tied to service warranties. By analyzing warranty and car servicing data, Inchcape could engage with customers proactively before they decide to leave.

The third was used in parts pricing optimization and profit maximization, which are tied to transactions with dealerships and shops. By evaluating parts transaction data, Inchcape can determine better opportunities to maximize product price elasticity.

Together with Tiger Analytics, Inchcape built a data analytics center of excellence, achieving a centralized approach to harnessing the power of data. "Data and analytics are at the heart of our Accelerate strategy to set our business up for success. Our leaders empowered us to build a central analytics team and pursue a modern analytical architecture that provides real-time and event-driven business intelligence and predictive analytics insights," says Ram Thilak, Global Head of Data Science & Analytics at Inchcape. "Effective use of Microsoft products helped accelerate delivery and future-proof Inchcape's data management strategy," says Lakshmi Vaideeswaran, VP and Client Partner for Inchcape.

"For instance, having centralized data resulted in a 75 percent improvement in data accessibility across the organization, which fed into day-to-day decision-making. Furthermore, the implementation of Azure Purview helped Inchcape manage metadata, eliminate KPI discrepancies, and support end-to-end data pipelines for advanced analytics and reporting. Azure also provided Inchcape with visibility over cloud use so the company could scale up or down cost-efficiently."

Charting sustainable growth with analytics

As the company plans to expand its analytics capabilities across the business, Inchcape's central analytics team has grown from 20 to 150 employees globally.

Inchcape also established a long-term analytics roadmap to unlock the true value of data and drive its digital strategy well into the future. Learning from the initial use cases, the company is now evaluating 20 more possible use cases to establish how data can be leveraged for business intelligence.

Lee Hui Li, Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore said "data and AI continue to play a prominent role in supporting businesses on their digitalization journey. Microsoft's tools and technologies are designed to benefit everyone, and that includes helping our customers better organize and make sense of their data. As a global leader in cloud and digital technology, we are proud to partner enterprises across industries and help them gear up for success, as we empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more."

Hashtag: #Microsoft

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

News from Asia

HKPC Makes Its Debut at China International Industry Fair 2025

Leading Future Manufacturing with AI Taking 54 Hong Kong Enterprises to Explore Overseas Opportunities HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 15 September 2025 - Hong Kong Productivity Counc...

PAObank and China Ping An Insurance (Hong Kong) Launch Strategic Partnership, Bringing Integrated Banking and Insurance Solutions, Shaping a Digital Bank with Insurance DNA

PAObank 5th Anniversary Treasure Reward UNLOCK High-Interest Time Deposit and Travel Insurance All in OneHONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 15 September 2025 - PAO Bank Limited ("PAObank")...

MINT Incorporation Limited Announces the Launch of New Subsidiary, Axonex Intelligence Limited, Expanding into Smart Facility Management Solutions

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 15 September 2025 - MINT Incorporation Limited (NASDAQ: MIMI) ("MINT" or the "Company"), a leading Hong Kong-based provider of integrated interior design...

Merlin Entertainments' LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Hong Kong Halloween Special Event: "Monster Party" Unleashes a Brick-or-Treat Adventure

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 September 2025 - From now until 2 November 2025, LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Hong Kong, part of Merlin Entertainments Group, invites LEGO® fans of all a...

Allianz Trade in Asia Pacific appoints CEO for Hong Kong Hub

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 September 2025 - Allianz Trade in Asia Pacific is pleased to appoint Hassan Omaish to the role of CEO for Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan (collectiv...

Parisian Luxury Debuts in Bangkok: Rabbit Holdings, under BTS Group, in cooperation with Ananda Unveil "THE RESIDENCES 38" Bangkok’s Ultra-Luxury Condominium with First-Ever Private Fine Dining Kitchen—Together with La Clef Bangkok by The Crest Collection

The French Art de Vivre comes to Sukhumvit 38, combining the ultra-luxury living of The Residences 38, the refined hospitality of La Clef Bangkok by The Crest Collection, and exclusive private dini...

Hongkong Land's BaseHall becomes Hong Kong’s first F&B venue to achieve "Triple Platinum" green building certifications

Hongkong Land sets a new industry benchmark in F&B sustainability, achieving platinum certifications across BEAM Plus, LEED and WELL standards HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach N...

Iglesia Ni Cristo's Care for Humanity Provides Support to International Students and Newcomers in Nine Canadian Cities

TORONTO, CANADA - ACCESS Newswire - September 16, 2025 - The Felix Y. Manalo (FYM) Foundation, the charitable arm of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) or Church of Christ, expanded its global outreach ...

DL Holdings x Bitmain/Antalpha Miner: Hong Kong's First Bitcoin Hashrate Stock

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 September 2025 - After trading hours on 15 September 2025, DL Holdings Group Limited (HKEX: 1709) announced a major strategic cooperation with Fortune ...

Green SM expands all-electric taxi service to Bekasi, supporting the city’s smart mobility vision

BEKASI, INDONESIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 September 2025 - Green SM, the pioneering all-electric taxi service under GSM, has officially launched in Bekasi. From today, residents and visitor...

Why it’s time telcos rethink location and put customer experience first

Maurice Zicman, Vice President - CX Strategy at TP in Australia unpacks why the telco industry must rethink old assumptions and focus on digital-f...

Manny Shah: Is your business disappearing from Google? You’re not alone

Small business owners across Australia are panicking as their websites vanish from Google’s front pages overnight. According to Manny Shah, cofounde...

MR Roads named Queensland Finalist in the 2025 Telstra Best of Business Awards

MR Roads, co-founded by Daniel Mikus and James Rolph, has been announced as a Queensland finalist in the prestigious 2025 Telstra Best of Business...

AWS research shows strong AI adoption momentum in Australia, with startups outpacing large enterprises in innovation

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, released new research revealing that while artificial intelligence (AI) adoption continues to acce...

Changing the World One Bite At a Time: IKU Turns 40

One of Australia’s first plant-based, chef-led eateries and now ready meal provider IKU is celebrating its 40 year anniversary with the business e...

Three generations marking 45 years in hot-air balloons

Australia’s leading hot-air balloon company is celebrating 45 years in the sky and its 700,000th passenger, driven by the passion of father-son du...

Sell by LayBy