Tata Consultancy Services, in cooperation with SAP, launches AURA dealer business management service for automotive retailers

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions firm, in cooperation with SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), today, launched AURA Dealer Business Management (DBM) Golden Template, a new predefined service based on an innovative, business-ready and 'lean' model built for the auto retail sector.

AURA DBM Golden Template is a result of co-innovation and joint development efforts between TCS and SAP. The new AURA service has been built on the SAP® ERP and SAP Dealer Business Management applications. The service is offered in the form of a packaged implementation service that can help jumpstart business operations of auto retailers, and contains standard baseline functionality, best practices and end-to-end process scenarios for sales, service, parts business, finance, human resources and their related reports. As a fixed-cost service provided in a ready-to-deploy and out-of-the-box format, AURA reduces implementation time, provides an increased return on investment, and facilitates gradual, stage-wise customisation and change management.

"The last few years have seen the automotive retail ecosystem under intense pressure," said Milind Lakkad, head, manufacturing industry unit, TCS. "This service will provide dealers a new path to profitability and help the OEMs and channel providers differentiate their offerings and services in the market space. AURA weaves new business models built on a cutting-edge technology platform. Today there are over 100,000 automotive dealers worldwide, and the AURA solution, integrated with SAP solutions, will enable dealers and automotive OEMs to rapidly upgrade their business operating systems with contemporary best practices."

TCS has established a centre of excellence for dealer business management that will further drive the process of collaboration between TCS and SAP, to support and develop further innovations to this service to auto dealers and retailers.

"SAP Dealer Business Management leverages the power of the SAP Business Suite to increase value for automotive dealers by providing real-time visibility into the entire range of business operations - from customers to vehicles - at a lower, fixed cost," said Holger Masser, head, automotive industry business unit, SAP. "Automotive retail customers will benefit from the co-innovation between SAP and TCS that has resulted in the AURA DBM Golden Template built on SAP ERP and SAP Dealer Business Management. The use of this predefined service will help automotive retail dealers get up to speed quicker with a DBM that supports their end-to-end business process needs."