#Japan #Subaru #Tokyo #AI Transformation #BRING OUT

SUBARU Collaborates with BRING OUT on Revolutionary Customer Engagement

In a groundbreaking initiative, SUBARU has partnered with BRING OUT to utilize advanced customer interaction data analytics across its extensive network of over 150 stores and more than 1,000 employees. This project marks a pivotal shift in SUBARU's commitment to improving sales and customer service through innovative technology and data insights.

Transition to Large-scale Trial Phase

Following a successful proof of concept (PoC) that revealed the benefits of analyzing dialogue data, the companies are now moving into a large-scale trial phase. This phase aims to share key information regarding customer discussions in a standardized manner across the organization, ultimately striving for enhanced interaction quality.
BRING OUT, led by CEO Kei Nakano, provides an AI-driven business transformation platform aimed at enabling businesses to upgrade their sales strategies and customer engagement.

The initial phase saw collaboration between the Business Innovation Department of SUBARU's Domestic Sales Headquarters and BRING OUT's AI Transformation (AX) consultants. Together, they focused on AI analysis of dialogue data from customer discussions, which enabled the visualization of sales encounters and provided actionable insights for improvement.

Key Challenges Addressed

In the traditional automotive sales environment, valuable customer discussions often turn into a 'black box,' making it challenging for sales managers to capture the nuances of customer sentiments and decision-making processes. Commonly faced challenges include:

• - Inability for managers to attend all customer meetings, leading to after-the-fact guidance.
• - Sales reports lacking the depth needed to convey the customer's emotional state and doubts effectively.
• - Unique and effective customer interactions being highly personalized, making replication and training difficult.

This disconnect has created a scenario where customers sometimes feel their thoughts and anxieties are not adequately acknowledged, which can detract from their buying experience. On the operational side, these communication gaps result in missed improvement and training opportunities.

The AI-Driven Solution

The proof of concept prioritized analyzing the essential information gathered from customer discussions (including their feedback and decision-making status) using AI tools. The main aim was to enhance the visibility of sales discussions and enable a more straightforward exchange of insights between team members and management. In doing this, the process ensures that valuable customer insights are captured and shared appropriately, circumventing previous communication pitfalls that led to a lack of actionable information.

The approach taken during this PoC was grounded in a careful design of use cases that align with the real needs of the stores. This meant engaging directly with the involved teams, understanding their workflows, and pinpointing what information they truly needed to enhance their sales processes. They sought to validate the operations that would allow for the presentation of actionable insights informed by AI analysis of dialogue data.

Visualizing Discussions and Next Steps

Specific focus areas for the PoC included:

• - Visualization of sales discussions and advice on next steps.
• - Development and identification of sales skill metrics to aid coaching.
• - Accumulating extensive information on customer lifestyles and preferences to improve proposal quality.

With these structures in place, the PoC aimed to test if organizing and utilizing core sales 'dialogue' data could enhance team reflections, coaching, and proposal refinement without overwhelming the staff's current workload.

Outcomes of the PoC

The insights generated through this initial testing phase have reported significant improvements in multiple aspects of operations:

• - Customer Experience and Management: Store managers reported enhanced visibility into customer sentiments, making it easier to tailor follow-ups and proposals based on individual needs. This visibility persists even when the manager is absent, ensuring continuity in customer care.
• - Training and Development: Young sales staff, previously struggling to identify their own challenges, have become proactive in developing their interactions with customers. Veteran employees can now utilize data to reflect on their sales practices, leading to improved performance focused on customer perspectives.
• - Performance Metrics: Continued commitment to reflective improvement cycles has notably increased the quality of individual sales discussions. Team members, who occasionally missed sales targets, have successfully realigned their approaches using the insights gathered, restoring their confidence in the sales process.

Future Directions

The partnership with SUBARU is not merely aimed at streamlining operations but seeks to transform the overall philosophy of customer interaction in automotive sales. With plans to extend this initiative across all dealerships, the goal is to foster a sustainable model for personalized customer engagement, grounding sales processes in shared understanding and collaborative decision-making.

As part of a broader digital transformation strategy, BRING OUT will help integrate this new framework into existing customer relationship management systems, allowing for centralized access to vital customer information gathered during sales interactions.

Executive Remarks

CEO Kei Nakano noted, "At BRING OUT, our focus isn't just on technology capabilities but on enhancing the significance of customer conversations in our business practices. Each customer's journey represents vital feedback that shapes our sales processes, ultimately enriching their purchasing experience. Our collaboration with SUBARU is a stride toward ensuring that every customer is treated with the attention they deserve across our organizational structure."

BRING OUT continues to lead the way in transforming dialogue into actionable data, with ongoing expansion efforts to forge lasting improvements in customer engagement practices.

About BRING OUT
BRING OUT is an AX firm dedicated to transformational business strategies driven by data insights. Our mission emphasizes understanding the nuances of interactions and leveraging AI to foster cohesive and effective organizational changes. With a strong portfolio of services, we enable businesses to navigate complexity and drive continuous growth in the landscape of modern customer engagement.