Thread Starter
#1
I am an existing customer of TATA Motors with two cars from Tata stable and also hold a few shares of TML.
Working in Engineering industry with twenty years of experience in Global Sourcing, Materials Management, Sourcing for Engineering and Development, Production Planning, Logistics and other Supply Chain Management functions, Supply Quality Assurance and Management.
Views expressed in this article are my personal opinion and not that of 'The Automotive India'.
TATA Motors with its legacy, capabilities and backing of TATA Group should have been the number one.
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...-tata-legacy-story-indian-mnc.html#post210445
Of course it is number one in commercial vehicles by a huge margin.
We are talking about passenger cars - Cars, SUVs, UVs.
There is no doubt about the top management calibre at TATA or TATA Motors.
Company is financially strong and has the means and resources.
Where it has gone wrong?
Dividing this into four sections for a better understanding.
1. Failure of Marketing, Product Management and PR
2. Lethargy and complacency of Sales team
3. Engineering and Development
4. Incompetent, undisciplined Dealers and TASS
1. Failure of Marketing, Product Management and PR
Just see an instance - launch of Storme; the most important launch in last two years:
This could be a case study subject for mangement students as a classic example of poor strategy or the lack of it, poor planning, poor execution and total failure of media and public relations mangement.
Storme as an SUV is of top class in its segment with top notch build quality, fit and finish and has excellent driving dynamics. The poor soul is pulling attraction, generating enquiries and good reviews all in by its own merrit and the nolstagic legacy of Safari.
What help it is getting from Marketing and Sales team?
Showroom personnel across the country remained clueless even after several days of launch.
Dealers, SEs, Potential Customers, Media, General public are all confused as they were before the launch.
The strategy ?!! before launch led to a flood of speculative scoops and rumours which were infact damaging the brand, ridiculing the product and this happened day in and day out for months together and TML acted like it is deaf, dumb and blind.
What was Product Management team doing with all those feedback they got after the expo?
Are they aware that young generation in their twenties are the biggest drivers for sales figure to move northward.
In most families, teenagers influence family buying decision.
What did TML marketing do to connect with these youngsters.
Launch event of Storme was uninspiring and totally disappointing.
Failure of strategy, lack of planning and execution coupled with PR blunders could be seen in several cases.
Another instance was during launch of flagship Aria:
Everything was fine other than some basics:
They made several mistakes in the process like inadequate PR work, not so proper communication and plain external styling which is almost dull from several angles and was looking much similar to Innova than a premium car.
Media gave an impression that TATA is launching Aria as a competition for Innova. TATA Motors never attempted to correct the perception and their media managers were caught sleeping in that project.
So everybody was of the expectation that an Innova competition from TATA Motors would be priced accordingly. Price announcement created shock and many potential buyers backed out instantly.
Damage has been already done, so all subsequent efforts were futile.
In the case of Aria, it was the so called "Taxi image" that they wanted to stay clear off and launch themselves into premium territory. In that process they managed to keep away private usage buyers also.
Injustice to Nano:
Nano was a brave new idea, an absolute innovation and a game changer in automobile industry.
PR and Media management lethargy did severe damage to Nano.
{Projecting Nano as a car for the poor is not an issue to be discussed here. That was a genuine mistake and such things can happen to any new campaign even if it is backed by a well planned strategy}
There are several other cases of inaction and lack of understanding -
There were all kinds of rumour and speculation about the materials used and the way Nano is assembled. This flood of nonsense information in main stream media led common man to form a negative image and perception about Nano.
Even during the launch day of Nano, some major news papers were carrying wrong information (with graphical representation) about Nano - parts are glued together, low on safety, use of plastic body and many such things and those wrong information spread through internet.
Media managers at TML never bothered to clear the air and put things in perspective.
They should have released right and relavant information systematically and created a positive environment before the launch.
Same is the case with Storme.
Its so blunt but cannot help asking;
What if there is no Marketing, Product Management and PR team in TML from tomorrow?
Full marks if the answer sounds something like "Nothing will change and its business as usual"
2. Lethargy and complacency of Sales team
What if there is no Sales team from tomorrow?
An apt answer is 'Sales won't get affected'.
Need to write several pages with examples and narration of our experience on various occations.
There are several customers who want to buy a TATA car and they do it despite the Sales team.
3. Engineering and Development
When TML decided to venture into cars, they did a good job of developing a world class Engineering and Development center. Taking the route of indegenious development rather than going for the easy way of technology transfer was commandable indeed.
It is easy to make reliable cars and engines with transferred technology. However, developing everything and mastering technology is a difficult and gigantic task. Engineering and Development team deserve a loud applause.
Acquring Engineering and Design expertise is a long term process.
Even after considering all these, we still have to say that Engineering and Development activity is disappointing.
One and a half decades and still they are not able to demonstrate a level that they are supposed to be in.
Those infamous niggles and several quality issues are a result of deficiency in Engineering.
Customers and critics attribute the quality issues to lack of quality control and cost cutting. Whereas the real reason is bad engineering.
Insufficient engineering could be the root cause of poor build quality, poor fit and finish and non uniform panel gaps.
Qulity Assurance teams, with all those tools in the world can assure quality only upto the level of the design, specification and drawings.
All the process controls in assembly lines and robotic environment are limited by the level of engineering of the product.
Having said that, would like to point out that lack of quality control is obvious in many C class items and these C class items (eventhough insignificant to the company), does matter a lot in overall impression gained by potential customers when they see the car.
Now the reality is even some small companies, with licenced technology are able to produce reliable vehicles inspite of having less infracstructure and lower process control systems than TML.
Engineering and Development team need to wake up and put their acts together and work on tight KRAs (Key Result Areas) to change the perception about TATA Motors.
4. Incompetent, undisciplined Dealers and TASS:
Various internet forums, print media and all are full of documented facts and stories about this subject. I don't have to elaborate anything on this.
Task in hand
After reading some of the interviews appearing in print media and internet, its obvious that Mr. Karl Slym is fully aware of the task in hand.
Wish you all the best Karl.
Working in Engineering industry with twenty years of experience in Global Sourcing, Materials Management, Sourcing for Engineering and Development, Production Planning, Logistics and other Supply Chain Management functions, Supply Quality Assurance and Management.
Views expressed in this article are my personal opinion and not that of 'The Automotive India'.
TATA Motors with its legacy, capabilities and backing of TATA Group should have been the number one.
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...-tata-legacy-story-indian-mnc.html#post210445
Of course it is number one in commercial vehicles by a huge margin.
We are talking about passenger cars - Cars, SUVs, UVs.
There is no doubt about the top management calibre at TATA or TATA Motors.
Company is financially strong and has the means and resources.
Where it has gone wrong?
Dividing this into four sections for a better understanding.
1. Failure of Marketing, Product Management and PR
2. Lethargy and complacency of Sales team
3. Engineering and Development
4. Incompetent, undisciplined Dealers and TASS
1. Failure of Marketing, Product Management and PR
Just see an instance - launch of Storme; the most important launch in last two years:
This could be a case study subject for mangement students as a classic example of poor strategy or the lack of it, poor planning, poor execution and total failure of media and public relations mangement.
Storme as an SUV is of top class in its segment with top notch build quality, fit and finish and has excellent driving dynamics. The poor soul is pulling attraction, generating enquiries and good reviews all in by its own merrit and the nolstagic legacy of Safari.
What help it is getting from Marketing and Sales team?
Showroom personnel across the country remained clueless even after several days of launch.
Dealers, SEs, Potential Customers, Media, General public are all confused as they were before the launch.
The strategy ?!! before launch led to a flood of speculative scoops and rumours which were infact damaging the brand, ridiculing the product and this happened day in and day out for months together and TML acted like it is deaf, dumb and blind.
What was Product Management team doing with all those feedback they got after the expo?
Are they aware that young generation in their twenties are the biggest drivers for sales figure to move northward.
In most families, teenagers influence family buying decision.
What did TML marketing do to connect with these youngsters.
Launch event of Storme was uninspiring and totally disappointing.
Failure of strategy, lack of planning and execution coupled with PR blunders could be seen in several cases.
Another instance was during launch of flagship Aria:
Everything was fine other than some basics:
They made several mistakes in the process like inadequate PR work, not so proper communication and plain external styling which is almost dull from several angles and was looking much similar to Innova than a premium car.
Media gave an impression that TATA is launching Aria as a competition for Innova. TATA Motors never attempted to correct the perception and their media managers were caught sleeping in that project.
So everybody was of the expectation that an Innova competition from TATA Motors would be priced accordingly. Price announcement created shock and many potential buyers backed out instantly.
Damage has been already done, so all subsequent efforts were futile.
In the case of Aria, it was the so called "Taxi image" that they wanted to stay clear off and launch themselves into premium territory. In that process they managed to keep away private usage buyers also.
Injustice to Nano:
Nano was a brave new idea, an absolute innovation and a game changer in automobile industry.
PR and Media management lethargy did severe damage to Nano.
{Projecting Nano as a car for the poor is not an issue to be discussed here. That was a genuine mistake and such things can happen to any new campaign even if it is backed by a well planned strategy}
There are several other cases of inaction and lack of understanding -
There were all kinds of rumour and speculation about the materials used and the way Nano is assembled. This flood of nonsense information in main stream media led common man to form a negative image and perception about Nano.
Even during the launch day of Nano, some major news papers were carrying wrong information (with graphical representation) about Nano - parts are glued together, low on safety, use of plastic body and many such things and those wrong information spread through internet.
Media managers at TML never bothered to clear the air and put things in perspective.
They should have released right and relavant information systematically and created a positive environment before the launch.
Same is the case with Storme.
Its so blunt but cannot help asking;
What if there is no Marketing, Product Management and PR team in TML from tomorrow?
Full marks if the answer sounds something like "Nothing will change and its business as usual"
2. Lethargy and complacency of Sales team
What if there is no Sales team from tomorrow?
An apt answer is 'Sales won't get affected'.
Need to write several pages with examples and narration of our experience on various occations.
There are several customers who want to buy a TATA car and they do it despite the Sales team.
3. Engineering and Development
When TML decided to venture into cars, they did a good job of developing a world class Engineering and Development center. Taking the route of indegenious development rather than going for the easy way of technology transfer was commandable indeed.
It is easy to make reliable cars and engines with transferred technology. However, developing everything and mastering technology is a difficult and gigantic task. Engineering and Development team deserve a loud applause.
Acquring Engineering and Design expertise is a long term process.
Even after considering all these, we still have to say that Engineering and Development activity is disappointing.
One and a half decades and still they are not able to demonstrate a level that they are supposed to be in.
Those infamous niggles and several quality issues are a result of deficiency in Engineering.
Customers and critics attribute the quality issues to lack of quality control and cost cutting. Whereas the real reason is bad engineering.
Insufficient engineering could be the root cause of poor build quality, poor fit and finish and non uniform panel gaps.
Qulity Assurance teams, with all those tools in the world can assure quality only upto the level of the design, specification and drawings.
All the process controls in assembly lines and robotic environment are limited by the level of engineering of the product.
Having said that, would like to point out that lack of quality control is obvious in many C class items and these C class items (eventhough insignificant to the company), does matter a lot in overall impression gained by potential customers when they see the car.
Now the reality is even some small companies, with licenced technology are able to produce reliable vehicles inspite of having less infracstructure and lower process control systems than TML.
Engineering and Development team need to wake up and put their acts together and work on tight KRAs (Key Result Areas) to change the perception about TATA Motors.
4. Incompetent, undisciplined Dealers and TASS:
Various internet forums, print media and all are full of documented facts and stories about this subject. I don't have to elaborate anything on this.
Task in hand
After reading some of the interviews appearing in print media and internet, its obvious that Mr. Karl Slym is fully aware of the task in hand.
Wish you all the best Karl.
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