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Zipping Away

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VoicenData Bureau
New Update

The leasing and financing of cars is a significant part of

BMW's dealership business, with over half of all new purchases under lease or

finance. BMW has approximately 450 sales people in Switzerland, all of whom

spend considerable time with potential customers helping them to determine their

BMW purchasing power.

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The Challenge



Sales personnel are under considerable pressure to act as brokers and

deliver on-the-spot financial calculations, which will ultimately lead to a

sale. BMW Group Financial Services was in need of a solution that not only

relieved the tedium of computing payment details on paper, but also provided

salespeople with the tools to devise quotes instantly and accurately, allowing

them to help the customer make an informed buying decision, on the forecourt.

Solutions in A Nutshell

Sector

  • Financial Services, Automotive Solutions

  • Field Sales and Financial

  • Services for Lease and Credit application

Solution Highlights

  • Easy and mobile access to financial services calculations

  • Possibility to save calculations for reference at a later date

  • Calculations devised in less time with more accuracy

IT Architecture

  • Palmâ„¢ m105, m125, m500 andm505

    handhelds

  • Minimum Palm OS®3.0

  • BMW Finance 1.0

  • C++ developed software

  • Synchronise with MS Outlook

The Solution



BMW Financial Services Ltd (Switzerland) partnered with Palm to devise a

flexible, mobile and efficient solution for its 100-strong dealer network. This

combined Palmâ„¢ m105, m125, m500 and m505 handheld computers with a preloaded

custom software application called "BMW Finance 1.0 for Palm", which

was created and developed by BMW Financial Services Ltd (Switzerland). This

solution equipped BMW sales personnel with the tools to provide accurate

financing details. A key function of BMW Finance 1.0 is to customise monthly

installments to the specific needs of customers. The application calculates the

price of a car that fits their budget by also performing backward calculations

based on what monthly payments the customer can afford. The dealer then very

simply presents the range of cars that they know a customer can afford.

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Calculations are exported to the memo pad function in the

handheld for easy reference at a later date.

Competitive Advantage



"We have a vast network of dealers across Switzerland who we rely on to

act as brokers and provide our customers with precise and comprehensive

financial services information, all in simple and easy to comprehend

format," said Patrick Cupelin, Palm project manager at BMW Financial

Services Ltd (Switzerland). "When a customer shows interest in purchasing a

vehicle, it is paramount to the sale that leasing and finance information is

available as soon as possible to help facilitate the purchase decision. The Palmâ„¢

handheld accomplishes this by providing a way for dealers to make complex

calculations on-the-spot." BMW dealers have used Palm handheld preloaded

with BMW Finance1.0 since January 2002. Approximately 400 Palmâ„¢handhelds are

being used by the dealer network and the company itself. Requirements for

version 2.0 of the application are now under evaluation." Dealers now feel

more confident about on-the-spot calculations and the accuracy of the lease and

credit rates they offer to customers," concluded Cupelin.

The case study is sourced from www.mobileenterprise.org



The Mobile Enterprise Alliance (MEA), a global advocacy group promoting the
business benefits of workforce mobility to enterprise end users and decision

makers

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