Idesiresofmany.But,whatisitthatbridgesus withtheworldofcars?
wish I had a car, hasbeenoneofthemostinert
If you are thinking about the automotive companies, you got it right!
Beitaschoolkid,ateenager,oratravelersearching foracomfortablecardriveexperience,carshave alwaysbeenfascinatingtoeveryone.Knowingsuch loveandpassionforautomobiles,automotive companiesareusheringwiththeirtechnological marvelswhileintroducingautomotiveservicesinto theglobalmarket.Amongstmany,UAEisoneofthe mostpopularandapproachablemarketsforsuch companies.Beitthesparepartssupply,carrentals,or driverservices,UAEautomotivecompanieshave beentheremedytoallthechallenges.
Fromluxurycarstothesportswheel,UAEisbrimming withinnovativeentrepreneurs.Withthetechnologyinflux intheautomobilesector,automotiveserviceprovidershave builtupaunifiedsystemofanonlineplatform.Thismakes iteasyfortheconsumersandcompaniestostreamlinethe hiringandpurchasingprocesswhileenhancingthe customerexperienceatitsbest.
Inanendeavortosharethemarvelsofsuchautomotive companies,weatInsightsSuccesscameupwithournew edition,UAE'sFastestGrowingAutomotiveCompanies 2022.’
FeaturingonourcoverisCarSwitch,acompanythatis uniqueinitskind.Itisaplatformthatfacilitatesa
comprehensivecarinspectionwhileitscustomers experienceahassle-freebuyingorsellingexperience.
Whileyouflipthroughtheinspiringstoriesofsuch automotivedisruptors,domakesuretoreadtheinsightful articleswrittenbyoureditorialteam.
Haveanexcitingread!
- Bhushan Bhad
BureauVeritas group.bureauveritas.com
AlgoDrivenishometoengineers,datascientists,andautomotive experts.Thecompanybelievesinprogressingtheautomotive industrywithdatadrivensolutions.
BureauVeritasisaworldleaderinTesting,Inspectionand Certification.Throughitswiderangeofexpertise,impartiality andindependence,BureauVeritasfostersconfidencebetween companies,publicauthoritiesandclients.
BuyParts24 buyparts24.com
CarSwitch carswitch.com InterrollGroup interroll.com
Load-Me load-me.com
FounderandCEO IngoSpecht
ManagingDirector SebastianStefan CEO
BuyParts24isyourdigitalautopartsmarketplaceconnecting distributorstoworkshops,whileloweringoperationalcosts, improvingcustomerreach,expandingmarketpenetrationand providingaseamlesstradingexperience.
CarSwitchtakestheentireprocessoffthesellerandbuyer handsemployingafleetofcertifiedspecialistsandcuttingedge technologytoinspect,certify,andwarrantyeverycar,vet seriousbuyers,matchthemwithtrustedsellersandguidethe twothroughthefulltransaction.
TheInterrollGroupistheleadingglobalproviderofmaterial handlingsolutions.Interrollprovidessystemintegratorsand OEMswithawiderangeofplatform-basedproductsand services.
LoadMeisanaward-winningtrucktransportmanagement systemwhichfocusesonmatchingshipperswithcarriers.
MySyara mysyara.com
VinayPagarani
MySyaraoffersaconvenient,trustedandprofessionalservice, frommobilecarwashinganddetailingtooilchanges, diagnosticsandontimeservicing.
OneClickDrive oneclickdrive.com
TheOneClickDrivecarrentalappandwebsitegivesyouaccess totheworld'slargestcarrentalandleasingmarketplaceonyour device.
TotalEnergiesGlobal totalenergies.com
YallaParking yallaparking.com
Chairmanofthe Board,CEO
CraigMcDonald Co-founderandCEO
TotalEnergiesisabroadenergycompanythatproducesand marketsenergiesonaglobalscale:oilandbiofuels,naturalgas andgreengases,renewablesandelectricity
YallaParkingistheUAE'sfirstandlargestonlinemarketplace forprivateparkingspace.
Our business is a peer-to-peer, digital-first platform that allows users to buy and sell used cars directly.
Whenyoubuyanewcaranddriveitoffthelot,it depreciatesorlosesvaluealmostimmediately. Thislossisapproximately15%to20%ofits valueeachyear
Thewholesalevalueisalwayslessthantheoriginalretail valueofthecar,andforawell-knownbrand,this depreciationcanbeinsignificantproportions.
Thus,financeexpertsalwayssuggestbuyingalate-model usedcaroveranewcarduetofirst-yeardepreciation, knowingthatanewcardepreciatestheminuteyoudriveit offthelot.
Withtheincreasingeconomicliteracy,peopleareinvesting theirmoneyinbeneficialways.Thiseconomicliteracyalso changesthesocialstigmaofbuyingausedcar,considering thatsomeone’susedcarcanbesomeoneelse’sfirstcar.
Hence,thedemandforusedcarsisrisingwitheachpassing day.Lookingatthisdemand,CarSwitchenteredtheused carsmarkettoprovidecomprehensiveservicesforbuyers aswellassellers–fromcheckingandmonitoringto advisinganddocumentation.
Inthefollowinginterview,ImadHammad,theFounder andCEOshedslightonthecompany’sjourney,its offerings,andthefutureoftheusedcarsmarket.
PleasebriefouraudienceaboutCarSwitch,itsUSPs, anditspositionasaleadingnameintheautomotive space.
Ourbusinessisapeer-to-peer,digital-firstplatformthat allowsuserstodirectlybuyandsellusedcars.Salesare conductedthroughaprivatetransaction,protectedby CarSwitch,andthisensuresthatboththesellerandbuyer getthebestvalue,andbothremainsafethroughoutthe transaction.Bybuyingandsellingdirectlythrough CarSwitch,usersareabletobenefitfromgreater transparencywithourverifiedvehiclechecksandsecure transactionmodel.
Buyingdirectlyfromanotherprivateindividualallowsour users/customerstheabilitytobenefitfrombetterfinancial deals.Thetraditionaldealershipmodelwillalwayshaveto factorintheirmarginsandoverheads,butwe’reableto offercustomersabetterdealthroughamodelthatkeepsthe entiretransactioncrisp,clean,andprofessional.
Startingwithourmobileapp,wehaveintroducedatwominutefinancingpre-approvalfacility,sobuyerscanget pre-qualificationonlineandknowwhichcarsfittheir wallets.Ontopofthat,theappalsotellsyouthatyourEMI (EquatedMonthlyInstalment)willbebasedonyourchosen downpaymentandloanperiod.
Whenitcomestosecuringtheloan,CarSwitchhandlesall thepaperworkandsecuresthefinancingfromoneofthe approvedlendersintheUAE.Sooverall,wehavedigitized adifficultandtime-consumingprocessandmadeit extremelyuser-friendlyforpeoplelookingtobuyacaron financeintheUAE.
TellusmoreaboutCarSwitch’sofferingsandwhat aspectsmakeitstandoutintheindustry.
Speed,transparency,andvaluearetheoverridingfactorsin CarSwitchmarkingnewstandardsfortheindustry.Our financingmodelisdesignedwithspeedinmindallowing buyerseasyaccesstoloansandasmuchinformationas theyrequiretopurchase.Intheeventualitythatthereare outstandingloansonacar,wealsomanagethatprocessto takethepainawayfromtheend-user.
Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononhow theadoptionofmoderntechnologieslikeAIandMLis impactingtheautomotiveindustryandhowis CarSwitchadaptingtothechange?
WhilethetermsArtificialIntelligenceandMachine Learningareusuallyheardintheautomotiveindustryin connectiontoself-drivingcars,carmanufacturing,and routenavigation,it’dbeamistaketooverlookitsimpactin theusedcarsindustry
We’re able to offer customers a better deal through a model that keeps the entire transaction crisp, clean, and professional.
Imad has led CarSwitch since its launch in 2016. Since then, he has raised over $10M in funding, growing the business 32x, reaching $100m in annual car sales.
Through Imad’s leadership, the CarSwitch platform now has over 500k app users and has led the platform to become one of the highest-rated automotive experiences on both the iOS App and Google Play Store.
Imad’s background is in consulting at McKinsey & Company, and he spent over ten years working across 10+ developed and emerging markets. This has allowed him to understand the needs of an evolving industry as well as develop mechanisms to communicate effectively with and respond to the needs of a very disparate consumer base.
With CarSwitch, he’s been able to create a platform that combines the increasingly digital needs of a younger, hyper connected consumer and aligns this with the evolving trends of the used car market
Buyers and Sellers will always exist but finding the right platform on which they can conduct their business easily, underscored by the verifiable trust, has always been the key. Core to the business strategy has been Imad’s long-term aspirations for the brand.
November 2021 has been the next step for this with the rollout of the platform in Saudi Arabia. Imad will continue to lead CarSwitch’s Middle East expansion plans to make the platform a go-to site for the used car market across the region.
We’ve just been awarded the title of Most Trusted Pre-Owned Car Dealership Company by Dubai MEA Business Awards 2021, which has been a great achievement for the team.
We are the highest-rated iOS and Android Play Store app with over 500k app users. Over the last year, we’ve grown by ≈ 40% alone. Talking about Organic web traffic, we have grown 100% and in Direct Web Traffic, more than 40%.
Withtheusedcarindustrybooming,andmoreandmore peoplelookingtobuyandsellcarsusingonlinechannels, thereisanabundanceofdataonourhandstoprovidea ‘smarter’experiencetocustomers.
AtCarSwitch,we’vegoneall-inontheuseofAI/ML.Our carrecommendationengineanalysesuserbehaviorand determinespatternstosuggestthemostsuitablecarsfor yourneeds.Therecommendationsarenotjustbasedon obviousfacetsliketheyear,make,modelofthecarbutalso whetherthecarisconsidered‘premium’or‘reliable’and basedonyourviewinghistoryandthoseofothercustomers, thealgorithmknowsexactlywhichcartopitchtoyou!
OurcarvaluatorisanotherAI-backedareawherewemarry historicaltransactionsdata,currentmarkettrends,andcar conditionstodeterminethemostsuitablepriceforyourcar AndatCarSwitch,weliketoputourmoneywhereour mouthis,sowhenyoulistyourcaronCarSwitch,wemake youaninstantcashofferforyourcar,basedonour algorithm’srecommendation.AtCarSwitch,webelieve we’vebarelyscratchedthesurfaceofwhatAI/MLcanhelp usachieve.There’salongroadahead,andwe’reexcitedto beonthis.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyouface,andhowdidyoudrivethe companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployeesatthesametime?
Likeallbusinesses,overthelast18months,we’vehadto adapttoarapidlyevolvingenvironment.Ourbusinessis digital-firstwhichmeantthatourperiodofadjustmentwas lesspainfulthanothersintheindustry Wedon’thave forecourts;therefore,ourbusinessisn’tbuiltontheneedto havelargenumberscongregating.Whensomeoneis lookingtoselltheircar,wesendonequalifiedtechnician whocantestthevehicle,takethephotos,andadviseyou. Afterthat,theentireprocessisonline.
Wemanagesomanyaspectsofthesalesprocessthatwe wereabletostillprovidecustomerswithinformationabout theindustryandtheircarsandallowpeopletoresearch potentialacquisitionsduringtheearlylockdowns.
Oncethingsopenedup,somecustomerswerestill understandablyhesitantaboutinteractingwithmultiple partiestobuyorsellacar,sofactoringinourhealthand safetyprotocols,wewereabletoreducethatworryfor them.
Therealityofmanyretailchannelsoverthepast18months hasbeenhowcustomerscouldactuallyviewproducts.Our modelwasbuiltwiththedigitalelementupfront,allowing buyerstoresearchandviewmultiplecarsdirectlyfrom theirphones,askquestions,andarrangetestdrives.Forthe testdrives,wemanagethatprocessforthemaswell,soour customerscanfeelconfidentabouttheprocessprogressing evenwhentheyarenotonsite.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomotiveindustry?
Watchtheroadaheadandbereadytochangegear.Listento yourteams,yourcustomersandgivethemwhattheywant. Thisissomethingthatwearedeeplycommittedtoaswe grow.We’verecentlycompletedamarketresearchstudyin
theUAEtobetterunderstandmarketneeds,andthe findingsfromthatdirectlyfeedintohowweareplanningto moveforwardin2022.
Investinyourtechnologybutdosowithcustomersinmind. Technologywithoutpurposeisawasteoftime,money,and resources.Fromourwebsite,AI,CRMsystems,andpartner relationships,we’vebeenlookingtoenhanceour technologytoservethecustomers’needsfirst.We’ll continuetoevolve,butwitheverystepwetake,we’llkeep focusingontomorrow’smarketneedsandwhatour customersaretellingustoday.
HowdoyouenvisionscalingCarSwitch’soperations andofferingsin2022andbeyond?
We’vejustlaunchedourcompanyinSaudiArabiaandare veryexcitedaboutthis.TheSaudimarketrepresentsover 35%ofallGCCsalesintheregionandisonthesteepest growthtrajectoriesglobally.Inthefirstquarterof2021, KSAaccountedfor1.5%ofglobalsales–a28%growthin absolutevolumeofsales.
ThegrowthinSaudiisbeingdrivenbyyoungpeople.
Almost70%ofthepopulationisunder30,with50%being under25.Ifyoulookatthewiderissuesofarelatively limitedpublictransportationnetwork,thenthepatternfor anincreasinglymobilepopulationhastofollow.Andsince thestructuralchangeinKSA,thegrowthiscertainlybeing acceleratedbywomenbeingabletodriveindependently Allofthisiscriticalinhowwearelookingtotapintothis massivemarket.
We like to put our money where our mouth is!
Everyoneisaffectionatewiththeirvehiclesand alwaysdesirestobuynothingbutthebestspare partsavailablewheninneed.Although,duetothe unavailabilityofoptions,peopleusuallysettlefor whichevertime-savingoptionisavailableinthemarket.
Suchasituationarisesduetoanunorganizedconditionof thesparepartsmarketplace.Thereisalackof interconnectedcommunicationchannelsbetween distributors,workshops,fleetowners,andoperators,and theyarenotwell-connectedinthemarket.Withthegoalof solvingthesechallengesonceandforall,BuyParts24was launchedbyAlmaAboud(Founder)inJAFZA,Dubai.
Today,thecompanyisaleadingmulti-vendorautoparts marketplaceintheUAEregion.Usingitsonlineplatform, anyonecanfindthebestsparepartsforanymake,model, andversionofacarintheUAE.
BuyParts24platformalsostrengthenssellersbyboosting theirbrandandprovidesinstant,market-drivendata,and analytics.Itoffersthewidestqualityandprice-competitive autopartsproductportfolioacrossallcategories.
WegotachancetointerviewthepioneeringAlmaand learnedmoreaboutherinnovativeplatformlookingto reshapetheUAE'ssparepartsmarketplacetothenextlevel.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleading automotivecompany.
BuyParts24isafirstmoverofitskindintheUAEasan innovative,digitalbusiness-to-business(B2B)autoparts marketplace.Suppliersandbuyerscanaccesstheplatform viatheweb,theappstore,theplaystore,andtheapp
BuyParts24connectsdistributorswithgarages,workshops, fleetowners,andoperators.Untilnow,nosingleentityhas beenabletosolvethesamemarketproblemsbybringing thesepartiestogetheronasingle,neutralplatformwhere theycanallmutuallybenefit.
StartingwithaVehicleIdentificationNumber(VIN),part number,orevenamakeandmodeliscombinedwitha powerfulsearchcapability,complementedbyArtificial Intelligence(A.I).
Asaresult,BuyParts24istrulyhelpingtoredefinethe efficiencyoffindingtherightgenuineoraftermarket alternativeautomotiveparts.Furtherunderpinningthe
We do not simply aggregate the current spare parts market, we enhance it.UAE's Fastest Growing Automo ve Companies 2022
Brought up in a family of business owners, Alma Aboud was exposed to business topics o en.
From casual conversa ons to business mee ngs with industry leaders and interna onal events such as the latest Forbes 30/50 Summit, a global event gathering genera ons of women from both the "30 Under 30" list and the "50 Over 50" list, Alma has done it all.
The entrepreneurial focus of her upbringing had a las ng impact on her and her siblings. While bureaucracy, technology, financial chats, and debates about women in society are topics that are hard to digest for some, Alma found herself deba ng such subjects at a young age during dinner-table conversa ons.
Women's underrepresenta on in fields such as the automo ve and logis cs industry fascinated Alma. She had a lot of ques ons and was curious about numerous things, but she knew she could not accept this as the norm.
When businesses were uniquely impacted by COVID-19, Alma was ques oning what that meant to companies. She read various ar cles about businesses, especially in the automo ve industry, how they pumped the brakes hard globally due to the pandemic. She also observed the world as it transi oned to digital, some fully, others hybrid. She thought to herself, why not? This ques on, "Why not?" was the trigger of a lot of research. What are the challenges that businesses in the automo ve and a ermarket industries face? How can she solve them? Is digi za on the answer? What will it take to convince all those par es to entrust Alma?
Long conversa ons with industry professionals and her father, Ghassan Aboud, founder of the leading company in regional and interna onal automo ve re-export and supply chain solu ons, Ghassan Aboud Cars and Spare Parts were the first roots to establishing BuyParts24.
Alma is now the founder of the BuyParts24 marketplace. She works closely with the business development team, the product development team, the business intelligence team, and others to ensure that BuyParts24 con nues to solve challenges industry specialists encounter
typicalsub-distributor-focusedflows,theBuyParts24 marketplacelaysoutamoredirectsupplyroute.Thereby,it alsohelpscutoperationalexpenses,increasereach,and optimizemarketpenetration.Neverbeforehaveauthorized suppliershadtheabilitytoinstantlyconnectwiththousands ofqualifiedbuyers.
BuyParts24isamemberoftheGhassanAboudGroup (GAG)—amulti-disciplinedconglomeratefoundedin1994. Sinceitslaunch,BuyParts24hasnotmerelyaggregatedthe sparepartsmarket;ithasredefinedit.
Today,BuyParts24hasbecometheUAEregion'slargest onlineautopartsmarketplace.Anditisthedestinationof choiceforover3,500interestedbuyers,aswellasallofthe leadingauthorizeddistributorsandtrustedsuppliers.
Growingeveryday,theproductportfoliobringstogether over50,000ofthefastestmovingparts,instantlysearchable andcomparabletoqualifiedalternatives.
Shedsomelightonyourdistinctofferingsandhowthey impacttheautomotiveindustryandyourclients. BuyParts24isaone-stop-shopforbuyers;itoffersthe widestproductrangeacrossallpartscategoriesatavariety ofpricepoints,aswellaslogisticsanddeliverysolutions.
Themarketplaceonlyonboardsverifiedandtrustedparts sellersandbrandstoguaranteethehighestqualityatall times.Duetoitsinstantqualitypartsavailabilityand expressdeliverypromise,buyersrelyonthemarketplaceto preventlossoftimeorrevenue.
Ontheotherhand,the BuyParts24 marketplaceempowers sellersbyboostingtheirbrandandprovidesinstant,marketdrivendata,andanalytics.
BuyParts24supportsashifttowardsthedigitalworldwhere sellerscanstreamlinetheirdeliveriesandseamlessly managetheiroperations,fromlistingtheirproductsto trackingtheirinventory,orders,promotions,offers,and returns.Inadditiontobeingacentralizeddigitaloutletand anadditionaldistributionchannel,theBuyParts24 marketplacehelpssellersconstructinformed,data-driven decisionsbasedonbusinessinsightsanddashboards.
Bothbuyersandsellersgettoexperienceunparalleled servicethroughlivechatandcallcenters.
Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononhow theadoptionofmoderntechnologieshasimpactedthe automotiveindustryandhowisyourcompanyriding thetechnologywave?
Theindustryischangingdrasticallybecausetheend consumerisevolving.Everyindividualinthesupplychain hasanimpactonhowcompaniesconductbusiness.
Withcustomers'increasedawarenessoftechnological innovations,expectationsareelevated.Theautomotive aftermarketisrealizingthatpowershiftandispivoting accordingly Thereisnodenyingthatthetechnologywave bringswithititsownchallenges,butitalsosmoothensout processesandachievesaseamlessexperience.Theseare someofthethingsthattheUAE'squality-consciousand convenience-drivencommunitiesdemand.
BuyParts24quicklyrealizedthat,thus,itcreatedanew win-winsituationorplatform.BuyParts24usedtechnology initsfavorandhascreatedamarketplacethatefficiently consolidatesthesupplychainprocesswithcompleteend-toendaccountability.Itisbuilttobethefirststepin acceleratingeffectivepartsselectionandtherebyenabling moreefficientallocationofhighlyvaluablelabortime.
BuyParts24usesauniqueVIN-drivendatamethodology, coupledwithAItools,tocementitspositionastheprimary destinationformulti-vendorandgenuinepartssearch.
Furthermore,BuyParts24providesaninnovativeand instantlyscalablepipelineviaitsbusiness-to-business marketplacemodeltoOEM,OES,orIAMsellers (vendors),furtherenhancedbyintuitivedataanalyticsand decision-supportiveinsights.
Complementingtechnologywithhumaninteraction, BuyParts24isbackedupbyadevotedon-the-groundteam whoworktirelesslytosupportsellersandbuyersthrough theirjourneyandsupportthetransitionfromphysicalto digital.
However,theBuyParts24marketplaceisbuiltbasedon digitizationandaimstosavetime,cost,andeffort,whilst increasingeffectiveness,results,understanding,and revenuethroughtechnology
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyoufaceandhowdidyoudrivethe companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployeesatthesametime?
Thereisnotasingleindustrythathasnotbeenimpactedby COVID-19.Theautomotiveindustry,forone,hasbeena hottopicamongmanyduringthatperiod.Whilstchallenges werepresent,BuyParts24chosetofindsolutionsandmeet theexpectationsofitspartnersandusers,simplifyingtheir operationsandfillingthegapsincommunicationthat occurredasaresultofquarantine.
ForBuyParts24,itwasallaboutresilienceandconsistency. Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomotivespace? Youdonotneedtoreinventthewheel;youjustneedto identifyagapinthemarketthatyoucancapitalizeon.Do yourhomework,readtheroom,andstudyallparties involvedintheprocess.Listentoexpertsandleadersand listentothosewhoarestartingofftheircareers,nomatter whattheirtitleis.Thiswillhelpyouidentifyissues,and sometimesfindeffectivesolutions.
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourorganization's operationsandofferingsin2022andbeyond? BuyParts24planstofocusonthebelowkeyareasand operationstogrowitsmarketholdin2022andbeyond.
Tacklingthechallengeofgreyimportsintothe UAEandcounterfeitproductswhichcouldbea healthandsafetyhazard.
Data-drivendecision-makingforbuyersand sellers
Supportingpublicentitieswithinsightsonhowto augmenttheautomotivesparepartsmarketinthe regionandthepotentialimpactsthismayhaveon cityplanning.
Bringingstructureandorganizationtoarather disorganizedmarket
Supportingpublicentitieswiththeneedtobring standardizationtotheworkshopsandgaragesin termsofquality,safety,certification,andassurance
Impactingachangeincustomerbehaviortowards thefutureofonlinecommercewithinanindustry thatisrathertraditionalintheregion,thus acceleratingthedigitalrevolutionoftheregionto reachglobalstandards.
Theautomotivesectorisundergoingrapidchangeas aresultofdigitization.Autonomousdriving, electricvehicles,speedierconnection,andartificial intelligenceareallchangingthewaypeopletravelincities. Astechnologyadvances,sodorequirementsand expectations.
Tosomeextent,urbanizationhasinfluencedthisprogress. Mobilitychoicesfluctuateasacitydevelopsandflourishes, dependingonthetraveler'slifestyle.Considerhow restrictedlifewouldbeinDubaiifyoucouldn'tusethe subwaytogettotheMalloftheEmirates,forexample.
Excellentmetroconnectivity,ride-sharingappavailability, andthedevelopmentofelectricandhybridvehicleoptions haveallbecomecriticalinaddressinglocalmobilityneeds andexpectations.
Thechallenge,ontheotherhand,istocreatethefutureof mobilitywhileanticipatingbothgovernmentandcitizen expectationsinordertoassuresafer,moreefficient,and environmentallyfriendlyalternatives.
Congestion,pollution,andalackofaccesstopublic transportationnetworksareallbecomingmoreofa concern.Asaresult,itiscriticaltocomprehendchangesin trafficandtransportationsystems.
Era of Electrifica on
Thatbeingestablished,theautomobileindustryis undergoingsignificantchange,particularlyintheMiddle East.Thischangewouldnothavebeenpossiblewithout technologicalintegrationanddigitalization.
Inthemobilitysector,thereareseverallevelsofautonomy. Whilecertainmeansoftransportation,suchasthe driverlessDubaiMetro,provideahigherlevelofautonomy, othersstillrequirethedriver'scontrol.
Whileself-drivingtechnologiesaredeployedinthevehicle, levelsonetothreerequirethedrivertoassumecontrolof thevehicleinordertopreserveoverallsafety Whilepark assist,laneassist,andadaptivecruisecontrolareexamples ofhighlysuccessfulself-drivingtechnologyinpersonal automobiles,theydonotmakeavehicletotally autonomous.
Forinstance,thefrontandrearcross-trafficalertsystem, whichalertsthedriverofanimpendingcollision,aidsinthe utilizationofthecar'smaximumbrakingcapacitytoavoid anaccident;yet,itstillrequiresoverallcontrolfromthe driver.
Personalvehicleswillbecometotallyautonomousas technologyadvances,allowingpassengerstotravellong distanceswithcompleteindependence.Thesevehiclesare supposedtobeelectric,humanerror-free,andincredibly efficient,whichisgreatnewsfortheenvironment.
Autonomouscarscanevenbetrainedto'speak'toone another,whichmeansthatifaparticularroadiscongested, thecarscancommunicateandrecommendadifferentpath.
Furthermore,thistechnologyhasthepotentialtolessenthe likelihoodoftrafficcollisions.
Whilethisisn'tlikelytohappenquickly,theUAE governmenthasalreadybegunlayingthegroundworkfor seamlessandsuccessfulintegrationbyestablishing autonomousvehiclestandardsandrules.
Thetransitiontoelectricvehiclesisatechnological requirementforfullyautonomousvehicles,andthe environmentalbenefitsandcheapermaintenancecoststhey providearecriticalforthefuture.Theworldwidecarsector hasbeenaggressivelypursuingelectrification.By2025, Volkswagenplanstosellover20all-electriccars worldwide.
Theautomotiveindustryiscollaboratingwithtechnology expertsandgovernmentagenciestocreateintegrated systemsthatarebettersuitedtomodernlifestyles.Electric automobiles,ontheotherhand,arestillconsidered specialistproductsandhaveyettobecomeamainstream option.
Thatneedstochange.
It'salsopromisingthattheUAEisoneofthemost establishedmarketsforelectricvehiclesintheMiddleEast, thankstotheinstallationofmanychargingstationsaround DubaiandAbuDhabi.
TheUAEisalreadypavingthewayforautonomous transportationwithitsDubaiAutonomousTransportation Strategy,whichintendstotransition25%ofDubai'stotal transportationtoautonomousmodeby2030.Achievingthis goalwouldprovidesignificantfinancialbenefitsaswellasa significantreductioninthecity'scarbonfootprint.
Self-drivingautomobiles'widespreadadoptioninthefuture holdsalotofpotential.Amoresustainablefuturerequires lesstrafficandroadcollisions,aswellasalowercarbon impact.
Carbon-neutralandsustainablemobilityisnotonlyan attainablegoalintheUAEintheneartomediumterm,but itisalsoinevitable,accordingtothegovernment'sagenda. Theautomobileindustryisexperiencingbothexcitingand challengingtimes.
- Trishika Rokade
IfyouareplanningatriptotheUAE,andmakingit memorableisyourtoppriority,youwilllearnthatall theplacesonyourbucketlistarefarspreadacrossthe region.FromthemagnificentBurjKhalifatothepopular shoppingmalls,thebeautifulpalmislandsanddrivingback totheresortofyourchoice,thebestwaytotravelisbycar. Howwonderfulitwouldbeifyoucanavailyourfavourite cartotakeyoutoanyplaceyourheartdesires?
OneClickDriveworkswithmorethan100carrental suppliersacrosstheUnitedArabEmirates,servingan excitingcarrentalmarketplace,thathasrevolutionizedthe faceofcarrentalsintheUAEandispoisedtobringa globalrevolution.
Rentingacaristime-savingandfarmorecomfortable comparedtopublictransport,whichprettymuchfeelslike owningacar!Youcanself-driveit,oraskforaprofessional chauffeur,withthebestratesguaranteed.
Fascinatedbyinnovativesolutions,seamlessservice,and addedperksthatletcustomersskipheftymaintenanceand insurance,thefor-hire-vehicleindustryhasreceived customersingrowingnumbers.Alotofthemalsoprefer rentingacarforaprolongedperiodoftime,whichmakesit luxuriouslyconvenient.Feelslikeadream,right?Onlythat itisn't!
OneClickDrivecatersandcomprehensivelydelivers,allof theaboveintriguingfeaturesandevenmore.
VisionaryCo-founderandGrowthManager,Vinay Pagarani,sharedhisoutlookforthebloomingcarrental industryandexperiencesalonghisjourneywiththe companyinaninterviewwith Insights Success.Beloware someexpertsfromtheinterview:
Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleading automotivecompany.
OneClickDriveistheUAE'sbiggestcarrentalmarketplace with120+carrentalcompaniesand1300+carrental listings.TheOneClickDrivewebsiteandcarrentalappsare amongthetopportalstofindingthebestcarrentaldeals.
Itisfreeforuserstocompareoffersandbookacardirectly withtheserviceprovider.Youcanfindandbookanycar underthesun.FromaconvertibleFerrariandanexotic
RollsRoycetoaneconomyNissanSunnyandevena ToyotaLandCruiserSUV
Shedsomelightonyourdistinctofferingsandhowthey impacttheautomotiveindustryandyourclients?
OneClickDrive.comworkswith150+carrentalsuppliers acrosstheUAE.Frombudgetcarrentalstothemostexotic, luxury,andsportscarswhichcanbehiredbyresidentsas wellastourists.Combiningalloursuppliers'rentalfleet, youcanchooseamong50,000carstohireacarinDubai startingatAED100perday,acrossallcartypes,brands, modelsavailableintheUAE.Youcanrentasmallcarsuch asaKiaPicantoandeventheLamborghiniUrusforAED 3500/daywithRollsRoyceCullinan2019forAED 4000/day
Overtheyears,OneClickDrivehasdeliveredahuge amountofbusinesstoourlistedpartners:ashighas20 check-outswithinaday Wehavebolsteredthecarrental industryintheregion.Someofourclientshavebeen workingwithusrightsincethecompany'sinceptionin 2015.Infact,wehavewitnessedthemdoublingandsome evenquadruplingtheirfleetovertheyears.
Pleasebriefusaboutthefeaturedperson's(s)journeyin theindustryandhowtheyhavecontributedtothefirm's success.
I(VinayPagarani)workcloselywiththeweb/app developmentteamandthesalesteam,keepingtheuser's needsattheforefrontwhilekeepingtheinterestsofhis clientsinmindiswherehespendsmostofhistimeand effort.AhealthybalancehascontributedtoOneClickDrive's success.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyoufaceandhowdidyoudrivethe companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployeesatthesametime?
OneClickDrivecameintoexistenceatatimewhenthecar rentalindustrywaspredominantlyofflineinDubai.Most shopsdependedonwalk-incustomersandoutbound telesales.Itwasanarduoustasktogetthemonlineandto adoptinboundmarketingstrategies.Yetthecompaniesthat partneredwithusarewithustodate.Theyunderstoodthat theirTA(targetaudience)intheregionismodernand alwaysonline.
OneClickDrive's main objective is to standardize the industry, streamline its operations and improve customer service.
Vinay Pagarani - Growth Manager
Cuttothepandemicwhenwalk-incustomerscompletely vanishedfortheindustry.However,Dubaihandledthe pandemicextremelywellascomparedtoanyothercityin theworld.Thecitylockdownandairportclosurelasted onlyafewdays.Covidregulationsweresetinplaceandthe publicwasallowedtomoveabout.Wearethankfultothe visionaryadministrativemindsetofSheikhMohammedand UAEleaders.
Wesawitasanopportunityindisguiseandscaledupour digitalmarketingactivities.Usersfoundourpartners'fleet onOneClickDriveandbookedwiththeminstantaneously A lotmorecompaniescameonboardsoonafter
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourorganization's operationsandofferingsin2022andbeyond?
WeareworkingonaCRMSAASforthecarrental industry.Onethat'scloselyalignedwiththelocalUAE marketand,movingforward,asperinternationalmarkets. ThiswillcatapultOneClickDrivetonewheightsinthe region.Ourmainobjectiveistostandardizetheindustry, streamlineitsoperationsandimprovecustomerservice.
OneClickDriveispoisedtoexpandglobally.Wehopeto entertheEuropeanmarketastheCOVIDregulationsare putatease.Whilewealreadyworkwithanumberof companiesonline,alocalpresencewouldspeedthingsup.
Mobility'sfutureisataforkintheroad.In2020, worldwideautosaleswouldtotal59.5million units,down20%fromthepreviousyear.Despite theunmistakableinfluenceoftheCOVID-19epidemic, variousmobilitydevelopmentsinrecentyearshavealready sentthevehicleindustryintoatailspin.
Continuereadingtolearnaboutthekeymobilitytrendsthat areacceleratingchangeinthisbusinessasweheadintoa verydifferentmobilityfuture.
Thatdistanthumisthesoundofthemobilitynotion evolving—forthebetter.Whiletherearestillobstaclesto theelectrificationofthevehiclefleet,therearealso opportunitiesworthfightingfor.Thisisespeciallytruein cities,wherepollution,traffic,andsafetyareimportant concernsnowadays.AspopulationandGDPdevelopment drivehigherautomobileownershipandvehiclekilometers traveled,mobilityissueswillworsenifthecurrentquo persists.Asaresult,themobilityindustryisunleashinga dazzlingarrayoftechnologiesaimedaturbanroadways, includingmobility-as-a-service,enhancedtrafficcontrol andparkingsystems,freight-sharingsolutions,andnovel two-andthree-wheeledtransportationmodels.
Tospeedupthetransitiontosustainablemobility, governmentsandcitieshaveimplementedrulesand incentives.Emissionstargetsarebeingsetmorestringently byregulatorsaroundtheworld.Citiesareattemptingto
reduceprivateautomobileuseandcongestionbyproviding moresupportforalternateformsoftransportation,suchas bicycles.Caraccesscontrolsarealsobeingimplementedin severalurbanareas.Inreality,over150Europeantowns havealreadyenactedlow-emissionsandpollution-related accessregulations.
Althoughnoteveryonehasheardoftheterm'Mobilityasa Service,'orMaaS,asitisknowninthetransportation industry,ifyou'verecentlytakenanUberorevena traditionalcab,youmaybefamiliarwiththebasicnotion.
MaaS,ontheotherhand,ismuchmorethanjustapp-based ridesharing.Itrepresentsanentirelynewwayofthinking aboutmobilityandtransportation,onethatisdirectlylinked totheoriginsoftoday'ssmartcity. Theconceptisstraightforwardatitsfoundation.Rather thansiloingtransportationservicesintodistinctfunnelsas theyaretoday,MaaSaimstobetterintegratethem,saving userstimeandmoney
Theworldisfilledwithperplexingacronyms,andV2Xis nodifferent.Theterm"vehicle-to-everything,"orV2X, meansallofavehicle'sconnectedcommunications.The mainconceptisthatavehiclemay(orwillbeableto)use itsonboardcommunicationfacilitiestotransmitreal-time trafficinformation,respondtochangingroadconditionsin
advance,detectroadsignsandwarnings,andmore.While V2Xfunctionsalonewillnotbeabletomanageavehicle devoidofadriver,theyarekeycomponentsinan autonomousvehicle'sabilitytoputtogetherapictureofits surroundings.
Aself-drivingcarisonethatcansenseitssurroundingsand functionwithoutthenecessityforhumanintervention.A humanpassengerdoesnotneedtotakecontrolofthecarat anypoint,norisahumanpassengerneedtobepresentin thevehicleatall.Aself-drivingautomobilecango anywhereatraditionalcarcangoandaccomplish everythingaskilledhumandrivercando.
Sensors,actuators,complicatedalgorithms,machine learningsystems,andpowerfulprocessorsareusedtorun softwareinautonomousvehicles.
Basedonanumberofsensorslocatedintheentirevehicle, autonomousautomobilesdevelopandmaintainamapof theirsurroundings.Radarsensorskeepacheckonthe movementofadjacentcars.Trafficsignalsaredetectedby videocameras,whichalsoreadroadsigns,monitorother vehicles,andlookforpedestrians.Lidar(lightdetectionand ranging)sensorsestimatedistances,detectroadboundaries, andrecognizelanemarkersbybouncinglightpulsesoffthe car'ssurroundings.Whenparking,ultrasonicsensorsinthe wheelsdetectcurbsandothervehicles.
Afterprocessingallofthissensorydata,sophisticated softwaremapsapathanddeliverscommandstothecar's actuators,whichcontrolacceleration,braking,andsteering. Thesoftwarefollowstrafficrulesandnavigatesobstacles thankstohard-codedrules,obstacleavoidancealgorithms, predictivemodeling,andobjectidentification.
Companiesandorganizationsshouldthinkabouthowto growinnumerousmarketsandsegments,aswellashow theirsupportingoperatingmodelsaresetup.Todesign trustworthysolutionstomovepeopleandproducts,anew mixofcross-sectoralcompetenciesisnecessary Collaborationbetweenparticipantsfrommanyindustries willbecomeincreasinglyimportantforencouraging innovation.
Thechangewillnotbeledbyasinglecompanyorsectorin theprivatesector.Instead,theextraordinarycollaboration
willberequiredtodevelopaccurateandintegratedmobility solutions,particularlyamongdigitalbehemothswiththe financialresourcestosupportresearchandinnovationin thesefields.
Fromthestandpointofthepublicsector,acollaboration betweenthepublicandprivatesectors,asrepresentedby largehigh-techfirms,shouldbeencouragedasmuchas feasible.Governmentsshouldencouragethegrowthofthe fouremergingtrendsdiscussedinthisarticle,withafocus onhowtodriveinvestmentintoareasthatmaybeusedto benefitthecountry
Thedisruptionwillverycertainlybemassive,presenting bothopportunitiesandhazards.
- Trishika Rokade
UAE-basedMoroccanbeautybrandizil'sconstant transformationandevolutiontomeetthechanging customerexpectationshaveresultedina500%Y O-Ygrowthofthebrandovertheyears.
FounderMounaAbbassystartedherretailjourneywith sellingproductsonfacebookandthenopeningsixkiosksin differentmallsintheUAEuntil2016.In2016,Abbassy decidedtoclosealltheexistingkiosksandopenasingular kioskinDubaiMallandlaunchane-commercewebsite.
izilopeneditsownGMP-certifiedmanufacturing facilityinRasAlKhaimahin2019.Subsequently, ayearlater,onJune30th,2020,aunique flagshipstorewaslaunchedintheDubaiMall afteranotherbrandrevamp.
"Firstly,welearntthatTheDubaiMall gaveusenoughvisibility.Secondly,we neededtofocusongrowingtheecommerce,andfinally,convertingallthe kioskstothenewdesignwouldhavebeen verycostlyforthebrand",saidMouna Abbassy,explainingwhytheydecidedto closeallkiosksandopenoneunifiedflagship store.
Theintroductionoftheflagshipstorestrengthened salesfurtherandprovidedmorestabilitythanits previouskiosks."Itdefinitelyhelpedthebusiness financiallythankstohighersalesthanthepreviouskiosk, butitisalsoalongterminvestmentinaconceptthatweare planningtofranchiseinthefutureonceitiscompleted,"she added.
Upuntil2020,SaudiArabiawasizil'sbiggestmarket,but afterthesecondrevamp,openingofthenewstoreand strengtheningofitse-commerceportfolio,theUAEisnow itsprimarymarket.
"TheUAEgrowthwasmuchstrongerduringthecovid pandemic.Moreover,theimplementationofthe15%VAT inSaudiplusstricterrulesatthecustomsmadeitharderfor ustosellinSaudiArabia(wesellexclusivelythroughecommerceinthatmarket).However,westillseeitasthe biggestGCCmarketintermsofpotentialandwearetaking thenecessarymeasurestodevelopizilthere,"she concluded.
Leadershipandmanagementare termsfrequentlyinterchanged withintheworkplace.Both conceptsareinterconnected,butthey donotmeanthesamething.By understandingthedifferencesbetween them,youwilllearntheimportanceof leadershipinmanagementandhow leadershipdevelopmentwillallowyou tobeabettermanageroverall.
"Leadership is not about position. It's about action." – Pulling Profits out of a Hat
Asabusinessexecutive,management ishandedtoyoualongwithyourjob title.Amanager'sjobistoplan, organizeandcoordinate.Leadership, however,isaresponsibilitywhere managersinnovate,challenge,and inspiretheiremployees.Youmanage processes;youleadpeople.
Inbusiness,weneedbothleaders andmanagers:
"Leadership creates passionate and focused people, management oversees processes, so the team is competent and productive." – Pulling Profits out of a Hat
Withinabusiness,weneedboth leadersandmanagers.Leadersinspire peopletotakeaction.Managershold peopleaccountableforthoseactions.
Anyoneintheorganizationhasthe potentialtobecomealeader,but
managers must beleaders.Aleader whocannotmanagehasavisionof wheretheywanttogobutnoideaon howtogetthere.Amanagerwho cannotleadisnotabletobuildtrust andcreateengagementwithinan organizationtogettowheretheyneed togo.
Tobetterunderstandthedifferences betweenmanagementandleadership, thinkaboutthedailyroutinesofthe managersandleadersinyour organization.Managersfacilitate1-on1'swiththeirdirectreports,creating clearexpectationsandholdingtheir teamaccountableformeetingthem. Managersalsoholdteammeetingsfor directionandcommunication, revisitingandtrackingprogress towardsquarterlygoals.Lastly,a managerreviewstheactionsand resultsofeachindividualandteamto determinetheirperformance.
Aleader'sdailyroutineisdifferent–theyfocusonthebigpictureofthe company,helpingtoinspireothers throughsupportandconsistency A leadershowsappreciationtoteam members,givesawardsandaccolades whendeserved.Aleaderalsofocuses onthepersonaldevelopmentofeach individualandteam,workingtofoster thecommunicationandfeedback neededtomaketheorganization stronger.
Behindeveryinnovativecompanylies acharismaticleaderwhopushesand
inspireshisorheremployeestobethe best.AsSteveJobswastoAppleand JackWelchtoGE,greatCEOsare knownformorethantheir managementskills.Theyoffera differentapproachoutsidethenorm andmotivatetheirfollowerstoexecute theirvisiontoreachtheirbusiness goals.
Executiveleadersinstillacorporate cultureintheirorganizationsthat encourageemployeestostayengaged intheirwork.Employeesaregiven recognitionandareshown appreciation.Byfocusingon employeesaswellastheoverallbig picture,executiveleadershelptheir peopleplaytotheirstrengthstoreach theirorganizationalgoals.
Asamanager,areyoualeader? Leadershipcanbelearned,andyou shouldcontinuetogrowasaleader througheducationandcoaching.Asan executive,youspendalotoftimeand valuableresourcestrainingyourstaff onhowtobemanagers.Itisimportant toalsoteachexecutiveshowtobe leaders.
Allgrowthcompaniesmustbetraining anddevelopmentcompanies.Every personinyourorganizationshould haveapersonaldevelopmentplan, includingyourself!
