Optimizing In-vehicle Infotainment Systems in Self-driving Cars

Omar Sharif

Consulting Partner, Manufacturing, TCS

Anirban De

Business Consultant, Manufacturing, TCS

INDUSTRY

Manufacturing

services

Cloud

Highlights

As self-driving cars become more accepted, auto original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are adding more electronics and software to vehicles to keep pace with rising consumer demand. In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) is one such trend that is gaining prominence.
Auto OEMs gain deeper insights into their customers by providing IVI in the way a customer intends to use it while also being cost effective. This is where IVI data becomes critical.
With IVI data, OEMs can create future models, improve product offerings, build apps tailored specifically for a customer, and more.

Introduction

We had a water cooler chat with a product engineer of a leading luxury auto original equipment manufacturer (OEM)On our common interests in music.

As we chatted, we drifted to the death of Bill Withers and his iconic song ‘Ain’t no sunshine’. He showed a Spotify playlist of Withers on his mobile and rued about the additional six-month Spotify subscription that had come with the infotainment system of his 2020 number plate as a free package, something that he hardly used. This led us to discuss how OEMs have been adding more electronics to keep pace with growing consumer demand and how the increase in automated self-driving vehicles has turned the spotlight on next-gen in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems in cars.

Trends in in-vehicle infotainment

Our conversation with the engineer led us to the following insights and possible interventions to help OEMs navigate this trend:

Blurring the lines of infotainment: As the centerpiece of the ‘cockpit’ of the future car, next-gen IVI integrates multiple systems with the current standard infotainment system in cars (of entertainment and navigation), which includes the instrument cluster (for vehicle operations) and the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). This integration is blurring the boundaries and definition of IVI, and as the product engineer in our conversation said, it depends on who you ask.
Managing multiple teams with multiple focus areas: Auto OEMs have separate engineering teams working on different components of the IVI system. Often, these teams work in silos and lack an integrated view of the product.
Cellphone on wheels: From smart speakers to smartphones, consumer expectations for the quality of interactions they have with devices and the features these devices provide, continue to rise. These expectations extend to IVI systems as well. However, mobile technologies are evolving at a much faster rate than car technologies. So, OEMs are left with a quandary – what features should they build and which ones should be integrated through smartphone projection solutions?
Bridging the electronics skills divide: According to the Boston Consulting Group, electronic components account for approximately 35% of a car’s material costs, and by 2030, this will rise to over 50%. Most engineering personnel, however, lack the digital skills required while reorienting their operations to put customers first. With almost 50% of the engineering budget dedicated to electronics and software development, auto OEMs must work to bridge this gap.

The above points, if not managed well, can become a recipe for disaster with higher costs of development and support as well as poor quality.

Moving towards an optimized next-gen IVI experience

Auto OEMs must work towards a deeper understanding of the customer’s behavior through his/her interaction with the IVI system.

This will help OEMs to (a) optimize existing IVI features by providing it in the way the customer intends to use it while being cost effective, and (b) define IVI features for future models. To achieve this, a cross pollination of customer relationship management (CRM) data along with IVI data becomes critical.

Here are a few low-hanging use cases (see Figure 1), where a data-driven approach using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can help OEMs resolve these questions:

In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) use cases for OEMs

An infographic offering a comprehensive overview of some of the use cases where automakers can adopt a data-driven approach using AI and ML to improve in-vehicle infotainment (IVI). Auto OEMs must be in sync with customers’ behavior through their interaction with the IVI system. The use cases include: a. Apps realization and improved product offering to identify the usage pattern of apps. b. In-vehicle infotainment UX design usability analytics to enhance user interactivity. c. Mobile vs in-car feature analytics to identify usage patterns of apps on-screen (mobile) vs in-vehicle (IVI) for different personas under varying conditions like time of day or duration of drive. d. Subscription usage analysis for reviewing subscriptions sponsored by auto OEMs and identifying the best subscription packs and customers most likely to subscribe. e. Intelligent IVI apps bundling for building app subscription packs based on the usage pattern of a customer.

Closing thoughts

The water cooler chat was just the tip of the iceberg.

Next-gen IVI systems offers a powerful touchpoint for automobile manufacturers, enabling brands to successfully engage with customers to share and retrieve information, collate data, and provide a plethora of value-added services. Analytics forms the base of these transformations.

About the authors

Omar Sharif

Omar is a Consulting Partner for Manufacturing and Utilities, TCS. With a focus on creating value from data, he has extensive experience in analytics strategy, digital transformation, data science, AI/ML, product innovation, and data monetization.

Anirban De

Anirban is a Business Consultant for Manufacturing and Utilities, TCS. He has worked extensively in the areas of data monetization, data analytics, AI/ML application, data platform, and product management.

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TCS is here to make a difference through technology.

We’re in it for good, driving positive change for the benefit of all.

Extraordinary expertise leads to remarkable results.

Want to be a global change-maker? Join our team.

Find the latest news about TCS in our Newsroom

Recent Press releases

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TCS works hand in hand with world-leading investors.

Optimizing next-gen in-vehicle infotainment system with AI and ML

INDUSTRY

services

Highlights

In this article

Introduction

Trends in in-vehicle infotainment

Moving towards an optimized next-gen IVI experience

Closing thoughts

About the authors

Omar Sharif

Anirban De

TCS is here to make a difference through technology.

We’re in it for good, driving positive change for the benefit of all.

Extraordinary expertise leads to remarkable results.

Want to be a global change-maker? Join our team.

Find the latest news about TCS in our Newsroom

Recent Press releases

Recent News

Recent recognitions

Upcoming events

TCS works hand in hand with world-leading investors.

INDUSTRY

services

Highlights

In this article

Introduction

Trends in in-vehicle infotainment

Moving towards an optimized next-gen IVI experience

Closing thoughts

About the authors

Omar Sharif

Anirban De

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