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Kia Germany, a prominent player in the automotive industry, manages a vast network of 201 main dealers across 14 districts. Each district has a dedicated field manager responsible for ensuring that at least ten dealers are visited every week. To maintain and grow their competitive edge in the automotive market, Kia Germany needed a robust system to streamline their field operations and improve collaboration with their dealers.

Challenge: Overcoming Operational Hurdles

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kia Germany faced significant challenges in managing their dealership network. Kia experienced an uptick in car sales but lacked transparency in the operations of their field force. The primary issues included:

  • Inability to track field force activities and overdue action items.
  • Lack of a standardized contact reporting system to manage dealer visits and discussion topics.

According to Helena B., Manager of Sales Coordination at Kia Germany, the existing process relied heavily on manual inputs like Excel spreadsheets and PDF reports.

Blue quotation marks We needed to move away from Excel and manual tracking. We didn’t have a system for history recording or reporting,Blue quotation marks Helena said. Kia Germany realized they needed a digital tool that could centralize and streamline contact reporting and field force management.

Solution: Implementing IKON for Enhanced Efficiency

Kia Germany decided to implement Optimum’s Contact Reporting Solution, IKON, a cloud-based system designed specifically to enhance field force management and improve dealer collaboration.


Kia germany ikon structure contact meeting creation

IKON stood out because it offered a comprehensive, digital solution that could easily be expanded across other departments. Helena mentioned that Kia had already implemented other Optimum solutions in different business areas, which made IKON a natural fit.

Key aspects of the solution included:

  • Digital Visit Reports: Field managers can take their laptops to dealer visits, capture information, and maintain a history of discussions for future reference.
  • Calendar Feature: Allows scheduling and tracking of visits, providing visibility into weekly and monthly activities.
  • KPI Dashboard: Offers updates on key performance indicators, enabling data-driven discussions during dealer visits.
  • Assignment Tool: Facilitates the assignment of tasks to the field force, ensuring accountability. Monitors tasks to help assure timely completion.

Helena recalled, Blue quotation marks I was very satisfied with the tool and pleasantly surprised by the whole implementation. After searching for a digital solution like this for the past three years, I can confidently say that IKON is the best I’ve encountered.Blue quotation marks

Results: Achieving Significant Improvements

The implementation of IKON was completed within a year, which Helena described as “surprisingly quick” given the scale of the project. The tool was rolled out to 16 field force users.

Report generations reduced from 3-6 hours to mere minutes

With IKON, Kia Germany was able to realize significant improvements in their operations:

  • Increased Efficiency: Helena reported substantial time savings, with report generation reduced from 3-6 hours to mere minutes.
  • Enhanced Transparency: The digital tool provided a clear overview of field activities, enabling better management and decision-making.
  • Improved Accountability: IKON allows Kia Germany to monitor field performance more effectively. For example, they can easily identify field reps who do not meet visit targets, allowing for timely interventions.
  • Positive Reception: The field force and internal colleagues expressed satisfaction with the tool, appreciating its ease of use and flexibility.

Helena remarked, Blue quotation marks IKON has saved us a lot of time. I can now provide reports quickly, which used to take hours of manual work. It’s a very efficient tool.Blue quotation marks

The Future: Expanding IKON’s Reach

Kia Germany plans to expand the use of IKON to other departments, such as Business Management and Acquisition. The tool’s versatility and integration capabilities with other Optimum solutions make it an asset for the company’s future growth.

Blue quotation marksWe are looking into extending IKON to other Kia departments. Our Acquisition team, for instance, will use it to track potential new dealers from the first interaction through to the dealership becoming operational,Blue quotation marks Helena explained. This cross-departmental expansion shows IKON’s versatility and its potential to drive greater efficiency across the business.

Looking ahead, Kia Germany plans to further collaborate with Optimum to fine-tune the system, ensuring that IKON continues to evolve with their business needs.

Helena praised Optimum’s account management team for their ongoing support, saying, Blue quotation marksThey are always open to suggestions and are keen to solve any challenges we face. Their dedication has been outstanding.Blue quotation marks

Diana Lieu

Diana Lieu

Senior Marketing Associate

Diana is a Senior Marketing Associate at Optimum Info, a global business solutions company providing tailored software solutions for manufacturers to improve franchise network development and after-sales operations. Utilizing her experience in client engagement, Diana strives to create interesting and insightful articles to engage and inform OEMs.

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