How Porsche Holding is Redefining Digitalization with carlog & Design Systems

In a recent episode of our Digital Product Talks podcast, Florian Pankraz and Sebastian Busslehner, key members of Porsche Holding's IT team, shed light on the company’s ambitious digital initiatives. The conversation primarily focused on the customer portal, carlog, and the complexities of applying design systems within a global, multi-brand ecosystem.

In this article, we dive into Porsche Holding's digital journey, spotlighting how they are shaping the future of mobility and how the company is tackling the complexities of a multi-brand environment.

Porsche Holding Salzburg: Driving Automotive Innovation for Over 70 Years

Before we explore digital innovations, let's take a moment to understand Porsche Holding Salzburg's structure.

As one of the world’s largest automotive distributors, Porsche Holding Salzburg has been a leader in innovation for over seven decades. Often mistaken for the iconic sports car manufacturer Porsche AG, this Salzburg-based powerhouse operates as a distributor for Volkswagen Group brands – including Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, and SEAT – across more than 20 countries.

As the automotive landscape continues to evolve, embracing digital tools and technologies becomes essential for staying competitive. Porsche Holding's commitment to innovation not only enhances operational efficiency but also enriches the customer experience. By leveraging data analytics and customer feedback, they can tailor services to meet individual needs, ensuring that every interaction is meaningful.

Porsche Holding stands out by combining scale with innovation, seamlessly harmonizing IT systems across wholesale and retail sectors. Yet, the company doesn’t just meet these challenges – it turns them into opportunities to innovate and redefine customer experiences.

carlog: Porsche Holding's Digital Heart

At the core of Porsche Holding’s digital transformation lies carlog. In the podcast, carlog is described as their "digital heart”, meaning it's much more than just a regular customer portal. The platform not only centralizes vehicle data – it also supports the entire lifecycle of a car, from purchase to long-term maintenance, creating a seamless and engaging user experience. By integrating various services into a single interface, carlog simplifies the user experience and fosters a stronger connection between the brand and its customers. 

As described by Sebastian Busslehner and Florian Pankraz, here’s what makes carlog a game-changer:

1. Real-Time Access: Customers can view vehicle data, service schedules, and updates at any time.
2. Efficiency: Booking maintenance and repair appointments is just a click away.
3. Convenience: Customers can browse and purchase accessories or services with ease.
4. Transparency: Real-time updates ensure users are always informed about their vehicles.

Sebastian Busslehner summarized carlog’s essence: 

The first car is sold by a salesperson. The second and third are sold by the after-sales department. 

Carlog embodies this philosophy, fostering long-term relationships through user-friendly design and deep integration with back-end processes, such as real-time calendar synchronization with service centers.

The Challenge: Tackling multi-brand Integration

One of the main topics in the podcast was the challenge of creating one digital system that works seamlessly across multiple brands and countries. The solution? A multi-brand design system that allows Porsche Holding to standardize processes while maintaining the individuality of each brand.

The Unity UX Design System is the main part of the solution and serves as the foundation for Porsche Holding's digital products, offering the perfect balance between consistency and customization. This balance is essential since customers of Volkswagen, Audi, or Škoda have different expectations but still want to enjoy a user-friendly and efficient platform, regardless of the brand they choose.

Our goal is not just to develop a design system but to align the digital customer journey across our brands. 

This commitment ensures that every digital interaction, regardless of the brand, is intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly.

Unity’s Impact:

• Consistency Across Brands: A unified design ensures cohesive user experiences, regardless of the brand.
• Brand-Specific Flexibility: Tailored features cater to the distinct needs of Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, and more.
• Streamlined Development: Developers can innovate quickly without sacrificing quality.

Pankraz and Busslehner emphasized the importance of a cohesive design system in their work. In a multi-brand organization like Porsche Holding, maintaining a consistent user experience across different brands and models can be challenging. However, by implementing a reliable design system, the team ensures that all digital touchpoints aren’t only visually appealing but also intuitive and user-friendly.

Learn more about how to develop successful design systems in our blog article “How to Build a Design System”.

‍User Experience: Putting Customers First

Porsche Holding has long recognized the critical role of User Experience (UX) in its digital journey. Reflecting the company’s commitment to customer-centric design, Busslehner said:

We’ve fought hard to ensure that our organization prioritizes UX.

During the development of carlog, the team prioritized gathering extensive customer feedback. This collaborative approach ensured that every detail – from simplifying registration to streamlining vehicle management – was optimized for usability. Acting as "translators" between technical requirements and user needs, the team created a portal that feels effortless and intuitive. 

The results speak for themselves: Carlog has become one of Porsche Holding's most successful projects and an example of how customer-centric design can drive acceptance and loyalty.  Find out more about carlog in our case study.

The Future of Dealerships: Digital, Hybrid, and Efficient

Porsche Holding envisions a future where dealerships blend the best of digital and physical experiences. This hybrid model acknowledges that while digitalization is key, physical touchpoints remain essential to the automotive journey.

Sebastian Busslehner explained: 

When you bring your car in for service today, you sign six paper documents. We want to change that. Customers should be able to shape their journey however it suits them best – digital, physical or a mix between both.

The vision:

• Digital sales: Vehicles can be purchased and financed entirely online.
• Hybrid experiences: Customers can still visit dealerships for personalized advice.
• Flexible: Maintenance, repairs, and even vehicle sales can be managed digitally.
• Streamlined operations: Tools like carlog free up dealership staff to focus on relationship-building rather than administrative tasks.

The hybrid approach not only ensures business efficiency but also elevates customer satisfaction by offering choice and convenience. Digital tools such as carlog help streamline operations, allowing service advisors to spend more time nurturing customer relationships instead of dealing with admin tasks. Busslehner mentioned that the time saved can be used to build customer relationships, enjoy a coffee, and talk about their next car.

Conclusion: Digitalization as a Strategy for Success

Through projects like carlog and the Unity UX Design System, Porsche Holding is redefining what it means to be a leader in automotive digitalization. 

By focusing on seamless brand integration and user experience, the company has established itself as a benchmark for innovation. As they continue to innovate and adapt, they are setting a standard for others to follow, proving that the future of the car industry is not just about vehicles, but about creating a holistic and enjoyable experience for every customer.

The future of the car industry is hybrid and digital, and with solutions like carlog, Porsche Holding is ready to make that vision a reality.

Links and Recommendations:

• Podcast: Listen to the full episode with Florian Pankraz and Sebastian Busslehner on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
• Case Study: Learn more about carlog in our case study.
• Blog: Discover how to build effective design systems in this article.