Hyper-Automation in Customer Experience: Lessons from Porsche Holding
Porsche Holding’s Andreas Schmelzer challenges businesses to automate the work behind great service, without mistaking internal efficiency for customer value.
The episode at a glance
- Hyper-automation combines processes, systems and people; it is not simply adding bots.
- Customers care about outcomes, not which cost centre handles a request.
- Workforce acceptance and continuous improvement determine whether automation works.
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Key insights from Andreas Schmelzer
What hyper-automation actually changes
Andreas explains how work that once required multiple manual steps can be orchestrated between systems. The emphasis is on the complete process, not an isolated automated task. In complex automotive retail, a workflow often spans sales, service, finance and administration.
The customer does not see your organisational chart
A sharp thread in the interview is Andreas’s objection to designing around departmental boundaries. Customers want a service completed; they do not care how many internal cost centres contribute. This reframes the success measure from tasks automated to customer outcomes achieved.
Automation fails without employee support
Not every process should be automated blindly. Andreas describes resistance when teams see automation as a threat or when change is imposed without understanding the work. Involving employees and explaining the purpose can uncover exceptions that process maps miss.
Continuous improvement beats a one-off rollout
Automation is not finished when a tool goes live. As demand, technology and customer expectations change, leaders must revisit workflows and learn from other industries. A service that is efficient internally can still be awkward externally.
A practical takeaway
Choose one high-volume retail journey; document hand-offs and exceptions, then measure customer effort before and after automating the repetitive steps.
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