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Management and Strategy News
"Connected Mobility 2025": Intelligently linking mobility would save
over USD 266 billion globally every year
22-January-2013
by Roland Berger
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New Roland Berger study finds that traffic
problems in the world's 30 biggest cities cost over USD 266 billion
every year
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180,000 people move to the world's biggest
cities each day – a major challenge for transportation and mobility
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Integrating various modes of transportation
makes it possible to optimize traffic management in a way that is
both economically and environmentally savvy
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Mobile devices, rapid transmission
technologies (LTE) and cloud services facilitate networked mobility
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Integrated mobility offers dominate the
customer interface – the battle for the connected mobility market
has begun
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Five success factors will determine the
breakthrough of smart mobility
Personal mobility is key to the success and
prosperity of every country's economy. But the growing population in the
world's largest conurbations and the increasing amount of traffic are
leading to paralysis. In the world's 30 biggest megacities, paralyzed
traffic flows generate annual costs of more than USD 266 billion. The
answer to how to get a grip on the problem of increasing passenger
transportation lies with networked mobility. By intelligently linking
transportation data and modes of transportation, people can quickly and
easily use different mobility models as needed to get where they're
going. Integrated offers and a comprehensive management function
("mobility manager") will play a central role by bundling various
options and offering services from one platform. These are the key
findings of a recent think: act study entitled "Connected Mobility 2025"
by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. The consultancy's experts defined
five critical factors that will put smart mobility on the road to
success.
"Although we live in an increasingly networked world, individual
mobility remains mostly fragmented: At the critical moment, we lack the
information on how to best get from A to B," explains Carsten Rossbach,
Partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. "Integrated offers for
the networked consumer will have a major effect on our mobility habits."
360° view of individual mobility
The individual elements of integrated mobility have been available in
our society for a long time: private vehicles, public transit (local and
long-distance), car sharing and, more and more frequently, electric
cars. However, these elements are most often present on the market as
closed transportation systems. "It is only very rarely that these
systems are so closely intertwined that the user can quickly and easily
move from one mode of transportation to the next, as needed. There's no
comprehensive mobility perspective," says Marc Winterhoff, Roland Berger
Partner and co-author of the study. "Here is where modern information
and communication technology can help drive networked mobility."
This development is sorely needed, particularly in the world's largest
conurbations. In these areas, approximately 180,000 people move to the
cities each day – a major challenge for the transportation systems of
these metropolitan regions. Integrating various transportation options
better would have positive effects, not only for the environment, but
also for the quality of life in these large cities. It would also save
over USD 266 billion per year – that's how much paralyzed traffic flows
cost in the world's 30 biggest megacities alone.
Fundamental conditions already in place
When talking about the spread of smart mobility, it's important to note
that many of the requirements are already in place. The first is the
widespread presence of smartphones. Today there are already more than a
billion smartphones on the market around the world. Users can therefore
access important real-time information from anywhere. Experts estimate
that the number of smartphones will even double in the next two years.
Another point worth noting is the spread of key technologies that make
it possible to quickly share data. "The option of storing data in the
cloud plus implementing Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology for rapidly
transmitting information via mobile networks are already a reality
today. They form the technological backbone of future mobility," says
Roland Berger strategist Carsten Rossbach.
Integrated offers are the key to smart mobility
New mobility offers considerable potential for adding value. Companies
that can offer customers the full range of mobility services – from
travel planning and booking to billing – under one roof will benefit the
most from the potential of smart mobility. It remains to be seen which
sector will assume this key integrative function.
One option might be car manufacturers, which are already at the heart of
individual mobility and have strong brands. But transportation
associations, with their strong regional links, or railways and airlines
with their international networks, could also assume this integrative
function. And finally, telecommunication and Internet providers are also
in a good position to bundle services from various mobility providers in
single portals. "One thing is clear," summarizes Rossbach. "First movers
that can secure a strong starting position as mobility managers will
control a large amount of value creation going forward."
Five success factors for connected mobility
To succeed in the world of networked mobility, the experts at Roland
Berger urge companies to recognize this change in good time, but also
take heed of five critical factors.
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Network capabilities: The mobility of the
future will need online platforms that bundle the functions,
products, services and technologies of various transportation
systems.
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Meeting individual customer needs: Market
players have to offer their customers tailored solutions that are
built using modules – known as "mass customization". This applies to
services along the entire value chain: from travel planning to
billing.
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Brand positioning: To ensure that their
mobility offers achieve good resonance on the market, companies have
to clearly define their brands and use them for the new products and
services.
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Legal framework: Governments have to define a
clear legal framework to ensure data protection and security while
allowing for a certain amount of data transparency. Liberalizing and
harmonizing the legal framework is especially important at the
international level.
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Intelligent traffic management: If future
traffic management is to be based on economic and environmental
criteria, such as carbon or fine particulate emissions, connected
mobility should help optimize utilization of the transportation
infrastructure.
This press release originally appeared on the
Roland Berger website
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