Car Rental Innovation: Avis Budget's IT, Mobile & Blockchain Use

This report examines the IT innovation strategies employed by Avis Budget, a leading car rental firm, based on an interview with Neal Sunners, the senior vice-president and CIO international for innovation. The focus is on the company's drive to reduce customer stress through mobile self-service applications and digital transformation. The report highlights the use of mobile applications built using frameworks like Phonegap and Xamarin, deployed across various platforms, to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Services such as car selection, exchange, and upgrade are now available via the mobile app, reducing the need for human interaction. The report also investigates Avis Budget's exploration of blockchain technology for customer authentication and security. While the report praises the company's focus on technology, it notes missing issues such as security assessments for mobile applications and the need for AI-enabled services like chatbots for real-time customer support. Recommendations include improving security aspects, enhancing AI features, and further exploring technical innovations. The report concludes that Avis Budget is building an advanced mobility space with plans for fleet management, connected car technology, and various customer-centric offerings.

Running head: INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
Innovation at Car Rental Firm
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s note

1INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to IT at the Company..............................................................................................2
2. Theme Sections............................................................................................................................2
2.1 Mobile based Applications for Operational Efficiency.........................................................2
2.2 Development Frameworks of Avis Budget for their mobile application..............................3
2.3 Services offered by Avis Budget...........................................................................................4
2.4 Mobile Developments at Avis Budget...................................................................................4
2.5 Investigation of Blockchain Technology at Avis Budget......................................................5
3. Missing Issues..............................................................................................................................6
4. Recommendations........................................................................................................................7
5. Future Directions.........................................................................................................................7
6. Conclusion...................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

2INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
1. Introduction to IT at the Company
This report is focused on the interview conducted on Neal Sunners who is the senior vice-
president and CIO international for innovation at car rental firm. The firm primarily puts deep
focus on the removal of customer stress based on implementing a drive based on mobile self-
service applications. Avis Budget is one of the car rental giants that is primarily concerned for
driving a transformational strategy within the mobility at their core of the firm
(ComputerWeekly.com 2019). This kind of transformational strategy have been primarily been
designed for the purpose of delivering an improved form of engagement of customers within
their form, they also include services for automation in order to increase the efficiency of staff
members. The specially designed applications based on mobile based service have been
primarily been developed by a strong team. This application has been distributed across
Budapest, India and Bracknell and have been primarily been designed for the major purpose of
removal of stress from customers based on providing of self-service (Demirkan and Spohrer
2014). With the providing of self-service to their customers, it has been beneficial for increasing
the potential and efficiency of the organisational performances.
2. Theme Sections
2.1 Mobile based Applications for Operational Efficiency
During the conduction of interview of Neal Sunners, it had been discussed that with the
digitisation of the various forms of services, the company has directly formed a kind of
collaboration with providing satisfaction to their customers. This has been possible with
increasing the performance within the operational procedures (Rong et al. 2015). As per the
conversation of Neal, he has confirmed that the organisations primarily puts their major kind of
priorities for their customers. This has been mainly been possible with the inclusion of

3INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
digitisation facilities within the transformational phase. In fact, there has been a major amount of
focus on the improvement of the satisfaction levels of their potential customers.
Neal further explains that with the impact of self-service mobile applications, they have
been able to improve the working life of their colleagues. The definite part of the major forms of
investments that have been made is based on the purpose of serving their customers in a better
manner. There is also a major form of agreement based on the background work that have been
put together by the development team of the project (Westerman, Bonnet and McAfee 2014).
They are continuously in the process of improvement and bringing in changes within the
application, which might be able to meet up to the raising levels of expectation from customers.
With the major expanding of the mobile applications, there have been a series of capabilities that
have been introduced. These are developed and designed internally based on the support from
many external development partners such as Mindtree and TCS as per the business needs of the
firm.
2.2 Development Frameworks of Avis Budget for their mobile application
At the core of the mobile application, the company primarily employs the use of
development frameworks such as Phonegap and Xamarin. They also have native built
applications. The number of applications are mainly deployed on Windows, Android and the iOS
platform. Some of the examples of the various processes that have been included within the
application include the need for filling up of firms (Jittrapirom et al. 2017). They would be able
to conduct a manual repair work for the vehicles based in their repair shops. They would thus
require much high acceptable service for cars. The use of Maintenance and Damage
Management System (MDMS) helps the customers to bid and build a network of some local
repairing shops. They would thus return the bid that would be entirely be based on the cost and

4INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
time element. With the help of this kind of process, it would be easier to return the car to the
owner at a much faster service rate. This would help in enhancing the experience of customers in
a better manner and thus also provide an example of operational efficiency of the firm.
2.3 Services offered by Avis Budget
Avis Budget primarily bring in services from the perspective of their customers. They
have thus introduced “significant forms of self-service” with the help of their mobile based
application. The applications provides the basic functionality that includes the enabling of their
customers to select, exchange and upgrade their cars. These kind of services could be availed
before the car would arrive at their rental location, during the time of pick-up or returning of cars
to their owners (Matzler, Veider and Kathan 2015). With the implementation and improvement
of high level of technology, the described services would be provided without the essential need
of human interaction.
The mobile application would also allow their customers to measure the accurate level of
fuel within the car. They would also be able to gain a knowledge about the mileage of the car
based on their journey. The customers would also receive electronic receipts of their payments.
In this process, the customers would also be able to make use of digital signature technology in
order to confirm any other form of damage to the concerned car. These kind of processes would
thus be able to reduce the increasing costs, frustration of customers and delay in car delivery
process.
2.4 Mobile Developments at Avis Budget
In order to bring in further enhancements to the mobile application, Avis Budget is
working on the delivery of a new form of application programming interface (API) platform. The
firm has also partnered with several other similar firms such as Zipcar and Maggiore. Neal

5INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
Sunners also described the ways in which they have decided to bring significant amount of
investments within a single platform (Xiang, Magnini and Fesenmaier 2015). This facility has
been possible by providing a broad set of API capabilities with the help of their partners. The
firm has thus formed different connections on a global basis.
2.5 Investigation of Blockchain Technology at Avis Budget
Based on the further investigation about the various factors supported by Avis Budget,
Neal Sunners has clarified that in the recent age of technology, they should make extensive use
of the new-age technologies. These technologies are regularly been updated on a regular basis
and thus can enhance the operational efficiency of the firm (Acquier, Daudigeos and Pinkse
2017). Neal further states that Avis Budget in currently in the process of including the
blockchain pilot technology within their firm. Based on the implementation of blockchain
supported technology, it has been helpful for customers to register for online services. This
would reduce the need for physical interaction of the company with the customers. The users
would have to submit their driving license and a digital copy of their photographs (Hamida et al.
2017). They would thus have to conduct their booking of services with the help of mobile based
applications or through the web platform.
Neal explains that as they operate in a certain kind of digital world, the firm is on a
decision for including blockchain supported technology. The inclusion of this service would thus
eventually lead to the identification and authentication of customers. The company primarily
deals with storing of vital information of the customers (Treiblmaier and Beck 2018). This kind
of information would be highly needed for the securing of services offered by the organisation.
The security validation of identity of customers would be needed to be conducted in a real-time
environment. The process of validation would be done on a per-transaction basis. This kind of

6INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
service would be needed to keep upgraded in order to secure the data of the customers on the
online platform. Some part of the preliminary investigations supported by Avis Budget is based
on carrying out of blockchain supported technology within several business areas. Some other
sectors of operations within the business could be within the logistic sector. With the approach of
the firm within the mobility space, it could be further discussed that the learnings based on
blockchain technology could thus be applied to different parallel industries.
3. Missing Issues
The conducted interview on Neal Sunners have been able to put the major amount of
focus on the impacts of technology on the use of mobile applications for the benefits of the firm.
However, with the inclusion of such kind of advanced services, there is a major need for the
conduction of security assessments within the development purpose and upgrading of mobile
application (Sochor, Strömberg and Karlsson 2015). Security is a high matter of concern in the
recent times. Hence, there is a high need for the conduction of security of the mobile application.
The Avis systems help in providing the telematics function and data such as the lock and unlock
features of the car, blowing of horns and flashing of the headlights (Kabir, Han and Colman
2014). These kind of services would also require the interaction of customers within the mobile
application.
There are certain other kind of services that are followed by Avis Budget. With the
development of such kind of relationship with various partner groups would require a
maintenance of privacy policies within the company (Costin et al. 2014). The report does not
include the discussed facts based on providing a secure kind of strategy for developing a secure
growth for the partnership. As Avis primarily puts focus on customer retention and satisfaction,
hence they should be solely responsible for providing of secure services.

7INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
In this interview, it has been seen that Avis Budget has primarily put focus on Blockchain
technology for bringing in enhancements within their applications and offered services.
However, in the recent age, Artificial Intelligence (AI) enables services are also gaining a huge
matter of importance. The use of AI features within the mobile application would be helpful for
the customers to get instant support as per their needs (Brynjolfsson and McAfee 2014). With the
inclusion of AI features, the application could also include the facility of chatbot system. This
would help the customers to have a direct conversation with the AI supported system. The
customers would be able to gain real-time support from the AI enabled system that would be able
to suggest different kinds of recommendations.
4. Recommendations
Based on the understanding from the above topic of study, it could be discussed and
recommended that security aspects should be further improved within the research of AI. The
blockchain technology should also be improvised and several latest kind of technical innovations
could be improved within the sector. There is also a high need of enhancement within the
features supported by AI within the mobile application introduced by the firm. This would be
useful for the future growth of AI within the mobility sector. This would hence prove to be a
major kind of benefit for the use of customers.
5. Future Directions
Based on the discussion from the conducted interview on Neal Sunners, it could be
concluded that Avis Budget is in the current process of building of advanced mobility space for
their customers with several kinds of offerings. Avis Budget, in the near future, would also has
plans for the inclusion of fleet acquisition, fleet management, disposal, maintenance and
servicing, bookings and a connected car technology (Gerpott and May 2016). In addition to the

8INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
number of mobile applications that have been offered by the firm, it has also been stated by Neal
that is in the process of signing of their agreements with different other corporations within the
Rocketspace Mobility Accelerator Programme. Neal further discusses that prioritisation of
service for customers have been their major matter of concern in the present state that have been
helpful for delivering certain set objectives and also making a good use of suppliers. Prioritising
and focusing on the proper kind of services would be have to generally be considered. With the
impact of collaboration of Avis Budget with various other non-competing organisations and
recently starting community, they have been able to clear out their vision of the emerging mobile
technologies (Kavanagh and Johnson 2017). They have also been able to improve their offerings
for the customers. Neal further clarifies that they have the underlying infrastructure in order to
provide a diverse mobility services based on a global scale.
6. Conclusion
As per the interview conducted on Sunners, it has also been stated that the company is in
the process of developing and releasing new kinds of functionalities for their mobile
management systems. They would also bring major enhancements for the mobile applications,
which would further help in the planning of critical solutions and improving the relationship with
customers. This would be possible by maintaining a healthy relationship with their partner firms
and their customers.

9INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
References
Acquier, A., Daudigeos, T. and Pinkse, J., 2017. Promises and paradoxes of the sharing
economy: An organizing framework. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 125, pp.1-
10.
Brynjolfsson, E. and McAfee, A., 2014. The second machine age: Work, progress, and
prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies. WW Norton & Company.
ComputerWeekly.com. (2019). CIO Interview: Neal Sunners, CIO, Avis Budget Group. [online]
Available at: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450425297/CIO-Interview-Neal-Sunners-
CIO-Avis-Budget-Group [Accessed 15 Jan. 2019].
Costin, A., Zaddach, J., Francillon, A., Balzarotti, D. and Antipolis, S., 2014, August. A Large-
Scale Analysis of the Security of Embedded Firmwares. In USENIX Security Symposium (pp. 95-
110).
Demirkan, H. and Spohrer, J., 2014. Developing a framework to improve virtual shopping in
digital malls with intelligent self-service systems. Journal of Retailing and Consumer
Services, 21(5), pp.860-868.
Gerpott, T.J. and May, S., 2016. Integration of Internet of Things components into a firm’s
offering portfolio–a business development framework. info, 18(2), pp.53-63.
Hamida, E.B., Brousmiche, K.L., Levard, H. and Thea, E., 2017, July. Blockchain for enterprise:
overview, opportunities and challenges. In The Thirteenth International Conference on Wireless
and Mobile Communications (ICWMC 2017).

10INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM
Jittrapirom, P., Caiati, V., Feneri, A.M., Ebrahimigharehbaghi, S., Alonso González, M.J. and
Narayan, J., 2017. Mobility as a service: A critical review of definitions, assessments of
schemes, and key challenges.
Kabir, M.A., Han, J. and Colman, A., 2014. Sociotelematics: Harnessing social interaction-
relationships in developing automotive applications. Pervasive and Mobile Computing, 14,
pp.129-146.
Kavanagh, M.J. and Johnson, R.D. eds., 2017. Human resource information systems: Basics,
applications, and future directions. Sage Publications.
Matzler, K., Veider, V. and Kathan, W., 2015. Adapting to the sharing economy. MIT.
Rong, K., Hu, G., Lin, Y., Shi, Y. and Guo, L., 2015. Understanding business ecosystem using a
6C framework in Internet-of-Things-based sectors. International Journal of Production
Economics, 159, pp.41-55.
Sochor, J., Strömberg, H. and Karlsson, I.M., 2015. Implementing mobility as a service:
challenges in integrating user, commercial, and societal perspectives. Transportation Research
Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (2536), pp.1-9.
Treiblmaier, H. and Beck, R., 2018. Business Transformation through Blockchain.
Westerman, G., Bonnet, D. and McAfee, A., 2014. Leading digital: Turning technology into
business transformation. Harvard Business Press.
Xiang, Z., Magnini, V.P. and Fesenmaier, D.R., 2015. Information technology and consumer
behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet. Journal of
Retailing and Consumer Services, 22, pp.244-249.

11INNOVATION AT CAR RENTAL FIRM