Customer relationship management (CRM) performance evaluation in automotive industries with different level of digital maturities

Abstract This study reveals the impact of digital maturities on customer relationship management (CRM) performance in automotive industries. A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) approach is employed to evaluate CRM performance across two enterprise cohorts exhibiting varying levels of digital maturities. Empirical results demonstrate that the application of digital technologies has a significant impact on CRM, but there are not significant disparities in the final FCE grades between two groups, underlying the strategic importance of digital technologies for business to maintain sustainable innovation. However, the first-class index “Increase Customer Satisfaction” is rated as rank “Excellent” in AAA-level certified enterprises while “Good” rank is rated for AA-level&below certified enterprises, this indicates the existence of misalignment between advanced information systems&tools and immature business processes in enterprises with lower digital maturities. Practical implications for policy makers include the promotion of digital maturity assessment before introducing universal digital platforms. For practitioners, it is imperative to have a business process maturity assessment prior to significant digital platform investments.