Cover story
The complexity of the automotive aftermarket is recognized by the industry: the huge number of SKU accessories, various modes and multi-level circulation channel chains, and the terminal maintenance needs of the International Automobile Market. Although in recent years with the help of capital has undergone great changes and innovations, its products + professional services and traditional industry attribute extensive operation are facing huge challenges, the era of making decisions is gone, the need for more comprehensive and specific digital solutions, which has spawned a major demand for product anti-counterfeiting and full-link traceability in the whole industry.
It is precisely under the impetus of the above demands that the importance of "one thing and one code" technology has gradually become prominent: from the production line to the end consumer, the "code" on the product will be closely integrated with consumers, maintenance terminals, circulation channels, and upstream brands, and one thing and one code have also been given anti-counterfeiting traceability, warehousing and logistics tracking, O2O marketing and other comprehensive solutions, and the cloud platform behind the code can retain all the "data" traces of product circulation to achieve true digitization.
In the field of one thing and one code, the leading enterprise in China is Chiya Technology, which was founded in 2012, based on the completely independent research and development of one thing and one code technology, the company hopes to become a "brand enterprise digital transformation service provider". How does Chiya Technology play this role well? What are the advantages of its proud core technology? What kind of solutions are provided for post-steam enterprises? Where will Chia be led in the future?
With these questions in mind, our reporter came to the headquarters of Chiya Technology located in Shanghai Yangtze River Software Park and conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions with Chen Bin, founder and CEO of Chiya Technology. Throughout the interview process, this entrepreneur who has long been focused on technology, somewhat introverted and shy, talked very frankly about the difficulty of independent research and development, the challenges faced by enterprise development and the satisfaction after achieving results, and full of confidence in the future.
Chen Bin, founder and CEO of Chiya Technology
Adhere to independent research and development, master the core technology
Science and technology are the primary productive forces, and no one will question this statement. In recent years, the ability of independent scientific and technological innovation has increasingly become a decisive factor in national competitiveness. From a long-term point of view, relying on the introduction of technology, the future will be subject to people, therefore, the state is sparing no effort to increase support for high-tech enterprises.
"Chiya Technology is a technology-based company with core independent intellectual property rights." As the founder, Chen Bin is very accurate in the positioning of Chiya, "The difference with Youshang is that in addition to our system integration capabilities, we pay more attention to independent research and development, and our core algorithms are leading at home and even internationally." In addition to the company's R&D department, the core technical team of Chiya Technology, Chen Bin, who graduated from Fudan, led Chiya Technology to carry out in-depth industry-university-research integration with the School of Software of Fudan University, industrializing the front-end demand of the market, developing future technologies, and always maintaining a leading position at home and abroad. In the past ten years, Chiya Technology has adhered to the independent research and development of anti-counterfeiting technology, and has a large number of independent research and development patented technologies, including 3 national invention patents, 5 utility model patents and 42 software copyrights. The company has not only become a "specialized and specialized" enterprise in Shanghai, but also a national high-tech enterprise.
Chiya Technology has a large number of national patents and software copyrights
Talking about the core technology of Chiya Technology, we have to mention one thing and one code, as the first batch of enterprises in China to conduct research and application in this field, Chiya Technology has accumulated rich experience in project implementation.
"One thing and one code is equivalent to giving each product a unique QR code, just like everyone has their own second-generation ID card." At present, chiya technology's one thing and one code can not only achieve anti-counterfeiting, but also set anti-channeling code, traceability code, marketing code, after-sales code, diversion code in one, that is, "six codes in one". This means that by simply scanning the code with one click, enterprises can realize the whole life cycle traceability management of products from raw materials, production to packaging, warehousing logistics, channels, and finally to the consumer terminal.
Chiya Technology's "six codes in one" helps enterprises achieve full life cycle traceability management
Chen Bin told reporters that looking at the world, China is in a leading position in the field of one thing and one code, and at the moment when all walks of life are undergoing digital transformation and upgrading, one thing and one code have broad application prospects.
One thing and one code helps enterprises solve channel and marketing pain points
As early as the concept of digitalization was not yet widespread, Chiya Technology keenly captured this trend. At the beginning of its establishment, Chiya Technology positioned itself as a company that did product-side digital transformation for production enterprises. The initial service includes three aspects: anti-counterfeiting, anti-channeling and traceability, mainly to solve the problem of product traceability in the channel. Later, with the continuous development and growth of the company, Chiya Technology began to try to enter more different industries, and the derivative products and services gradually began to increase, and has now expanded the channel sinking sales, store key person incentives, membership management, BI data analysis and other services. Chiya Technology is now also a long-term partner of National Medical Device UDI, Ali Mantianxing, and Tencent Enterprise WeChat, and has been highly recognized by these institutions, enterprises and organizations in the implementation of the project.
"The overall direction of Chiya Technology has always remained the same, all in order to maximize sales assistance and data support for customers in sales channels." Chen Bin said.
At the product marketing level, Chiya Technology has developed a set of "Bee Bell" digital marketing system. The system supports multi-dimensional and all-round precision marketing such as red envelope rewards, lottery points, coupons, key person incentives, and timed fixed-point activity detonation. For example, the key person scan code incentive is to adopt different incentive methods for different key people in the channel, such as dealers, salesmen, stores, technicians, and consumers, so as to improve the sales willingness of the entire channel, help brand enterprises achieve rapid circulation of products, and achieve the ultimate goal of increasing product sales.
In addition, one thing and one code can also realize the after-sales service of electronic warranty cards, helping brand enterprises to quickly precipitate transaction users to the private domain traffic pool of enterprises at low cost to increase the user repurchase rate and help enterprises achieve efficient channel sinking.
Taking the cooperation with Shaanxi Automobile Heavy Truck as an example, Chiya Technology provides three digital solutions for the pain points such as the difficulty of shaanxi heavy truck supplier management and the difficulty of user access:
1. Launch a one-thing-one-code system. Integrate its own supply chain system, code label the goods, and realize the full product storage synchronously in the parts production process, so that you can grasp the goods in and out of all unlearned suppliers in real time, and comprehensively improve production efficiency through digital management of suppliers.
2. Full chain traceability system for goods. It has helped Shaanxi Automobile realize the whole chain tracking from factory production, in-transit transportation, channel inventory to terminal consumption, and completely open up the goods link.
3. Terminal marketing campaign of "one code double scan". So that consumers and store mechanics can get red envelope rewards, consumers and mechanics of the red envelopes are closely related, offline stores of the machine union is very proactive to recommend Shaanxi Automobile accessories to consumers, inform consumers to participate in Shaanxi Automobile's code scanning activities, try to promote transactions, and ultimately promote sales and cultivate consumer loyalty. The campaign eventually achieved more than 250,000 participants in a single marketing campaign.
Chiya Technology also has many successful cases, and the cooperation with 3M is also very representative. A few years ago, due to the increasing demand for anti-counterfeiting year by year, the anti-counterfeiting level requirements also need to be upgraded accordingly, 3M China Filter Division decided to re-select anti-counterfeiting and channel control partners. However, when it compared the original partners, it found that the solutions provided by the three suppliers could not fully meet their own needs. At this time, Chiya Technology, with a number of patented technologies in the field of two-dimensional code anti-counterfeiting, attracted the attention of 3M, and after some contact, it was finally successfully selected as its new supplier, which is also the only enterprise among the four alternative suppliers that has never participated in the cooperation of 3M projects.
With coin-level anti-counterfeiting technology and professional system services, Chiya Technology immediately designed a customized solution for 3M. After the program was launched, the anti-counterfeiting performance of 3M China's products was greatly improved, and the phenomenon of counterfeit goods was significantly reduced, helping enterprises to establish a clear channel control system. Through the solution of Chiya Technology, 3M has achieved a clear understanding of product trends, such as: product production date, outbound factory, outbound time, dealer tracking, data upload time, etc.; the problem of dealer channeling has also been better solved.
In the end, this project has been highly recognized by 3M China in terms of system performance, professionalism, and service quality. The manager of 3M China's filter division said: "I hope that Chiya will always adhere to the high response efficiency and service standards since the cooperation."
Digitalization empowers the automotive aftermarket
As a traditional industry, the digital transformation of the automotive aftermarket is still in its infancy. Chen Bin told reporters that unlike other industries involved in Chiya Technology, such as mother and baby, beauty, FMCG, etc., the terminal audience in these areas is oriented to the C-end, while the terminal audience of the automotive aftermarket is oriented to the B-end, that is, auto repair stores, technicians, repairmen, etc., rather than car owners, so it is difficult to sink marketing, and key people are difficult to reach. For a long time, the inventory turnover of the automobile aftermarket is slow, the circulation link is long, and there are many cross-regional sales phenomena, and the upstream brand side sells the products to large wholesalers, such as "stone sinking into the sea", it is difficult to track the circulation route of the product and the final loading destination. This is the pain point of every brand owner. With the intensification of competition and the increasingly strong demand for brand sinking, extensive business methods have been unable to meet the demand, and enhancing competitiveness through digital solutions will become the focus of every company's attention. Chiya Technology is summarizing and refining the digital advantages of other relatively mature industries to help the automotive aftermarket undergo digital transformation.
Chiya Technology was awarded by "Automotive & Accessories"
"2021 China Auto Aftermarket Most Popular Brand Award Model Innovation Award"
Through nearly a decade of deep cultivation in the auto parts industry, Chiya Technology has been promoting product managers and project operators to run to the front line of the market, from stores to dealers to do research from bottom to bottom, design digital marketing solutions, so as to be able to sink marketing activities to stores, or even the mechanic end, to achieve online and offline connectivity of data, and to return marketing big data to the brand end, and finally realize the privatization of user data.
In September 2021, an event called "Crazy on the Li Plus Battery 'Code'" swept the automotive aftermarket. The activity is the whole process customization carried out by Chiya Technology for customers according to their needs: the pre-event warm-up, the circle of friends collection, douyin momentum and other activities have accumulated a wave of fans, and when the potential energy accumulates to the highest point, the sweeping code lottery activity is officially launched. Due to the sufficient warm-up in the early stage, the activity quickly spread in the technician circle, coupled with the technical means to detonate the momentum at a fixed point, maintaining the continuity of the activity heat, and the effect exceeded expectations.
In just 20 days, tens of thousands of maintenance terminal stores in more than 30 provincial-level cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, have actively participated. Background data shows that a total of 6,000 technicians participated in the event, and these technicians remained in the brand's private domain, through which more than 17 000 products were sold.
When it comes to marketing, we have to mention the simplest and roughest "price war" in the automotive aftermarket, although effective, but killing a thousand enemies also loses eight hundred, and also destroys the overall business environment and pulls down the profits of the entire industry.
What is valuable is that chiya technology's "li plus battery 'code' crazy" activity did not carry out any price reduction promotion of the product. According to the technical means to track the exposure of the circle of friends, the activity reached 10w+ exposure in the auto parts industry, and achieved the unity of product efficiency from sales and brand sound. Therefore, in terms of cost-effectiveness ratio, customer satisfaction is quite high.
"There are many successful cases as endorsements, more and more auto parts brands have contacted us, and we are also reasonably evaluating whether the time node for marketing activities for these categories of products is appropriate, as well as the real needs of marketing activities within the brand enterprise." Chen Bin said that after determining cooperation with brand enterprises, Chiya Technology will conduct in-depth communication and sorting out the business and pain points of enterprises, and finally form a set of solutions that can be implemented.
Continue to invest in research and development and explore new opportunities
With the continuous increase of consumption upgrades and distribution channels, as well as the catalysis of the epidemic in recent years, how to survive in the stock market with fierce competition and slowing growth has put forward more stringent requirements for the operation and management level of brand enterprises, and it is imperative to carry out digital upgrading.
In this context, one thing and one code has become just needed, and traditional low-value-added products such as beer and beverages have also begun to be one thing and one code. The digitalization of products in the maternal and infant, FMCG and other industries has been quite mature, and the digital transformation of the automotive aftermarket has just started, and it has great potential in the future.
At present, the auto parts division of Chiya Technology has accumulated a group of professionals who have long been rooted in the automotive aftermarket from research and development, technology, pre-sales, sales to project managers, etc., and have certain experience and understanding of this subdivision industry. In addition to taking root in the traditional automotive aftermarket field, Chiya Technology is also making efforts in the field of new energy vehicles, and at the same time, through cooperation with some domestic MES manufacturers, it can better realize the combination of software and hardware to bring customers more comprehensive services.
Chiya technology is not a simple solution provider, whether it is a system or identification technology, the company has its own core technology and patents, and the use of Chiya independent development of technology and products, the annual investment in production and research more than 15%, more than 50% of the company are technical personnel.
Chen Bin said frankly that this is also the challenge faced by technology-based enterprises such as Chiya Technology, technology precipitation requires a lot of capital and time costs, large upfront investment, slow money-making effect in the short term, low rate of return, but Chiya is not a quick opportunist, but a long-termist who adheres to scientific and technological research and development.
Chiya Technology is headquartered in Shanghai Yangtze River Software Park
If in the first ten years of its establishment, Chiya Technology completed a breakthrough from 0 to 1, solved the problem of survival, and laid out a large number of technologies and patents during this period. Then in the next decade, Chiya Technology hopes to usher in a take-off. It is believed that under the attention and support of the state to high-tech enterprises, Chiya Technology will accumulate and develop.