Collaborative Digital Platform Architecture to Enhance Cross-Selling in the Automotive Ecosystem

Abstract

Fragmented applications, point-to-point integration, and isolated customer data restrict cross-selling among dealer, financing, and insurance entities in an automotive group. This study designs and evaluates a collaborative digital platform through one integrated enterprise architecture cycle comprising Business, Data, Application, and Infrastructure Architecture using design science, TOGAF, DAMA-DMBOK, and digital-platform ecosystem concepts. Evidence was obtained from focus group discussions with two sales executives, current-architecture review, a five-level maturity assessment, gap analysis, and expert validation. Application maturity ranged from 1 to 3, with the largest gaps in governance and standardization; infrastructure and security scored 2 to 3. The business architecture integrates the lead-to-order journey and bundled offerings. The data architecture defines shared business objects, a Single Customer ID, Customer 360, lifecycle controls, and analytics. The application architecture combines six platform domains, shared services, managed APIs, and event-driven integration, while the infrastructure architecture uses hybrid cloud, resilience controls, Zero Trust, consent management, and audit trails. Reassessment placed all criteria at Level 3. Expert review found the blueprint relevant and feasible, subject to staged implementation and explicit risk management.