Ducati partners TCS

Italian superbike maker Ducati has selected Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as its ‘Technology Partner’ in what the two companies are calling a ‘multi-year, multi-million dollar deal.’

The agreement was announced on January 20 in Mumbai by Ducati CEO and president, Gabriele Del Torchio and TCS managing director and CEO, S Ramadorai.

According to the companies, the deal would help improve Ducati’s customer responsiveness and business efficiency, through the use of TCS’ technology-based services and products. “Ducati is the leader in premium sports bikes, with an impressive track record in terms of racing success. We believe that TCS is the right partner to help us set up a strong company platform that will help us reach the next level in terms of company competitiveness and results in today’s global market.” said Del Torchio.

Commenting on the deal, Ramadorai said: “Our partnership with Ducati is another example of the cutting edge technology services that TCS is providing to leaders in different sectors and industries. With TCS as its tech partner, Ducati’s ability to respond to customers and react to the evolving business environment will increase and help them to effectively use TCS’ talent and expertise to boost their presence globally.”

As a first assignment, TCS has been awarded an ERP program for Ducati and its subsidiaries in Europe. TCS has partnered with KPMG Advisory in Italy for this assignment. KPMG will contribute its local market knowledge, while TCS will bring its Global Network Delivery Model to this project. The objective is to drive major improvements in supply chain management, especially in the areas of forecasts, inventory control and optimised production plans, as well as reducing overall logistics costs.

Del Torchio said, “We plan to start our showroom in Mumbai in the next three months and another one in New Delhi a bit later.”

He added, “India is very important market for Ducati. Currently we have sold a few bikes but we are not in a hurry. Things will pick up this year and the market will be very interesting in terms of its size five years from now."