- Understanding the critical decisions conglomerates face while partnering with car manufacturers, with SAP’s switch from Tesla to Sixt SE as a primary example.
- Examining risks associated with such partnerships, using VinFast Auto Ltd's recent vehicle recall as a significant case study.
- Observing broader market challenges - such as EV price volatilities and delivery issues.
- Evaluating strategic implications for conglomerates in navigating the volatile market.
In a sphere laden with ambiguity, towering corporate entities face an ever-fluctuating business environment. This turbulence hits hard in the automobile sector, where the choices surrounding collaborations with vehicle manufacturers can gravely impact a corporation's pathway, akin to a rough and twisting road bending to the whims of extreme weather elements.
A powerful demonstration of this conundrum is delivered by the German technological titan, SAP SE. Tasked with the management of a striking fleet consisting of approximately 29,000 vehicles, SAP experienced turbulent periods in its dealings with Tesla, stemming from unpredictable pricing criteria and delivery inconsistency. This real-life situation casts a spotlight on the principles of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), where risk and return characteristics are interrelated with an organization's dependency on partnerships that could either yield hefty returns or usher in pronounced risks.
However, these risks increasingly outshone the perceived benefits, inevitably leading to an irreparable split. SAP strategically shifted its gears, aligning its approach with that of the car rental company, Sixt SE. This shift is a testament to SAP's adaptation of the efficient market hypothesis, where it adapts to the full spectrum of available information to make economically rational decisions.
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