ANTARA – The rapid changes in today’s automotive market reflect the condition known as VUCA — Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. This term describes a situation that is fast-changing, unpredictable, complicated, and unclear. In such conditions, industry players are required to adapt quickly to remain relevant and competitive.
Automotive observer Yannes Martinus Pasaribu from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) said that businesses need to reassess old strategies that no longer fit the current landscape. He believes that adaptability is the main factor for survival amid the major transformations occurring in the automotive industry.
Industry players must be more observant in reading market directions. They can no longer rely on conventional strategies used in the past. Quick responses to changes in consumer behavior, government policies, and technological developments—such as vehicle electrification and digitalization—are now essential.
Yannes said that brands failing to adapt will lose relevance, even if they once dominated the market. He cited examples of camera manufacturer Kodak and mobile phone maker BlackBerry, which once led their industries but eventually collapsed because they failed to transform in response to changing times.
He emphasized that the ability to innovate, read trends, and make data-driven decisions is the key to survival in the increasingly powerful wave of VUCA. According to him, many big brands did not fall because of past mistakes, but because they became too comfortable in their safe zones. Yannes concluded with the view that in the VUCA era, the only constant is the ability to keep changing. He believes that humility and awareness to adapt—without being trapped by the illusion of past glory—are crucial factors for survival in today’s automotive industry.
(*)
