CSC To Build $300 Million Web-Retail System For Saturn Corp.

In a move that expands its role as a systems integrator for General Motors Corp., Computer Sciences Corp. said today it is heading up a seven-year, $300 million project to implement a Web automotive retail-management system for Saturn Corp.

Beginning in February, CSC will spend 15 months developing and integrating Saturn's new retail and customer interface, replacing an existing distributed solution created by EDS and managed by individual Saturn retailers. The remainder of the contract will involve hardware and software installation, employee training, and ongoing operational support.

When completed, the next-generation Saturn retail system will provide a single Web front end to tie together Saturn's 400 retail centers nationwide. The new system will also let customers use the Internet to connect with retailers' computer systems to schedule service appointments and check the service history on their cars.

To create the new system, CSC will bring together automotive retail management technology from the Reynolds and Reynolds Co. and Siebel eBusiness Applications from Siebel Systems Inc., as well as additional software from DealerKid.com, Tibco, and Microsoft.

"This system is a prototype for GM," says Jill Lajdziak, Saturn's VP of sales, service, and marketing. Paul Cofini, group president for CSC, adds that if the project is successful, resulting in a high acceptance rate among Saturn retailers and increased traffic to the Saturn Web site, the new system could become a standard for other car companies within GM.