By Lee Min-hyungSINGAPORE ― Lotus Formula One team chief operating officer Thomas Mayer says the team has gained "smarter competitiveness" after adopting Microsoft's business management tools."What has happened since is that we now have the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT), which is all about technology," Mayer told a press conference at Microsoft (MS) Asia Pacific headquarters in Marina Bay, Singapore, last week.The racing team forged a partnership with the software giant in 2012 to use its enterprise resources planning (ERP) solutions in what the team believed was a "game-changing" decision.The Lotus team previously said that its traditional management processes were holding back innovation in a fast-moving environment.Mayer said Microsoft had helped the team to be more competitive in the time-sensitive racing game."We can now streamline data processes in real time, go to big data and immediately get some algorithm," he said.The Lotus F1 team has used the MS ERP solutions software, Microsoft Dynamics AX, for about two-and-a-half years.Mayer said the Lotus team was not just a racing team, but a technology company applying production technology into its vehicles.He said the team was using a supercomputer to manage the whole process of racing."Our aerodynamics engineers are working to design the shapes of the car," he said. "We need to pick the most promising one not in terms of a one-off game because it should be developed throughout the season. For us, it's not about saving money ― it's about getting the most out of the money we invest."Last year, the Lotus team worked on 23,500 parts drawings for each car, and the number is expected to be much higher this year."It's all about integrating different systems in different layers," Mayer said. "We have gotten insights we have never had."The successful deployment of Dynamics ERP solutions has led the Lotus team to adopt Dynamics Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software for online use.Microsoft Dynamics Worldwide general manager Christian Pedersen stressed the importance of customer management in all parts of the business world."Think about the connectedness of Formula One, and think about the amount of sensors and data they get, use and analyze," he said.