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ZF News
ZF presents Next-generation workshop concept welcomes new commercial vehicle businesses
Access to repair and maintenance information, digital support for fleet customers and a service offering that is as sustainable as possible – these are just three of the many challenges that individual commercial vehicle businesses will increasingly have to cope with.
The commercial vehicle maintenance and repair business harbours huge growth potential for workshops. According to a current forecast by the German government, truck freight traffic, for example, is set to increase by 46 per cent by 2051. Parcel services and bus companies are also likely to expand their business in the coming years.
The commercial vehicle segment therefore offers great opportunities for workshops. But to capitalize on these opportunities, they need a strong partner - like ZF Aftermarket. In view of the rapid progress in vehicle technology - also and especially in the commercial vehicle sector - workshops today need more than just a reliable supply of spare parts. Other requirements must also be met for a successful repair process, such as up-to-date repair and maintenance information (RMI), access to data from the vehicle through diagnostic devices, up-to-date training on new technologies and much more.
In addition, CV workshops are facing new challenges that they need to address. For example, more and more commercial customers are interested in a low Scope 2 score. This means that their service providers and suppliers (including workshops) must ensure and document the lowest possible CO2 emissions and resource consumption. The shortage of skilled workers, the digitalization of the entire workshop process and access to live vehicle data are further tasks that individual workshops need support to deal with.
The ZF [pro]Service workshop concept is tailored to the needs of specialized commercial vehicle workshops depending on the vehicle type (truck, bus and/or trailer) and combines the previously separate ZF Service Point, ZF [pro]Tech (commercial vehicle variant) and WABCO Service Partner concepts.
With ZF [pro]Service, workshops get the complete range of the world's largest supplier for the commercial vehicle industry from a single source. Elmar Bauer, Head of Network Management for Commercial Vehicles at ZF Aftermarket, says: "ZF [pro]Service is a unique offering for the commercial vehicle market that complements a comprehensive product program with numerous additional services. Our aim is to help commercial vehicle businesses and prepare them for the aftermarket of the future. Workshops can benefit from the numerous opportunities associated with this if they utilize digital processes and communication channels, open themselves up to new business models and are always at the cutting edge of technology. We will offer this with ZF [pro]Service."
The following service modules are part of the program:
- Spare parts supply: The delivery program covers the entire product world of ZF, the world's largest supplier to the commercial vehicle industry, with no fewer than 70,000 part numbers. It grows by several hundred additional part numbers every year. The product program focuses on the driveline (transmission, clutch) and the chassis (axles, steering, brakes), available under the premium brands ZF, Lemförder, Sachs, TRW and WABCO.
- Sales promotion: Another focus of ZF [pro]Service is marketing support for partner companies. This ranges from corporate identity elements for the workshop to advertising materials and digital advertising measures such as an entry in the location finder and improved search engine rankings. The workshop concept also includes new modular exterior signage that presents the name ZF [pro]Service, the spare parts brands of ZF Aftermarket as well as the selected module or modules.
- Technical support: The services for ZF [pro]Service partners include direct contact with ZF Aftermarket specialists, a technical hotline, access to technical data and repair information as well as service information from vehicle manufacturers, and support with vehicle diagnostics.
- Additional business: ZF [pro]Service also creates new business opportunities for its partners. For example, the system centre concludes contracts with fleet operators for whom the individual workshops can then provide services. Workshops are also authorized to carry out warranty work on ZF components. This not only generates additional sales, but also helps to win new customers. And last but not least, ZF supports its partners with retrofit solutions: Whether connectivity solutions for trailers or the cornering assistant, many ZF technologies can be retrofitted to existing vehicles and thus open up new sales potential for commercial vehicle companies.
- Further training: One of the most important services within the ZF [pro]Service concept is training and digital training for employees, managers and owners of commercial vehicle dealerships. ZF Aftermarket provides its partners with an extensive training program, ranging from free online training to face-to-face training courses lasting several days.
- Sustainability: ZF offers an extensive program of remanufactured spare parts and exchange units and also enables its partners to implement sustainable repair processes - for example, the repair of transmissions.
- Fleet management: For fleet operators, ZF has developed its digital fleet management platform SCALAR, which improves the operation of vehicle fleets through AI-based, automated decision-making and thus ensures high efficiency. Also aimed at fleet customers is CarPay-Diem, a digital fueling and payment system that allows the payment process at a fueling or charging station to be processed directly via the vehicle. Focused on the needs of bus fleet operators, on the other hand, is ZF Bus Connect.
The technical expertise of its partner companies is an important concern for ZF. ZF [pro]Service therefore includes regular audits. This is also a clear competitive advantage in the fleet business. ZF [pro]Service currently has around 3,800 partners worldwide and is now welcoming new applicants.
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