Scania Workshop Services: tailor-made solutions

As businesses continue their recovery from the tough year that was 2020, Scania’s Workshop Services offer much-needed support to their customers, many of whom are still feeling the pinch of constrained cash flow and the need to prioritise cost optimisation.

Scania’s Workshop Services are founded on customer-centric repair and maintenance (R&M) contracts. Cost-efficient packages, available across the product portfolio, enable customers to spread repair expenses over the life of the contract, eliminating unexpected costs and averting sudden expenses that can cripple cash flow. This allows businesses to manage cash flow more effectively, even in the most unforeseen and trying circumstances.

“From start to finish, we ensure that your vehicle remains in top condition, maximising efficiency and increasing resale value. It remains safe in the hands of professional technicians using the best equipment, who have the most up-to-date and intimate knowledge of your vehicle, down to the smallest parts,” says Alan Hugo, general manager of services at Scania Southern Africa. “By signing an R&M contract with Scania, you remove the need for your own workshops, workshop staff and other assets that are costly to run, allowing you to focus on your core business.”

By providing the option to spread out and consolidate payments, Scania can reduce the administration involved, while simultaneously assuming the risk of R&M contracts. “Tailor-made contract solutions allow you to incorporate various services into one convenient monthly payment and reduce the risk to your business, while in South Africa contracts are also recognised at multiple dealerships,” Hugo explains.

To further support its customers through post-lockdown economic strife, Scania has gone so far as to provide focused relief for trucks that are four years or older, through up to 30% discounted Fixed Maintenance Packages. These price reductions represent a major boost for smaller operators working with limited resources and those with ageing fleets, while tailored offerings enable operators to maximise their financial planning, minimise disruptions to daily operations and ultimately increase productivity. It has even been shown that Scania’s entry-level Fixed Maintenance Service Package is more cost-effective than the average double cab bakkie service! Trucks that are out of warranty will also now enjoy a 12-month warranty covering selected parts, while Scania’s retail network is prioritising accelerated parts availability to enable delivery within 24 hours across the network.

The impressive performance of Scania’s Workshop Services in 2020 has meant that as of November, the division has over 7 500 vehicles still on contract. Hugo believes that this is thanks to the service sales team’s proactive renewal of contracts and the addition of older contracted vehicles.

Scania Botswana, for example, recently concluded a deal with Unitrans Botswana to put older vehicles back on contract via the Classic 2.0 Maintenance Contract, as well as restructuring the R&M contracts for over 100 other vehicles. “Our top priority is partnering with our customers,” says Hugo.

“We don’t follow the traditional supplier/customer relationship. We go out of our way to understand your business and develop solutions that offer real value. Because we deliver on this, our customers feel the Scania ‘experience’ and become part of the Scania family. We are sensitive to their challenges and are committed to developing new solutions that promote real business sustainability.”