Scania’s service revolution: a profit solution for customers

The transport industry runs on fuel, but customer profitability rests increasingly on data. Enter Scania’s advanced data-driven Service Solutions …

The transport industry is currently confronting immense change. New technology, new business models, new customer expectations, and more agile market entrants are placing acute pressure on operators to deliver a better service at a lower cost.

Added to this, significant fuel increases, a poor economic environment, and a serious drive to monitor and control carbon emissions are creating a financial bottleneck for many local transport operators as they strive to remain competitive.

Scania’s advanced data-driven Service Solutions promise to be a gamechanger. Offering first-to-market innovations, Scania customers now have access to personalised cost-saving opportunities. “Every technological advancement we make at Scania is in pursuit of improved customer profitability,” says Russel Pinard, Scania South Africa area manager, commercial services.

From optimal maintenance to improved fuel efficiency and state-of-the-art driver training, Scania is using data to capture the minute operating details that indicate areas where cost-efficiencies can be leveraged. “You don’t know what you don’t know without data,” says Pinard.

Every truck is used and driven differently, and a one-size-fits-all service solution doesn’t take this into account. By relying on service intervals based on set kilometres, a vehicle may be serviced too often, or not enough. Scania’s new Flexible Maintenance Plan allows for constant monitoring of individual truck data. “Factors like topography, stop/start driving, road roughness, weather, and load weights all influence how a truck needs to be serviced,” explains Pinard.

Real-time operational data and advanced algorithms identify the right service occasion for each individual component with a great deal of precision. When several factors occur, a maintenance event is triggered. Individual vehicle data will then determine whether this service needs to be carried out, or whether it can be postponed until the next event is triggered. “Different driving styles and operating conditions will determine service intervals,” says Pinard. “Some vehicles will require shorter intervals, while others will benefit from longer intervals.” By targeting specific components for maintenance, service costs are consolidated. Fuel economy is also improved, as vehicles are operating in peak condition.

Additional benefits include the removal of unnecessary admin, as individual service plans are reviewed dynamically every week and the report is sent to the vehicle, the Fleet Management Portal, and the Scania workshops. “We call our customers when a maintenance event is triggered,” says Pinard. “This removes their admin burden. Now, Scania takes responsibility for alerting our customers when a service is due and booking the service at a time that is convenient for their business.”

As it drives the shift to a more sustainable transport system, Scania is leading the market in data-driven intelligence. “By turning data insights into long-term sustainable cost savings, flexible service intervals, and improved fuel efficiencies, Scania customers can operate within peak performance parameters,” says Pinard. “The result is enhanced profitability. In today’s competitive and fast-changing transport industry, this is critical for success.”