Scania’s Vehicle Optimiser tool allows the company’s sales representatives to work out the right specifications for every transport assignment. The new improved version of the tool means that driving data from existing vehicles can be uploaded to create the basis for productive discussions.
Anders Gillstedt, Head of the Product Engineering group within Scania’s Sales and Marketing department has called up a customer’s vehicle by typing its chassis number into a computer. He selects ‘upload’ on the screen and a few seconds later every imaginable type of data on how the vehicle has been driven over the course of a year is displayed. There are details, for example, on fuel consumption, drivability, and turning radius, as well as on the types of topography the vehicle has driven through and the loads it has carried.
“Connecting to Scania’s Fleet Management system allows our sales representatives to see exactly how the vehicle behaved while carrying out the transport assignment,” Gillstedt says. “The Vehicle Optimiser has been gradually refined and now provides an extremely good basis for discussions between the sales representative and the customer regarding finding the right specifications for future vehicle investments.”
Lower fuel consumption
The Vehicle Optimiser tool now covers trucks and buses and it’s also possible to incorporate typical bodywork additions and trailers. With help from the tool, Scania’s network of some 2,000 salespeople and 60 distributors across the world is able to access information on how different combinations of components affect a vehicle’s performance. This is done with a focus on providing customers with exactly the right recommendations in terms of specifications for each individual transport assignment.
“In place of the existing specifications, we might, for example, propose a more powerful axle which costs more to buy but allows for increased cargo every trip, as well as lower levels of wear and less downtime, while providing better operating economy over the vehicle’s life cycle,” says Gillstedt.
Fuel consumption and respect for the environment are already central considerations for many of Scania’s customers. Meanwhile, Scania’s customers’ customers, purchasers of transport services, are increasingly demanding greener transport. Vehicle Optimiser also provides strong support for discussions in this regard.
“Using the tool for support, the salesperson can, for example, propose a faster axle gearing or different tyres or side skirts that lower fuel consumption,” Gillstedt says. “It’s also great for calculating axel load, weight, and dimensions for the vehicle.”
