Aftermarket network strategy optimised for service, quality and customer experience
21st February 2023 | 4 min read
The Challenge
Successfully starting up a new organisation is never easy, not least in the rapidly evolving and long-established Automotive & Commercial Vehicle sector. OEMs must consider how to manufacture the product at a preferable economic cost, while maintaining resilience and quality. They must also look to develop innovative buying mechanisms, compelling marketing strategies and, not least, sourcing and shipping the parts and finished product to customers all over the world.
Often in the case of new start-ups, the learning curve is steep and there are many blind spots, a common one being the limited foresight to spare parts and aftermarket operations with the primary focus being on production of new vehicles.
The implications of this can be profound for an organisation and customer experience – increasingly, customers require that retailers affect a service or repair very quickly or even proactively, sustainably and to better quality, all of which demands significant focus and has significant impact on the required capability of the parts and service supply chain, the aftermarket.
Unipart is harnessing the Unipart Group’s end-to-end automotive supply chain experience and capabilities to support a number of newly formed electric vehicle brands that have begun to enter the commercial EV market in recent years and are revolutionising last-mile logistics by delivering safer, more sustainable electric trucks and improving urban environments for all.
One market-leading commercial EV brand has designed a highly innovative product which positions them at the forefront of the sector in terms of sustainability, driver comfort and the safety of others in urban environments, as well as developing an innovative and industry-leading vehicle ownership model.
The ownership solution overcomes the traditional cost and complexity barriers surrounding commercial vehicle electrification, by providing a packaged solution of vehicle, access to charging infrastructure, servicing, maintenance, insurance and training to B2B customers, resulting in maximised uptime and operational efficiency through a scalable and environmentally conscious service provision.
2023 promises to be an exceptional first year of production for this full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider with a strong confirmed order book for its full-electric commercial vehicle. With a strong and growing order book, and vehicles due to start rolling off the line of the company’s European manufacturing facility in early Q2 2023, this manufacturer has the challenge of a growing vehicle parc (number of vehicles registered for road use) and a pressing need for a scalable aftermarket logistics network to support the customer ownership model.
