7 January 2021
From IT professionals to after-sales representatives and truck mechanics - at BAS Truck Center everyone is ready for a new revolution in servicing the transport companies and drivers. As a forerunner in the field of digitization in the automotive industry, BAS introduces the personal customer experience Director Bas van Heertum summarizes it aptly: “Straightforward, direct interaction between our workshops and customers, maximum support through smart digital systems and tools.”
If it were up to Bas van Heertum, 2021 will not only be the year of the digital truck, but also the year of digital service and communication processes, focusing on maximum customer involvement and minimal indirect costs. The dealer of Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks is in the roll-out phase of an ambitious project, known within the organization as BPS - BAS Personal Services. “The automotive world is going to change a bit as a result,” says Bas Van Heertum from the head office in Veghel. He likes to express himself in understatements.
The dealer and service company had a turbulent year. Due to the corona outbreak, crucial production and assembly processes came to a standstill in April 2020. The construction and sale of new trucks declined rapidly. There was a lack of clarity; there was unrest. What should have been a festive introduction in May of a full range of new Volvo Truck models, the FM, FMX, FH and FH16 were introduced during a limited on-screen introduction. Sales of new trucks worldwide fell by almost half in the first half of 2020.
"We are good at coming up with smart solutions"
“When we recovered from the initial shock, we adjusted the forecasts and budgets and assigned extra people to our current projects. We have excelled at designing and implementing smart systems for years and have now accelerated our focus on them. Truck technology is changing rapidly. I'm not just talking about fuel innovations, but about digital ingenuity.”
“The latest trucks are packed with computer technology. Connectivity is the new standard. All relevant information is remotely accessible: the maintenance history, the need for maintenance, desirable preventive actions and ultimately the planning. This requires a new way of working in our after-sales services. The professionals in our workshops are moving to the forefront. They become more visible. Service and maintenance are controlled and supported by real-time data. We are ready for that at BAS.”
"Volvo creates a high-tech environment for truck drivers"
In the third quarter of 2020, BAS saw its sales and activity in the workshops pick up again. With an extra impulse: the delayed introduction of the new Volvo Truck range. The launch still took place in September. Out of enthusiasm, Bas van Heertum shifts to the highest gear when describing the new models: “Fantastic trucks with an incredible number of features and options, optimally tuned for safety and driving comfort. A new cabin with a digital dashboard that you can put together according to your own wishes. It is incredible how Volvo managed to translate the driver experience into a completely new high-tech environment for the driver, combined with the most economical powertrain. It is great to be able to sell that added value to our customers.”
The new Volvo models are a confirmation of what the dealer from Veghel aims for with the personal customer experience that the BAS Personal Services concept will provide. The new generation of trucks can be configured down to the last detail based on customer specifications. The difference between "budget" and "high end" is huge. Bas:
"There are so many options when it comes to the implementation and service & maintenance planning, so the dialogue with the customer and the driver is essential. That starts with listening carefully, identifying what the customer wants and figuring out how you can provide added value. And then work together towards the ultimate end product and after-sales program. The game is really going to be different."
"Smart technicians are more than welcome at BAS"
Within the company, van Heertum notices the shift has been set in motion. “From account managers to salespeople, from field staff to technical back-office staff - everyone is growing in their new role. The professionals in our workshops in Veghel, Veldhoven, Nijmegen and Tilburg are also handling the transition very well. They realize that remote software updates are becoming as much a part of the daily routine as changing oil. The mechanic of the future does a clean job and is hardly in the grease pit anymore. He is not only at home in truck technology, but also in technology. And he is the crucial and direct link between the driver and the execution. Truck mechanics who know how to combine all this are welcome to join us and can look forward to a great career.”
"Get back on the road in no time to make money"
The advantages of the BAS Personal Services concept are great. Straightforward communication results in faster solutions, more quality, optimal insight into the processes and fewer indirect costs. Bas: “Transport is all about minimizing downtime. Thanks to permanent data exchange between the trucks and our systems, we can plan everything to the smallest details. The warehouse is able to see in real-time which parts have to be ready, the workshop knows exactly which actions are required. The driver talks directly to the technician. No noise, no time wasted on formalities, but back on the road in no time to earn money. That is the new reality.”
Bas van Heertum has been "in trucks" for more than twenty years, but never before saw technology change so quickly and radically. He expects to send the first electric truck onto the road in 2021. Given the price (multiple times more expensive than diesels), it will initially be a toy for early adopters, but in the long run the transport sector can’t avoid it. On the one hand forced by legislation, on the other hand, the business case is also quickly becoming more attractive.
"By 2025, we expect that 25% of the trucks that are sold will be powered by clean alternative fuels such as (bio) LNG, or electricity."
"The customer is literally and figuratively at the wheel"
“The new generation of trucks will become technically outdated less quickly. Service and maintenance will be much more focused on sustainability, prevention and comfort. Everything will be cleaner, the number of moving parts will decrease, and the logistics around batteries and their energy will become a completely new business. Transporters have direct access to relevant data via their own portal, making processes faster and more transparent. Calling and emailing is no longer necessary. Soon all details will be visible in on one dashboard. The customer is literally and figuratively at the wheel!”
"New location on Eerdsebaan is a tribute to Martin van Heertum, the inventor of the BAS Global Truck Concept"
Not only the employees and processes of BAS Truck Center are ready for the transition. To celebrate the future, the truck specialist on the Eerdsebaan in Veghel, where BAS Carrosserie is now located, will have a completely workshop for the construction of new trucks completed in 2021, where all crucial sales and service functions will soon converge. The construction time is estimated at one year. Bas van Heertum: “Our success story started on the Eerdsebaan, with my father's Global Truck Concept. We do not want to leave here for nostalgic reasons alone. Just think of it as a tribute. It's going to be fantastic, a powerful symbol of our confidence in innovation, the personal customer experience, and the new opportunities it brings for all of us. If we also succeed in eliminating the corona virus in 2021, I look forward to the future with great confidence.”
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