Construction World February 2017

led to the current situation where almost 70% of Scania trucks in South Africa are purchased with loans from Scania Finance. “We offer the flexibility and reactivity in finance that our customers have come to expect from all our services,” said Novotny. “Our Scania financial representatives (FRs) liaise with customers on all aspects of their finance needs. And because these FRs are specialists in both banking and transport, they can even share aspects of transport best practice as the need arises.” He said each Scania Finance customer is allocated at specific FR to ensure streamlined channels of communication and response. The company’s presence in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya allow customers to arrange finance from Scania in the country where the truck will be working – for instance on a medium term or long term contract. The finance contract can then integrate with other Scania support services in that country. With Scania’s complete solution offering for the construction segment, it is clear that the future will herald higher product- ivity levels on site through improved uptime and more proactive management of vital assets.  FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Mark Erasmus – General Manager for Scania Services, Alexander Taftman – General Manager for Pre-Sales, Segment Support & Marketing, and Petr Novotny – Managing Director for Scania Finance.

done through Scania Finance. “South Africa is a unique country when it comes to transport,” said Petr Novotny, Managing Director of Scania Finance, “with a range of customer segments from the large and established contractors right down to the small start-ups. “While the bigger companies usually know exactly what they want from us, the newer players often need some extra support and guidance – as they cannot even get out of the starting blocks if the finance package is not carefully suited to their resources, which are usually limited.” Novotny emphasised the importance of providing a transparent solution in which finance and insurance are core elements of the overall support that Scania offers its customers. Being part of the Scania family puts Scania Finance in a position to offer products like operating leases, as the company could secure the residual value backing from Scania as an OEM.

“We have a particular interest in supporting emerging contractors who might find it difficult to secure finance under normal conditions – we consider this an important part of our black economic empowerment (BEE) commitment,” he said. Insurance offered under the Scania banner also focuses on optimising uptime – by ensuring that the repairers and panelbeaters in the Scania network deliver efficient and quality service, with the genuine parts and high workshop standards. Delays can affect small contractors even more keenly, as they may not have the reserves or equipment capacity to accommodate a serious accident or breakdown. Scania can even provide replacement trucks on loan while repairs are underway. Scania’s proximity to customers makes it easier for them to understand the various challenges they face in a sector like construction, he said. This advantage has

Connected to support Scania’s Fleet Management System helps customers take control of their fleets and get the most out of their businesses. The system is installed in all new Scania trucks and simply needs to be activated in order for the data to be accessed. Worldwide, Scania has more than 215 000 connected vehicles, with benefits such as Remote Diagnostics, Remote Download and Driver Coaching. These functions reduce fuel costs and shorten the time required for service and maintenance, which also saves owners money.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD FEBRUARY 2017