Construction World February 2019

Scania’s range of construction vehicles includes 15 models. Various of these have been incorporated into the fleets of the likes of Hillary Construction, Tau Pele, Ditshimega Projects. Scania trucks have recently been incorporated into the Ekurhuleni Fire Department (fire trucks fall under the construction segment).

and was not truly considered a player in this segment. Customers are brand loyal – when the industry is doing well – and will stick to preferred brands. What we have aimed to do with our product and services is to change mindsets,” Friberg continues. “For Scania, the only way to ensure the customers’ success is to offer Solution Based Offerings. “This means that we have to know the customers’ business and where they operate. This will determine the right specification which in turn will optimise the vehicle for the specific application,” says Naude. “When a vehicle is tailored to a specific type of transport, fuel consumption will be optimised – it is a consequence of tailoring. Even though Scania is renowned for optimal fuel consumption, this is also a consequence of tailoring,” Friberg says. “We provide something to the market that gives added value to the customers and makes them more profitable, efficient and cost-efficient. If our customers are successful, we are successful. “Although sales numbers are a measure of success, Scania measures success based on customer satisfaction and feedback,” says Friberg. Scania’s core values (customer first, respect for the individual, elimination of waste, team spirit and integrity) make short term relationships impossible. “We want to focus of long term relationships that are mutually beneficial and build a sustainable business.” What this means for Scania in 2019 Scania is not waiting for the market to turn. “We are going to use 2019 to do a thorough analysis of the construction segment,” says Friberg. Right now Scania is focused mainly on two segments – mixers and tippers, but it has many different applications that it can offer the market. In the four regions (Greater Gauteng, KwaZulu- Natal, Central and the Western Cape) into which Scania has divided South Africa, there are pockets of strengths and weaknesses. “We are going to use 2019 to analyse why we are not selling as many construction vehicles in, for example, the Free State compared to Gauteng. It will be a thorough analysis (surveys and market research) of the customers’ purchasing behaviour and needs towards 2022 – when it is our aim to capture 10% of the construction vehicle market. “If you look at what we have achieved and take into account that we are launching a new product range this year that will

include additional services, this will ensure that the customer can focus on their core business while we ensure uptime and build our marketshare,” maintains Friberg. Although not much can be said about the new product range at this stage, it is called the XT range of construction vehicles and was already launched in Europe in 2016 when Euro 6 requirements necessitated a wider cooling system to accommodate the new emission levels. “We have fantastic existing products, but the new truck generation for construction and mining will be even better,” says Friberg. Strategic approach to product development Scania’s strategic approach to product development enables tailoring, as the OEM continually strives to introduce new features and benefits. The modular system on which Scania is based makes this possible. All Scania vehicles are tailored to be bodied on and this is a well-proven ingredient of Scania’s success. For Scania it is vital to improve the uptime, durability and reliability of its products. “Body building lead times are shortened by adding additional preparation for body work. "We have cross functional body builders training to ensure that bodybuilders know the product before it gets to them. The interface between chassis and bodywork lies at the core of what makes Scania so good. “This is excellent with the current range, but will be even better with the new generation,” says Naude. Currently the range of construction vehicles includes 15 models which include tippers, mixers, hook lifts, skip-loaders, heavy hauliers and logistic vehicles for moving goods between sites. A range of services can be connected to the vehicles. “The support needs are also different depending on who the customer is, what they are moving, where they are located and their operation cycle. You need to be truly flexible in how you provide these solutions,” says Naude. “The flexibility that we have locally without first having to go knocking on Scania head office’s door is of great benefit to Scania. It makes us more flexible, and able to listen to the customer,” concludes Friberg. 

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD FEBRUARY 2019