Volvo Trucks Tests Consumer Technology To Improve Aftermarket Services

“Smartphones are user-friendly devices that can assist our technicians at work while offering our customers better support,” says Bengt Persson, Senior Vice President Quality and Technical Support at Volvo Trucks.

Today, the service technicians’ need for new skills and information is constantly rising, as new technology develops and more truck models are released onto the market. As a truck’s chassis is also unique, it is impossible for technicians to know everything about every vehicle.

“Customers' demands for profitability also mean that we must constantly look to develop our skills and become more and more efficient,” continues Bengt Persson.

With this new concept, which was developed in collaboration with Volvo IT and Volvo Parts, the chassis¹ unique instructions will be easily accessible on a technician's very own smartphone. The information can be delivered either as text or through images and animations.

The benefits are many. For one, the animations will allow instructions to cross language barriers, with obvious benefits for a company such as Volvo Trucks, who have workshops in over 140 countries. As smartphones are mobile and easy to carry, they also make it easier for technicians to always be updated with the latest information as they work.

“It’s great that new technologies can be used to improve and develop our work,” says Mattias Roos, a service technician at the Volvo Truck Shop in Gothenburg, who has tested the application. “The concept is very time efficient and extremely user friendly.”

Volvo Trucks sees several advantages of using technologies mainly aimed at consumer market, for new areas.

“Firstly, consumer products are produced in larger volumes, resulting in a significantly lower price than industrial made-to-order devices. Secondly, users already have prior knowledge of how this technology works and are therefore more likely to embrace it as a new way of working”, says Kerstin Hanson, project manager at Volvo IT.

Last spring tests were conducted among service technicians in China and Sweden, with both reporting positive results. Now Volvo Trucks and Volvo IT are continuing their work to further develop and customise the application.

“The use of smartphones in service centres is an interesting solution, which will improve efficiency and ensure the quality of our aftermarket services. We therefore have great hopes of launching the concept in the near future,” says Bengt Persson.