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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
JANUARY
2016
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MARKETPLACE
What is Scania’s unique selling point?
We are not selling vehicles, but solutions – we focus on the customer’s
complete need as we do not believe in the idea of ‘one size fits all’.
Packages are tailored for each application. This is achieved by
investigating the customer’s specific application: his challenges – we
need to help him solve a problem and we need to do it better than
anyone else. This includes the hardware needs (vehicle), operational
conditions, a mapping of how the vehicles are operated, turnaround
times, payload expectations, and fuel consumption.
Only once these are defined, we decide what the ideal body for
the vehicle will be. Thereafter service and maintenance needs are
determined, we ensure that the correct driver training takes place
(for construction and mining it is important that drivers are trained in
the environment in which they will operate), what the optimal fleet
management system will be to best maintain and control costs, and
determine the best finance and insurance package.
How are you working towards, as your
corporate literature states, Scania being the
number one choice for customers?
We design a proposal around the customer’s needs. The best way to
maximise the efficiency of the solution, is to allow the customer to focus
on what he knows best, while we focus on what we know best.
How is the Scania brand perceived in South
Africa?
It is a brand that is known mainly for its long haul trucks and it is time
to prove to the market that it can be just as good when used in the
construction industry.
What makes Scania a successful company?
We keep our promises and ‘walk the talk’. At the same time we also
strive toward exceeding our customers’ expectations and build strong
relationships with them to ensure that that we are both successful.
What differentiates the in-house financial
services that Scania offers from other
traditional bankers and insurers?
Our solution is differentiated by the fact that we understand transport –
more than a traditional bank would. This enables us to look beyond the
balance sheet and give customers a package that is tailored to
their unique needs.
Define what Scania understands ‘provider of
sustainable transport’ to be?
Sustainability is key – it is the only route to the future. We define sustaina-
bility according to the three Ps: planet, people, and profitability.
Planet
The way in which we interact with the planet currently is
unsustainable – we have a few decades in which to arrest the damage
we are doing to the earth. Industry needs to come up with solutions
that are sustainable in the long term. The need for transport will not
decrease, but the nature of transport needs to change – we need to
have solutions that look different from those that are offered today.
People
This refers to jobs and security. Alternative fuels to diesel
such as gas, ethanol and biodiesel can be produced locally to generate
jobs and this will also limit the transporting of fuel.
Profitability
We need to come up with solutions that are efficient
and financially viable. There should not be a major trade-off to go from
diesel to gas or ethanol – one should be able to do this at the same cost.
What is Scania’s strategy for 2016?
We have primarily been targeting the long haul truck market for many
years. In 2006 it was decided to expand Scania into different appli-
cations: distribution and construction. From 2011 we also started
expanding into mining. We re-launched the Scania construction range
at 2015’s BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA in Johannesburg.
In 2016 the strategy is to expand these construction solutions
into further applications and to broaden the offering for the construc-
tion industry.
The Scania off-road trucks that are used in
construction are said to be the toughest Scania
has ever built. What makes them ideal for the
construction industry?
We looked at the drivers of the construction market that make it earn
money and designed a vehicle around that.
This is specifically with regard to payload. The load has to be
maximised and the weight of the body and vehicle minimised. This is
a triangular formula where you have a breaking point: if you make the
vehicle too light, in relation to the load, it is not going to last, which will
negatively impact uptime.
As uptime is crucial, we have designed a vehicle around maximised
uptime and minimised TOC (total operating cost). If the vehicle is active
24/7, stopping only to refuel or for planned maintenance, you have
maximised your income source. The opposite is true for a vehicle that
breaks down continuously.
What models are available?
We have tippers, mixers, skip loaders, heavy haulers, brick transporters,
flatbeds and staff transporters.
Selling
TAILORED SOLUTIONS
Since it was established in 1891, Sweden’s
Scania has built a solid reputation in the long
haul truck sector. With the re-launch of its
construction range, this stellar reputation is
standing it in good stead to make inroads into
the Southern African construction industry.
Construction World
spoke to Alexander
Taftman, Scania South Africa’s product and
marketing director.
I