Monday, 09 January 2006 22:25
Using Genuine Spare Parts within Intercity Coach Sector
The relationship between manufacturer and customer in automotive sector starts just after the sales and develops as long as vehicle is used. Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction concerning service and spare parts within this process becomes a crucial factor for further vehicle purchases. In other words, first vehicles are sold by sales departments whereas the further vehicles are sold by success of service and spare part operations. For this reason, automotive manufacturers expand their authorized service network in order to distribute their servicing and spare part services throughout the country on one hand, and establish systems or genuine spare parts supply in compliance with vehicle on the other hand.
There are two main product categories in automotive sector: passanger cars and commercial vehicles. Service and spare-part activities within commercial vehicles category including intercity coaches are very crucial since a coach covers a distance ofs 350.000 kilometers in our country every year. In other words aproximately 1000 kms/per day. So, a coach covering a distance of 1000 kms per day, operates around 15 hours non-stop a day. Those demanding circumstances are caused by economical reasons. The owner of the coaches work under very demanding and difficult conditions in order to pay their debts. Maintenance and repairment of the vehicles, which work within arduous situations, should be performed with genuine spare parts for their uninterrupted performance. Let’s define the genuine spare part at first: Genuine spare part is the part which incorporates the same quality and specifications with the parts which are used for the assembly of the vehicle. In other words, it is a part which is manufactured within the same production linewhere the parts, which are used for the assembly of the vehicle, are manufactured. Genuine part, therefore, complies with vehicle and shows highest performance.
There are different parts other than genuine parts within the market. Vehicle owners search for cheaper solutions especially for the maintenance and repairment of older vehicles whose have less economic values. Imitated spare part business, as a result of this demand, is grown everyday. Whether the specifications and quality of imitated spare part are same with the parts which are used for the assembly of the vehicle or not, can not be certified by the manuacturer. After all, the imitated part manufacturer needs the technical diagrams/charts and manufacturing standards to certify the compability of the specifications of imitated parts with original parts, and, if the genuine part manufacturer does not want, it is almost impossible to obtain those diagrams/charts and standards.
Genuine parts usage has a very crucial role in order to the ensure life and property safety within the intercity coaches operating 15 hours and covering a distance of 1000 km everyday. Genuine parts, specially, shall be extremely crucial in terms of safety parts. Any mistake or defect within safety parts such as ball joints, brake drums, universal joint kits, air hoses, fuel pipes, windshield etc, which shall be manufactured without knowing the manufacturing standards of the genuine manufacturer, will cause irrecovable loss of life and property. On the other hand, the total price of and intercity coach is almost equal to a small-sized factory. Total investment value of each coach is over 100.000-150.000 Euro. Economic value of the coach should not be decreased in order to maintain the continuity of this investment. If main systems such as engine, transmission, differantial, electrical/electronics have been active like the first day, the second hand value of the coach will increase and the coach owners will have extra profit.
The trend of genuine part usage is directly proportionate to new vehicles sales volume since new vehicle owners always prefer authorized services during warranty period. The vehicles choosing authorized services prefer genuine parts. Coaches are usually sold as second hand vehicles at the end of their warranty periods. The second hand purchaser of the coach usually prefers repair-shops instead of authorized services and generally choose to replace imitation parts to reduce the expenses. This trend can be followed very clearly since the year of 2000. The total domestic coach sales was 1.439 in 2000. Genuine part sales volume increased in the same year. However, due to the 2001 economic crisis, both coach sales and genuine part sales hit rock bottom. The domestic sales volume of 2001 and 2002 were 263 and 324 coaches. Depending on the lower new coach sales volumes, the sales volume of genuine parts decreased in 2001 and 2002 as well. Nevertheless, the new coach sales volumes increased in the years of 2003 (791) and 2004 (1.153). As a result of this, genuine part sales volumes increased in 2003 and 2004 as well.
Very crucial and remarkable steps are taken in order to weather a crisis after 2001 economic crisis. The most crucial step to be taken is to increase the efficiency and productivity. Efficiency increase within industy shall reduce the expenses and also increase operating profits. Proit increase shall accelerate to close short positions. Efficiency concept is very crucial for coach owners as well. If operating expenses per km is reduced, operation efficiency and total profit level will be risen. One of the main factor of higher efficiency and performance is to reduce the frequently recurrent maintenance operations due to low-quality parts usage. Moreover, accidents and/or major repairments (engine, transmission, etc) resulting from incompatible and low quality parts shall cause waste of time and money. A genuine air filter shall increase the life of engine, a genuine ball joint or tie rod shall prevent accidents which might cause loss of life and property.
Considerint the facts above, it is clearly observed that using imitation parts, since the genuine parts are more expensive, includes remarkably serious risks. A imitation and cheap air filter not only damages the engine, but also increases the fuel consumption, and, thus, increases the cost of fuel/diesel expenses. Operators, who adopt this perspective, shall have a total point of view on expenses and costs and take all operating expenses and costs into account during the operation of their coaches.
Manufacturers should fulfil their duties in order to extend the genuine part usage within the sector. The main duty is to establish a system which allows every actor to reach genuine parts anytime. As a matter of fact, the coach owners deserve such a system. They should be able to find any genuine part anywhere. This system causes a reduction in spare part prices due to the competitive environment which shall be occured in the next stage. Coach owners, thus, shall find any spare part anytime and anywhere, then make this spare part installed in any authorized or unauthorized service and increase its operating efficiency. Another advantage of this system is to expand the knowledge and experience of unauthorized mechanics. Mechanics, who use genuine parts, shall be subject to self-development with the support of manufacturers and provide better service to coach owners. Coach owners, thus, shall eliminate loss of life and property resulting from technical problems, increase operating efficiency and make remarkable contribution for Turkish economy.
In conclusion, more genuine part sales volume supplies numerous advantages for all partners of the sector and play a starring role to create an efficient, safe and content industry.
