Although many workshops are experiencing long lead times, the outlook is generally not rosy. Political and social, but also technical issues are challenging the companies. In an interview with Steffen Dominsky (editorial of "kfz-betrieb"), Philipp Grosse Kleimann, Head of MAHLE Lifecycle and Mobility, explains how he assesses the performance of independent businesses and how he supports them with their challenges.
For over a century, kfz-betrieb has been a fixture in the German automotive industry. The magazine accompanies workshops, car dealerships and the aftermarket with everything that moves the industry - from new technologies and digital trends to exciting success stories from the field. With print, online, podcasts and events, kfz-betrieb brings together the people who are shaping the mobility of tomorrow.
Philipp Grosse Kleimann: That is indeed understandable. After all, we have been an OE, i.e. parts and components supplier, since 1921. We wouldn't have been successful in original equipment for over 100 years if we didn't deliver reliable quality. And it goes without saying that word of such quality not only gets around among vehicle manufacturers, but also in the aftermarket, among workshops. 'We were premium, we are premium and we will remain in the premium segment' is our credo. To this end, we have invested large sums in research and development and attach great importance to patents and system expertise. In turn, we invest the resulting OE knowledge in our offerings for the aftermarket.
Mobility does not end with the vehicle purchase, on the contrary, it actually begins there. We want to help garages do their job in the best possible way. To do this, they need not only the right spare parts but also the tools they need to replace them. As a diagnosis is the starting point for a great deal of work in workshops, we decided in 2017 to strategically expand in this direction and acquire the company Brain Bee. The use of a calibration system called "Digital ADAS" is also necessary for numerous repair processes today. Let's just take the replacement of a radiator or air conditioning condenser. If I have worked on a front end and possibly changed the position of a radar sensor or a camera slightly, I have to recalibrate. We want to continue to provide workshops with the tools and systems they need to restore mobility quickly, easily and, above all, safely. Our aim is to create an ecosystem that combines knowledge with ease of use and the appropriate workshop equipment.
Due to the general economic and political situation, we are also experiencing a certain amount of uncertainty among companies. It is true that a reluctance to buy new vehicles and the increasing age of the vehicle fleet mean that the need for maintenance and repair work is increasing. In practice, however, it is clear that vehicle owners are currently delaying necessary work and increasingly want to use spare parts that are as inexpensive as possible. This is a real challenge for independent workshops, one of many.
Let's take a brand partner as an example: ideally, the 'connected car' automatically tells the brand workshop what it needs even before the vehicle arrives at the workshop. The necessary spare parts are ordered automatically via the OE spare parts management system. Technical access to the vehicle, keyword Security Gateway, is also not an issue, nor is precise maintenance and repair information. This is a comparatively simple environment for brand workshops compared to the one in which independent businesses operate.
So I can only say: We take our hats off! We take our hats off to the mechanics and mechatronics technicians in independent workshops for the work they do to keep their customers mobile and for their skill and perseverance in penetrating the thicket of challenges.
There are many ways to do this. For example, by training them. The new drive technologies and their complexity and differences to the classic combustion engine will also reach independent workshops in the near future. For the companies, this means that they will have to continuously train their employees even more than in the past. We support them in this, for example with the wide range of training courses offered by our recently opened Global Training Center in Stuttgart.
We are also intensifying our exchange with parts wholesalers and workshops, working with them to define where and what training is needed. Nowadays, it is no longer enough to simply offer a spare part or workshop device. Due to the constantly increasing complexity in many areas, workshops are dependent on receiving tailored support so that they can offer their customers solutions from a single source. In future, we will offer this support, which includes parts, equipment and training, to our "heroes" even more than we do today.
As I have already said, I take my hat off to the employees who are already doing incredible things in independent companies today and will continue to do so in the future. They are true heroes. This is also what the 'MAHLE Workshop Heroes' stand for.
You mean the global campaign that you launched at Automechanika last year?
Yes, that's exactly what I mean. For us, the MAHLE Workshop Heroes are more than just a campaign - they are an expression of a school of thought that makes it clear: this is how we look at our customers. Only if we understand what the heroes in the workshops do can we provide them with tailor-made offers and enable them to continue to operate successfully. The MAHLE Workshop Heroes will therefore accompany us as a philosophy for many years to come.
Since everyday life in independent workshops is still dominated by combustion engines. With the 'Oil Control', the 'Oil Fill' and the 'Multi Oil' from our 'FluidPRO Oil Line' series, we have developed three practical aids that make handling lubricants, especially engine and transmission oils, much easier, cleaner and therefore safer for workshop employees. They also make it easier to document the fluids filled in and thus increase efficiency. True to the motto: only what has been documented can be charged for. Our three new products can be used for classic combustion vehicles, but of course also for current hybrid vehicles. Our recently introduced E-CARE Fluid is designed for all drive types. This device allows cooling circuits to be drained extremely quickly and refilled without air bubbles. No more fiddling with tubs, where workshop employees like to "decorate" themselves and the workshop floor with coolant.
E-HEALTH Charge is a diagnostic tool that workshops can use to determine a realistic state of health of a traction battery. This means that our highly professional device does not rely on data stored by the manufacturer or the vehicle itself, but generates it authentically on the vehicle itself. This is well received on the market, as it closes a gap in the market. This enables garages to generate certificates on the residual performance of a used battery, for which customers pay - a new source of income. To make it easier for vehicle businesses to make the corresponding investment, we will also be making the E-HEALTH Charge available as a rental device on a 'pay per use' basis in future, or offering corresponding financing options for this innovative product.