Comprehensive Tata and Daewoo Truck ranges on show at Nampo

Tata truck and bus customers are currently enjoying the benefits of an aftersales revolution that has been underway at the company for the past two years. Mr Biju Joseph, head of aftersales at Tata Automobile Corporation SA, explains that since 2017 the company has prioritised three key areas: parts, network development and skills. Tata is an OEM supplier of commercial vehicle parts and South Africa is supplied by Tata Motors India and Daewoo Korea. Every week a container of new parts arrives, which ensures a continuous supply and using fast, direct shipments, the containers arrive in South Africa within 14 days of dispatch. Tata Automobile Corporation SA currently has a total parts stockholding worth in excess of 5-months, of its total monthly sales volume. Mr Joseph states that when it comes to the top 500 fast-moving parts, the company desires a 100% 1st pick rate, and is currently running at 97%. Tata’s overall 1st pick rate on truck and bus parts is currently 92%, although the goal is to achieve 95%. Tata has a fully traceable inventory in its Johannesburg warehouse, which has increased its speed of picking and packing. The company has also categorised its truck and bus parts better and shifted the fast-moving stock to the front of the facility. A world-class warehouse management system has been introduced and each part is clearly barcoded before being placed in single parts bins. Impressively, parts ordered by franchised Tata dealers are dispatched on the very same day they are ordered. Local Tata dealers can also collect parts themselves. “We have taken a customer-centric approach,” explains Mr Joseph. “We know that our commercial vehicle customers cannot wait for parts.” To this end, a new courier – DSV – has been stationed permanently at Tata’s head office in Germiston, while a standby delivery service is also available over weekends. Online shopping With technology advancing all the time it is important for businesses like Tata to develop and adapt in order to keep up. Hence the introduction of Partskart.co.za, a revolutionary new online store that, from September, will retail new spare truck and bus parts to Tata and Daewoo Trucks customers throughout Southern Africa. This innovative purchasing system gives Tata and Daewoo truck and bus owners the platform to view and order commercial vehicle parts online and have them delivered to a location of their choice, without having to leave the comfort of their home or office. Partskart.co.za eliminates geographical limitations, and allows Tata and Daewoo Trucks to gain new customers through search engine visibility. It also assists with creating brand awareness, and affords the two commercial vehicle manufacturers with higher parts delivery capacities. Sales staff have received training in preparation of the system’s imminent rollout, which was facilitated by e-commerce experts in the field. The newly-trained team has been entrusted to cover all aspects of sales, ordering, warranties, customer care, returns and finance on Partskart.co.za to maximise customer experiences. Online shopping has been known to elevate customer satisfaction, by putting customers in control and at the centre of the buying process. And, with a single view of the buyer, Tata and Daewoo Trucks get to better understand the needs and behaviours of their truck and bus parts customers. The Partskart platform includes high-quality pictures, detailed descriptions and relevant part numbers for each item listed on the digital store. “This is the Takealot of truck and bus parts,” Mr Joseph enthuses. Package deal Packaged service, clutch and kingpin kits, which are made for particular models and particular service intervals, have also been introduced, which lowers the price paid by Tata truck customers by at least 10%. Mr Joseph says he has received positive feedback from customers about these packaged kits. Mr Joseph adds that the journey undertaken by the company is all in the interests of improved customer satisfaction and raising the perception of Tata parts availability in the country. “Our total parts turnover has increased 50% in two years and we have also corrected our pricing downwards between 10 and 70%,” he concludes. Mr. Harneet Luther, Managing Director of Tata Truck and Bus South Africa, concluded that the improvements in the aftersales environment is a strategy that was first started in 2017 and is now coming to fruition. This strategy is a complete aftersales revolution and does not only consist of timeous parts supply, but also to ensure complete customer peace of mind through our 91 touch points, breakdown assist program, and fully equipped field service vehicles.

Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd. (TMML), the company that brings you Starbus, is a joint venture between Tata Motors Ltd. and Marcopolo SA, Brazil. TMML combines technology and knowhow of both Tata Motors, the world’s second largest bus manufacturing company, and Marcopolo SA, Brazil, the world leader in body building for buses and coaches. Together, Tata Motors and Marcopolo SA, Brazil has developed a world-class bus with features tailor-made for the South African commuter bus market – the all new Tata Starbus LPO 1823. The 65-seater Tata Starbus LPO 1823 is powered by a 5.9-litre Tata Cummins engine that offers unmatched reliability, along with optimal performance. The powerful 235hp (175kW) engine produces smooth, reliable performance. Peak torque of 800Nm is delivered at just 1 500rpm in a flat torque curve for better all-round performance. The turbocharged Euro 2 engine is synonymous with reliability, while the association Tata has with Cummins brings with it additional peace of mind for bus operators. The Tata Starbus LPO 1823 incorporates several features that offer enhanced safety for passengers. For example, the transmission-mounted Hydrodynamic Voith retarder provides superior braking performance, enhances brake and tyre life and above all, promotes the highest levels of passenger safety. The Tata Marcopolo body meets all SABS compulsory standards relating to safety, such as roll-over structural strength, seat strength and anchorage, emergency exit requirements and ABS brakes, while 315/80/R22.5 radial tyres ensure superior comfort and stability. With passenger comfort a priority, the Tata Starbus LPO 1823 is supplied with an aesthetically designed interior with dual-tone seats. The voluminous rear luggage compartment has also been specially designed to meet the most demanding of baggage space requirements. Furthermore, the Tata Starbus LPO 1823 features a modular hatrack, a twin leaf pneumatic in-swing door for easy entry and exit, and a chassis that has been designed specifically for bus applications. Other noteworthy features include fire-retardant high back seats; fluorescent roof lamps; anti-slip vinyl flooring; five emergency exit windows and two roof hatches. All in all, the Tata Starbus LPO 1823 offers exactly what every fleet owner looks for in a commuter bus: a high quality engine, retarder and body that culminate in low maintenance and long service life; reliable axle, suspension, brake and transmission components that have been tried and tested the world over; robust front axle with 7.7-ton capacity for high load capability, a large 380mm diameter-assisted clutch for maximum driver comfort and prolonged clutch life and a 350-litre fuel tank for long, hassle-free trips. The Tata commuter bus range in South Africa also includes the smaller 4×2, 28-seater Starbus LP 713 TMP and the 4×2, 38-seater Starbus LPO 918. Tata Bus is a bestselling nameplate not only on Indian roads, but also in various parts of the world, such as the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries and across Africa, thanks to excellent reliability and low running costs. Ideal for intra-city commuting, the Tata Starbus range is sure to delight local bus operators in equal measure Benefits and features of the Tata Starbus LPO 1823: * Robust front axle with 7.7ton high load capacity * Tata Cummins engine for unmatched reliability and optimal performance * Hydrodynamic Voith retarder provides superior braking performance * Bus specific chassis with Tata Marcopolo body * ABS with Hydrodynamic retarder as standard * 350-litre fuel tank * Twin leaf pneumatic in-swing doors for easy entry and exit * Five emergency exit windows and two roof hatches

Recent improvements to dealer, parts and service networks – with a view to maximising vehicle uptime – have contributed to Tata Commercial Vehicles receiving two prestigious awards, Most Improved and a Silver Award overall, at the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) Dealer Satisfaction Index Awards (DSI), held recently in Johannesburg. The NADA DSI survey, which marks its 24th anniversary this year, is carried out annually to monitor the health of the relationship between dealers and their respective manufacturers. It provides the dealer body with a platform to provide manufacturers and importers with robust feedback. The results for the awards are calculated from a scorecard with respective questions given various weightings. Bronze winners score between 65 and 69.9 points, Silver between 70 and 74.9, and Gold between 75 and 84.9. Platinum winners score greater than 85 points. The Most Improved award in the commercial vehicles’ category went to Tata Commercial Vehicles. The results showed an upward movement of 7.5 points and catapulted them from a Bronze last year to Silver this year. “It is an honour to be recognised by our dealer partners. Thank you to all Tata dealers who participated in the 2019 survey. Tata’s UPTIME strategy is bearing fruit as seen in the results of the NADA DSI survey. We are committed to strengthening our relationships with our dealer partners going forward,” says Len Brand, CEO, Tata International Africa. The results are divided into a number of key focus areas. The Customer Focus category places emphasis on ease of doing business and setting the standard for excellence in the industry. Tata Commercial showed great improvement in this category while most of the brands lost ground in this area. Dealers were asked to rate different training programs provided by their respective manufacturer / importer. These included technical training, non-technical training, sales training and training for customers’ drivers. The most improved brand in this category is Tata Commercial with a significant improvement, moving from to 5th to 1st position in 2019. Dealers were also asked: “Does the range of commercial vehicles over 3500kg GVM available from your manufacturer / importer allow you to compete adequately in the market?” Tata managed to improve its score with dealers being satisfied with the range of vehicles available to them. Parts availability is crucial to dealer profit, turnaround time and ultimately a satisfied customer. The Parts category also includes questions probing delivery times on parts, the parts delivery system, parts ordering system, parts return policies and the support provided to the dealer when parts are not readily available. Tata made notable improvements this year in the score card. Goodwill, Policy Claims & Warranty: This section covers the support received from the manufacturer / importer regarding goodwill claims, clarity of the warranty claim procedures, fairness and relevance of warranty audits and whether reimbursement payments are made timeously. This category is the overall highest rated category in 2019. Tata recorded a significant improvement in this category in 2019. Tata also recorded notable improvements in the Labour Rates category.

Employees of Tata International in Africa in partnership with Valued Citizens Initiative (VCI) donated mathematic guides, dictionaries, encyclopedia’s and motivational books to Grade 12 learners from Alexandra High School in Alexandra, Gauteng on Thursday 11 July. The donation of books forms part of a two-year Bridging for Life programme supported by Tata and managed through VCI. The aim of the programme is to impart essential life skills to the learners, which range from emotional intelligence, effective communication, self-leadership and management, career development, citizenship education to ensure academic resilience. The day included a workshop by South African artist, Daniel Selibe who introduced the learners to visual art and discussed with them the meaning of art and expression, the symbolism of colours, signs and symbols, including focal points and perspectives. Learners were encouraged to share and interpret, visually with their classmates and visitors, what the theme ‘opening your mind’ means to them. CEO of Tata International Africa, Len Brand attended the handover and shared with the learners some of his life lessons and encouraged them to become avid readers. “You determine your own future in life and we must not allow our brains to limit our ability to reach our full potential,” was his message. “It is important as an organisation to touch base with communities. Our philosophy to promote social and economic development of local communities through education, entrepreneurship and health initiatives is a key component of the Tata business values and belief system,” he added. Alexandra High School is one of the largest schools in Alexandra and is led by principal, Mrs. Zoleka Lebelo who seeks to serve the Alexandra community by providing a consistently high standard of education. Under her leadership the school has achieved a matric pass rate of 89% up from 83% in 2014. “We are grateful to Tata for the valuable donation. The Bridging for Life programme has made a significant difference in the lives of our learners. It has helped them to achieve better results and has increased their self-esteem. We hope for a sustained partnership with Tata going forward because an investment in education and a learner is an investment in the country,” she said. The Bridging for Life Programme is managed by Valued Citizens Initiative, an NGO founded by Carole Podetti Ngono in 2001 with the aim of developing citizenship education in public schools. It is accredited by the Gauteng department of higher education and has been supported by Tata at Alex High School since its inception in 2017. The programme has proven its effectiveness over the years in assisting learners through the transition from high school to institutions of higher education and training.