Volvo Construction Equipment in India has embarked on a new
level in service and parts support using the SMS and Internet technology. The key attraction to use the mobile as a communication medium is its
extensive coverage in India today. There is a mobile network across
almost every corner of this country even at the most remote locations
where Volvo Construction Equipment works -- like the iron ore mines in Goa
or the hydro-electric projects in Mizoram where there are no land-line
telephone connections nor any Internet connections.
Now Volvo Construction Equipment dealers can
query parts' stock and order status via SMS.
Volvo CE team, its dealers, direct customers etc have been
given a security code. The user has to send an SMS which includes
the code followed by a key word like "avl" (for availability)
and finally the part number (eg 75438). The SMS is sent to a
'golden" number. A reply takes about a minute and typically
reads as:
| Part No : 75438 |
| Part Name : Edge 5/8 6IN X6FT |
| Price
: Rs 3,900.00 |
| Qty. avail : 241 nos. |
While the use of SMS is a new step, Volvo Construction Equipment has
already been using an Internet based system for sharing parts' stock in
the various warehouses around the country.
The system shares the order status, despatch details, etc with dealers
and direct customers. This web-based information sharing system has
helped in a large way in providing round-the-clock information to
service engineers, channel partners and others.
All the user has to do is approach the nearest Internet
cafe, enter the unique security ID and password and they are logged on to
our website which provides all the required information online.
Mr Vikram Shetty, a Volvo dealer, has found the this system
quite beneficial, "This definitely helped us to plan our jobs and
activities in a more efficient and speedy manner. It has also
drastically reduced our cost of communication and helps us serve our
customers in a more responsive manner."
"We are probably the first ones in the industry to
introduce such a system for spare parts inventory information sharing and
we believe that very soon others would follow us as wireless communication
becomes the order of the day," remarks a Volvo Construction Equipment
customer support team member.
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