Applications And Improvements Of Management Systems On The Audi Service Of FAW-VW

The status quo of traditional vehicle maintenance industry has long been primitive and behind the times, which is associated with words like dirty, harsh, tiring and poorly equipped, displaying in lots of aspects such as management level, technology level, personnel qualification, equipments, and especially information resources.When the car came into being a hundred years ago, it was nothing more than a simple four-wheeled vehicle, ridiculed as a humble monster by many people including some coachmen. Nobody would have the ability to foresee that the primitive car could have developed into a combination of high technology by a hundred years of development. The rapid development of electronic technology and computer technology has been making special contribution to the rising of vehicle's high-tech level. The application of a series of new techniques, such as the electronic fuel injection systems, ABS anti-lock braking system, SRS airbag systems, electronic control automatic transmission, air suspension system, power steering, automatic cruise system, the control door locks and alarm systems, dynamic traction systems and self-diagnostic system, etc., continuously improves the performance of the vehicle. What is showing to us is no longer the simple transportation vehicle, no better than a carriage. It is the result of high technology, integrated with modern civilization and intelligence, which is still growing to the depth of high-tech areas. Due to the high-tech feature of vehicle itself, various car types developed annually by manufacturers all over the world, the adoption of leading technology, and the application of multi-system, numerous vehicle maintenance technicians now have stronger and stronger desire for the vehicle maintenance information.The traditional vehicle maintenance information inquiry is mainly by means of traditional media (e.g. books, magazines and newspapers), which are short in memory, inquiry speed and information updating. Since China has carried out the reform and open-up policy, thousands of foreign vehicle types have been poured into the market, which consequently caused great difficulty in maintenance due to the shortage of maintenance information. As for the maintenance technicians, it is impossible for them to remember information, data and procedures of thousands of vehicle types. Thus, the limitation of technicians'knowledge, skills, experience and the overall mastery of information is showing up gradually. The Audi brand applies after sale inquiry system of maintenance information to facilitate the operation of maintenance technicians, which brings the following benefits, such as, fast inquiring cycle and updating of the corresponding information, maintenance data being consistent with the vehicles on market, and the reducing of cost.In addition, the application of computer management system software and technology in the modern vehicle maintenance enterprises is also an application example of information resources and technology into the vehicle maintenance industry. Nowadays, vehicle maintenance enterprises are confronted with a revolution. A large number of vehicle maintenance enterprises have been set up. Correspondingly, the scope and extend of maintenance industries are expanding sharply. So far, the number of Audi brand dealers has developed to nearly 140 in China. The problems, such as how to face the impending challenges from the industry, how to keep the service satisfaction of J.D.Power and how to improve the competitiveness and production profits of the enterprise, have become the major ones. The key to the solution of the problem lies in two major aspects: on the one hand, raise the technological level of enterprises; more importantly, on the other hand, improve enterprise management level. Sound management systems, modern management methods, accurate data analysis and ERP systems applied in enterprise management are more essential for a modern vehicle maintenance enterprise. Audi brand currently uses the internal management software system for the dealers, which has been operating on the market for about 10 years. This has improved the efficiency and accuracy of the maintenance enterprise significantly. Modern vehicle maintenance enterprise has two distinct features: first, the application of advanced detection equipment and maintenance data; second, the application of computer networks and computer management. It is informationization and computer technology that bring the modern management modes and methods to vehicle maintenance enterprises. The basis of a company lies in personnel and management. And the"service"will become the most important means to competition in the future. Good services, considered as active services, include maintenance service, pre-sale service and after-sales service which are, aiming at establishing and managing steady relationship with customers, which depends on customer data and maintenance data. It is hard to imagine that one is to handle manually a huge amount of enterprise management data. Audi has adopted dealers'customer relationship management systems to manage customers, and established a set of standard processes of customer management, the implementation of which is ensured with computer systems.Compared with developed countries, there are still some problems on the application of information resources to China's vehicle maintenance industry, such as inadequate application of IT to the vehicle maintenance enterprise. Despite that FAW–VW provides the internal core service process of DSERP Management to Audi authorized dealers, uses DSCRM to manage the relationship with customers, inquires the maintenance data with the help of after service data inquiry system, and obtains the support information of the manufacturers via the dealers'portal system, the leaders of a company are more willing to put the investment into hardware facilities like workshop and equipment due to the limitation of the general managers and service directors of Audi dealers. Consequently, they are liable to neglect the application of computer system, and be unwilling to invest on employee training. In addition, the long-term monopoly status of telecommunication section, the over charge on internet and also the bad service, influence directly the application of computers and internet to the vehicle maintenance industry of our country. Automobile industry has important strategic significance in boosting economic development and social progress. With the growing market and increasing fierce competition in China's automobile industry, Audi Sales Division of FAW-VW is committed to improving the management level of after service, optimizing maintenance quality, enhancing the efficiency of diagnostic maintenance and supporting the version-control of after-sale software system. In the current after-sale support system of Audi, maintenance personnel are supposed to open several different applications to inquire maintenance workshop and spare parts directory, and to complete the service instructions as well; this is a very time-consuming and complex process. Besides, there are several maintenance standards, because the upgrading time of software varies. In view of this, Audi is planning to integrate the auxiliary application system into the dealers'internal management software, in order to facilitate the use and operation of the after-sale maintenance personnel, and to improve after service and efficiency of the dealers.The application prospect of information resources and technology in China's vehicle maintenance industry is no dark. We must make our effort to grasp this golden opportunity to propel the uplifting of technical and management level, and to catch up with the advanced level of the world as soon as possible.