If you’ve chosen to add a new Scania Truck or Bus to your fleet, one of the reasons you may have chosen the Swedish brand is that from bumper to bumper (that old cliche) it’s all Scania.
Many operators are drawn to the fact that the engine is Scania, the transmission, the diff(s)…everything is Scania. They love having a proprietary powertrain all marked with the Scania logo and designed by Scania engineers.
If you’ve trusted in Scania, why dilute it with parts that don’t carry the famous Griffin head logo?
Scania Australia National Parts Logistics and Inventory Manager Matt Pol tells us he understands why some operators might be tempted to go with non-genuine parts.
Non-Genuine Scania parts might fit OK, will they last as long, will they perform reliably, and will they in fact be good value for money?
However, at a time when operators are watching their dollars even more closely, he has told us he understands why some Scania owners might be tempted to steer away from the Scania options.
“The economics of replacement parts is fairly straightforward. The cheap ones are designed to look like they can do the job, but they can’t possibly compete with a Genuine part in terms of material quality, precision machining, assembly, quality control or durability.
“It is just not possible.
“Quality control and ensuring the replacement part is as good as new is the guiding aim of the Scania parts department when we are sourcing replacement parts.”
And he says operators should be aware that the lower-cost solution to a problem might come with added risk.
“You must connect the dots and work out how much money a cheap part can cost you when it fails, and leaves you stranded or with a potentially unroadworthy vehicle.
“What is the cost of a defect notice because a cheap bulb has failed or a brake part has worn prematurely? What is the cost of a late delivery or a day off the road because a cheap chassis part fails in service?” he questions.
“You do have to factor these costs into any decision to go for the cheapest available part.”
Scania has kicked off a Genuine parts campaign, to raise awareness in a friendly and humorous way to draw attention to the fact that while you could create your own Mona Lisa via paint-by-numbers, it wouldn’t be as good as the original.
“It doesn’t cost as much as you think to keep your Scania 100% Scania, but it might cost you a whole lot more when a cheap replacement part lets you down.”
