aBr November 2014 | Page 24

2014 Automechanika Frankfurt Bosch: Pushing Connectivity Forward in Workshops 2014 Automechanika Frankfurt As a result of increasing connectivity, Bosch Automotive Aftermarket expects regional and structural changes in the business for vehicle replacement parts, car workshop equipment, and automotive services. “When it comes to innovative strength, international presence, and a willingness to invest, market players have ever-higher expectations,” says Dr Uwe Thomas, president of Bosch Automotive Aftermarket. “We aim to actively shape the changes ahead,” he says. Driver mobility is the main focus of Bosch strategy. This is why the company invests in developing new solutions throughout the entire value added chain. These include everything from replacement parts, software, and diagnostic technology to the consistent broadening of the service o ffering. Increasing vehicle networking calls for the development of new solutions. In 2013, Bosch Automotive Aftermarket continued to expand its automotive replacement parts, diagnostic devices, and workshop equipment businesses, especially in North America and Asia. ➲ Bosch supports workshops with augmented reality in maintaining and repairing vehicles in the future. Information is superimposed onto the real object displayed on a tablet or a Smartphone For the current year, Thomas expects growth to be moderate. Europe, Germany and France continue to drive growth, and markets in Spain and the UK are recovering well. Markets in North America, Japan, and especially China, are currently very dynamic. The company has significantly expanded its presence in North America, mainly as a result of the completed integration of SPX Service Solutions, the US supplier that was acquired in 2012. “We have expanded and improved our diagnostics segment, and our independent business in the NAFTA region has been strengthened considerably,” says Dr Hans-Peter Meyen, the Automotive Aftermarket board member responsible for diagnostics and development. Today, the Bosch “Automotive Service Solutions” segment plays an important role in the division’s growth strategy. | words in action 22 ➲ “Extra” reward system - “Extra” has participants in 19 countries and so far 50 000 workshops all over Europe have registered for the reward system. “Extra” is also in South Africa “The more electronics are built in to the car, the greater the need for diagnostics technology. We meet this need with a well-structured portfolio of brands and products,” says Meyen. Digital communication and data networking are playing an increasingly important role in workshops, and in the future, workshops will be able to continuously monitor the status of customers’ vehicles and recommend a repair in advance if necessary. As they move into the workshop, augmented reality applications also contribute to reducing costs. Such apps give Smartphones and tablets x-ray vision of sorts: if workshop employees point their mobile devices at panelling in the vehicle, the corresponding app displays the components behind it. At the same time, additional information such as work instructions, required tools, or even training videos can also be shown. This makes the repair process easier, as subsequent work steps are clearly planned and unnecessary assembly work can be avoided. “For us, all of this is just the first step toward augmented reality. We see major potential for additional solutions, for instance in the areas of technical training or service,” says Meyen. ➲ Smartphone-App “fun2drive.” Using the free-of-charge Bosch app “fun2drive”, the Smartphone turns into the personal information and diagnostic centre of the car driver. With this app, exhaust-relevant error codes and a variety of up-to-date engine data read outs at the vehicle’s OBD interface can be displayed november 2014