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Role Of Service Managers In Automotive Industry

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Since the invention of automobiles the automotive industry has grown by leaps and bounds and continues to grow rapidly even today. With more and more models rolling out every day, the progress graph of the automobile industry is climbing up stupendously. Other factors like economic liberalization, easy finance schemes, tax benefit options and increasing per capita income provides added boost to it.

However, with more and more companies growing in this sector, competition has reached new heights, where not only the car designs and ambiance matter, but also the services provided by the companies play a vital role in attracting customers.

Today, many of the car buyers look for the services and options provided by car manufacturers. Buyers research more about the services through news articles and word of mouth publicity, before they go ahead with any decision. Hence, the service manager job in automotive industry calls for efficiency and extensive service manager training, as it affects the company sales in some way or the other.

Those employed in the service manager job need to oversee all the operations carried out by the service department and have to coordinate and supervise that all duties by service staff are in accordance with company policies and applicable international standards and laws. Hence, the service manager has to strike the right kind of balance between keeping customers happy and following procedure. The job involves a lot of mechanical knowledge as well as understanding customer satisfaction and priorities.

Also, the role involves ensuring customer satisfaction and retention by providing repair and service maintenance, and communicating with customers as per their priorities. Since, the automotive service manager directly handles the customer service part, the job requires to identify market reports and ongoing trends and be updated on the service strategy of other car companies in the market. The role of service manager in automotive industry has undergone drastic changes from what it was earlier; it requires a good deal of leadership qualities, management skills, motivation, customer service and counseling skills.

With so many responsibilities and pressure to achieve sales targets, it becomes very difficult for service managers to perform consistently with remarkable results. This is where automotive service consulting comes into picture. The role of a service consultant is more like a lubricant that gives a cooling effect to the engine that has been worn out and overloaded. The service consultant advices and prepares those in the service manager job to perform their tasks in an organized way, which will in return optimize their productivity and bring down their stress level.

Moreover, the service consultant guides the automotive service manager on how to measure the productivity of their subordinates and junior employees and provide them with best practices for better customer service and also provides them with updates and repair descriptions that will help the technicians. Service advisor training is held for people holding a service manager job or a service director job where a positive and systematic approach towards work is inculcated, to combat the ever mounting pressure of this competitive market.

Industry Superannuation Funds

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When choosing a superannuation fund, a lot of people want to choose the one that charges them the lowest in management and investment fees and gives them the best investment return. Data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) shows that over the past decade industry super funds have consistently outperformed retail funds by giving its members higher returns*: thats more money for your retirement.

What is the difference between an industry super and a retail super fund? Retail super funds are retirement funds established by financial institutions and insurance companies that were initially for white collar workers. As one may assume, these companies established retail funds with the intent that they generate profit for shareholders. The competing goals of profit and security for its members retirement funds are seen by some as problematic.

Retail funds tend to have a lot of added bells and whistles, for example advice. The chief executive of the Industry Super Network, David Whiteley, said this in an interview with the ABC in March 2010″For every 1 per cent extra paid in fees to a super fund, members are receiving one-and-a-half per cent less in returns,” and that the average retail fund “is an underperforming and expensive fund.”

Industry super funds are non-for-profit organizations that were started by unions and other industrial organizations for workers in the industries they represented. An industry super does not have shareholders to please. Industry super funds dont pay commission to financial advisers and planners or to insurance companies, which are costs that eat into the value of your super.

The figures in recent years paint a clear picture. A 30 June 2009 SuperRatings study compared the net benefit of one of Australias most popular industry super funds to that of the average retail fund over a period of five years. The difference was staggering: the industry super out-performed the average retail fund by a difference of approximately $4000.Another SuperRatings study showed that another leading industry super fund on average returned $4.30 for every dollar deducted in fees over a five year period ending on 30 September 2010; the average retail super on the other hand returned only $1.70.

In March 2010, research by the Industry Super Network found that retail funds delivered 1.8% weaker annual returns on average when compared to their industry competitors. The Australian reported in December 2010 that industry super funds took all top 10 places in industry researcher Chant Wests ranking. These funds on average had an annual return thats 4.3 per cent above the inflation rate over the past seven years.

Industry superannuation has consistently outperformed its retail counterparts over the past decade for another reason. Industry super funds generally invest in unlisted assets like infrastructure, private equity, and direct property. Retail funds, however, tend to invest in liquid assets, like shares, property, and bonds, all of which are tied to credit. This is especially worrisome after the global financial crisis that began in 2008.

Industry supers are a wise option for those who are concerned and cautious about their post-retirement financial security. While industry super funds were previously open solely to those within the industry the fund was started for, industry super funds are generally open for anyone to join regardless of their occupation since 2005.

About the Philippines BPO Industry

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BPO industry has taken the world by storm since it has been recognized as the fastest growing industry worldwide. Considering the global scenario, the crown of the largest BPO player is being held by India. China comes second following next to India. The third spot is being held by Philippines. However, Philippines is placed to be the No. 1 offshore outsourcing service provider in the Asia Pacific region.

Many experts feel that Philippines have the potential to emerge as the global leader in the outsourcing field. The country includes a huge pool of skilled and talented workforce to reach to its ultimate aim. The people of this country are even capable of speaking good English and they are also well versed with other western culture. Therefore, Philippines BPO service providers are confident about the fact that they can improve their performance even further.

Currently, the contact centers and call centers forms to be the key part of Philippines outsourcing industry. The country has been able to outperform Malaysia in this particular field to become the third largest service vendor in the world. In the year 2006, the revenues earned by the Philippine outsourcing industry stood at US$2 billion and within 2 years the outsourcing industry of Philippines attained 62 per cent growth.

Many industry analysts have predicted that the offshore outsourcing service industry of Philippines is expected to earn more then US$11 billion in the coming years. If at all this prediction happens to be true then the employment opportunity would grow up even further.

Seeing this ever growing trend of Philippines BPO industry, the current government has also decided to take various steps to make the country more tempting to overseas investors. This would surely help the country to be on the global outsourcing platform.

Philippines have already secured its place in this field and today it is being considered to be one of the well known outsourcing destinations. The country has adopted strict certification procedures for its offshore outsourcing service vendors prompting every Philippines based outsourcing company to go through this procedure before starting its operation.

Philippine is on its way to become one of the global leaders of offshore outsourcing service industry. Some of the services on offer include logistics, accounting, finance payroll processing, tax and financial reporting and others. The nation has vast number of IT and English speaking professionals who are capable enough of displaying amazing talents. Every year thousand of students are graduated from various fields such as accounting, engineering and human resource management.

The customs and traditions of Philippines are admired by several European and North American countries. The people of this country can adapt themselves very easily to the various other cultures. Therefore, it is absolutely no problem for the Filipinos to offer amazing customer care services for its international clients. In terms of knowledge based jobs and employees, this Asian nation has always been considered to be the best in the business.

There is no doubt that Philippine do have the capability to become a global player in the field of business process outsourcing. They have highly skilled workforce, technical expertise and necessary infrastructure. Even the government is keen to make the country a preferred hotspot for outsourcing. Right now, voice based business processes are holding the major position in the BPO industry of Philippines but sooner or later the country will seek to expand its outsourcing portfolio.

Red Express revolutionizes the Domestic Express Industry with a range of Never Experienced Before S

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Dynamic services offered by RED Express are:

a)RED Flash – Same Day Delivery b)RED Plus1300 – Next Day AM Delivery c)RED Plus – Next Day Delivery (Any Time) d)RED Value – 24 Hours to 48 Hours Delivery

RED Flash: Same Day Delivery is now possible with Red Express’s revolutionary service RED Flash. Our premium product offers Same Day Delivery, which has never been experienced in the Industry before. We cater to this service with the highest priority. Our Flash service also comes with an array of Value Added Services that customers can choose from that includes Flexi Delivery & Flexi Pick Up, where our customers can decide at what time they want us to deliver their consignment. You will get instant Email notifications on both pickup and delivery. RED Plus1300: RED Plus1300 will deliver your time-sensitive consignments the Next Day before 13:00 hrs. It will cater to the needs of people who want Next Day AM delivery. It also comes with an array of Value Added services. You get Email notifications on both pickup and delivery without any extra charges.

RED Plus: RED Plus will deliver your consignment the Anytime Next Day after 13:00 hrs. This will cater to the needs of those customers who want Next Day any time Delivery. Customer can select a particular time of Pick Up & Delivery by using Flexi pickup and Flexi delivery Value Added Service.

RED Value: RED Value offers you Smart and Efficient Delivery. RED Value is an economical yet efficient service that is unmatched in the industry. RED Value will deliver the consignment within 24 Hours to 48 Hours. This will cater to the needs of people who want a smart yet economical service.

All these services will change the perspective of the customers within the Domestic Express Industry.

Our Network: RED Express is currently operational and serviceable from the following locations:

Mahipalpur, Kirti Nagar, Wazirpur, Rani Jhansi Road, Okhla, Laxmi Nagar, Faridabad, Noida, Gurgaon, Rudrapur, Moradabad, Jaipur, Haridwar, Ambala, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Bahalgarh, Ghaziabad, Zirakpur/Mohali, Manesar.

About RED Express (www.getsetred.net):

Red Express is a Domestic Door to Door Express Parcel Service provider. RED stands for Real-Time Express Distribution. We share business information through a highly efficient Web Based Integrated Information Technology Platform. It has Flexible and -As Promised- Pick-up and Delivery timings along with an array of a lot of other optional Value Added Services.

Toll Free No: 1800 123 2400

Overview Of Indian Tyre Industry

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The Rs.20, 000 crore Indian Tyre Industry, is highly raw material intensive and predominantly a Cross Ply (or Bias) tyre manufacturing industry. It produces all categories of tyres, except Snow Tyres and Aero Tyre for which there is no demand domestically. Indian tyre industry is highly concentrated wherein 10 large manufacturers account for over 95% of the total tonnage production of 11.35 lakh M.T. On an average, 55% of the production is for replacement market, followed by 29.8% sold to OEMs directly and the remaining is exported.

Over the years, tyre manufacturers have developed a vast marketing network using dealers and depots and as such all types of tyres are now easily available even in the remotest corner of the country. No doubt, international auto majors in India now roll out their vehicles using Indian manufactured tyres.

Slowdown in automotive industry and global economic in general negatively impacted the Indian tyre industry in 2009. The industry tonnage growth was only 2.19% during first nine months of FY09, compared to 7.38% growth experienced during the same period last year. Demand side was also severely affected as almost all auto manufacturers were forced to adjust their production last year. A major relief for tyre manufacturers was provided by the government by reducing the excise duty on tyres from 14% to 10% in December 2008, and further to 8% in February 2009.

Increasing Cost of Raw Materials: Ram materials primarily comprise of natural rubber, crude and steel based materials which have historically experienced volatility in prices, especially during the last few months when price of domestic natural rubber increased almost 40%. Given the fact that raw materials constitute around 70% of the cost of production, combined with the manufacturers” inability to pass on the increased cost to their customers due to intense competition, rise in prices of these materials have a huge impact on profitability.

Increasing Radialization: Unlike in the developed countries, radialization has not yet reached its dominance in India. Particularly the truck, bus and LCV segments continue to be largely a cross ply based. Despite offering higher mileage, lower fuel consumption and improved safety, radial tyres have not yet caught on primarily because of poor road conditions and high initial cost which is approximately 25% higher than bias tyres. Moreover, the two important raw materials required for producing radial tyres (Steel Tyre Cord and Polyester Tyre Cord) are not manufactured domestically. Moving towards radialization will be vital if tyre producers want to protect their share in international markets. As of 2008, radialization as a percent of total production in passenger car tyres, LCV and heavy vehicles was 95%, 12% and 3% respectively.

Off the Road Tyres: Last year saw the top manufacturers, including CEAT and JK Tyres increasing their capacity of OTR (Off the Road) tyre production. OTR tyres are customized tyres and provide relatively higher margin. Increasing the proportion of OTR in the product mix is seen as a measure to improve profitability.

Increased Dumping: Besides material price fluctuations and lack of radialization, the industry is also suffering intense competition from low priced tyres from China and other South East Asian countries. Despite being of a better quality, Indian manufactured tyres loose ground when it comes to pricing. Moreover, slowing automotive demand from developed countries has made India a lucrative market for cheap tyres, thus resulting in increased dumping of cheap tyres from China.

Retreading: Another area of concern for the tyre manufacturers is the increasing retreading, where the worn out tread of the old tyre is replaced with a new tread. Retreading costs approximately 20% of a new tyre and is therefore gaining popularity, especially in Southern part of the country. Elgi Tyres and Tread Ltd are the two major retreaders in India. Significance of such retreaders can be gauged by the fact that around 85% of the tyre demand is for replacement.

Unresolved Tax Issue: The issue of inverted tax structure, wherein the import duty on natural rubber is 20% but import duty on finished tyres is as low as 10% still remains unaddressed. Operational inefficiency and taxation issues have being denting the competitiveness of Indian tyres.

Global Expansion: Several manufacturers are now moving global and are setting up manufacturing bases overseas. After acquiring Dunlop three years ago, Apollo Tyres recently acquired Vredetein Banden in Europe. JK Tyres acquired Tornel, a Mexican company last year to penetrate into American tyre market.

Despite these challenges, according to CARE Research, while the industry may register a tonnage growth of only 4.27% in FY09, the long term prospective seems to be bright. They expect the industry to experience a CAGR of approximately 8.21% between FY08 to FY13. Automotive companies have started experiencing increasing sales and raw material prices are stabilizing which will boost tyre sales over the coming months. However, experts suggest there will be some time lag before profitability picks up as tyre manufacturers are still carrying high cost inventories.