Automotive Companies

Maintenance is something that can’t be avoided so leasing companies have come up with a selection of different maintenance packages to sell as added value products. You will find that as leasing companies who could be running fleets of tens of thousands of vehicles utilise their buying power to negotiate cheaper prices for

both parts and labour with their suppliers. I have found that this translates into competitively priced maintenance packages for a low fixed monthly payment, this is great for businesses as it gives peace of mind that there will be no unexpected costs running their fleets.

Maintenance packages come as either standalone products or as part of your vehicle lease agreement. There are different levels of cover you can choose when leasing a vehicle.

Servicing Only

The most basic level of cover provided is a service only package, this will encompass annual servicing of a vehicle or more frequently if needed and is priced on the basis of the expected mileage. This is not a product that I have found popular, I have seen these packages being offered free to customers to secure their business.

Servicing, Maintenance & Repairs

This includes Servicing as above and also covers for Maintenance & Repairs. The Maintenance & Repairs covers wear & tear items that are not included as part of the manufacturer’s warranty. Surprisingly these include items such as replacement Headlight Bulbs, brakes, exhaust, battery, wiper blades, clutch etc. This is great for both small businesses and large businesses as there are no unexpected costs.

Servicing, Maintenance & Replacement Tyres

The most popular maintenance package that is chosen is fully maintained which covers for vehicle servicing, maintenance and replacement tyres. In my experience I have found that the replacement tyre policy can vary between leasing companies. The most basic tyre cover is for replacement tyres when they reach a tread depth of 2mm which is still well within the legal limit. Some Business Car Leasing companies offer a fully comprehensive cover which is all encompassing, covering the minimum tread depth, puncture repairs & tyres with sidewall damage. Tyres are replaced with premium brand tyres as these last longer.

This is the maintenance package I have on my company car and have to say that I find it is the best fit for our business. I can simply drive into the garage and hand the car over and they will do whatever needs done and return the car, If you need a courtesy car then its best to call in advance and book one as you may have to opt for a courtesy driver instead to take you to your destination and pick you up once your car is ready.

Other Services Provided

Breakdown Cover

Breakdown cover is not something businesses might consider having, when you consider the leasing companies offer breakdown assistance both from home or workplace as well as on their journey for a discounted price it makes sense to take on this cover. I have found that some leasing companies charge extra for this and yet some offer it as standard on all of their lease vehicles. European cover is also available, permission must be requested from the leasing company before to travelling to Europe.

Replacement Vehicle

Businesses can choose to include a service to provide a replacement vehicle in the event of either mechanical failure or an accident. This can be invaluable but it depends on your business as some of the businesses I have dealt with in the past have pool cars to rely on so there is no need for a replacement vehicle.

Other fees or charges

The price of your maintenance agreement is calculated on the basis of your predicted mileage at the start of the contract. If you exceed the total mileage on your contract then the leasing company will apply an excess cost, this charged at the end of your contract.

Precision metal stampings are a critical component of so many products. Automotive components, medical devices, electronic parts – all contain metal stampings. For the part or the device to function properly, the stamping needs to be free of defects and of perfect quality.

We continue our metal stamping quality article series with a discussion on APQP.

Automotive industry refuses to take chances with precision metal stamping quality.

Poor quality is not an option with the automotive industry. That’s why the ‘Big Three’ (Ford, GM, and Chrysler) created Advanced Product Quality Planning, better known as APQP.

So what is APQP? Technically, “it’s a guide in the development process and also a standard way to share results between suppliers and automotive companies.” More simply put, it’s a way of making sure the automotive companies are involved in every step of the development and launch process with their suppliers – to ensure nothing goes wrong. Why? Ultimately, to ensure the ‘Big Three’s’ customers are satisfied with their automobiles.

APQP is typically deployed in 5 concurrent and collaborative phases:

* Plan and Define Program
* Product Design and Development
* Process Design and Development
* Product and Process Validation
* Launch, Feedback, Assessment, and Corrective Action

Some of the questions that can be addressed through the APQP process are:

* Can the product/process be error proofed?
* Can the product/process achieve a higher level of capability through tolerance design and/or process variation reduction?
* What controls must be developed to ensure that defects cannot reach a customer?

The APQP process actually monitors 23 topics before production is even started. Topics like design robustness, design testing, quality inspection standards, product packaging, and more.

Metal stamping companies need to be prepared.

There are a lot of suppliers wanting automotive business. Automotive manufacturers and the companies that represent them can demand that their suppliers abide by APQP processes.

And that requirement certainly applies to metal stamping companies as well. Automotive suppliers need to ensure the metal stamping companies they do business with are committed to APQP and should insist they:

* Establish and continually monitor company-wide APQP processes
* Utilize APQP tools such as Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) to ensure quality
* Utilize advanced technology to verify stamping quality, thicknesses, and dimensions (sensors and gauges)
* Implement sophisticated quality control plans and tools to ensure consistency and zero defect parts (i.e. Statistical Process Control (SPC)
* Adhere to the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

With these controls in place, metal stamping companies can do their part to ensure the automotive manufacturers achieve their ultimate goal of customer satisfaction.