Processing of Show Cars for Volkswagen
For the second time in succession, Formel D was responsible for smooth procedures and a perfect optical impression of the show cars at the 9th Group After Sales Conference (GASC) held by Volkswagen. The Formel D team offers a complete solution for this purpose, including logistics management, individual processing, subsequent quality checking and support during the days of the fair.
In its leading event in the aftersales area, the Genuine Parts Center of Volkswagen AG invites the expert visitors from inside the company to obtain detailed insights into the varied world of Volkswagen. The spacious halls of the Genuine Parts Center (OTC) are transformed into exhibition space in which, among other things, a wide range of exhibition and show vehicles of the twelve brands belonging to the group are exhibited. In addition, visitors can obtain information on current aftersales strategies and concepts at the more than 50 exhibition booths.
Individual Vehicle Processing
During the four days of the event, all brands of the Volkswagen Group presented themselves, and the portfolio of vehicles exhibited in various passenger car seg- ments was equally extensive. This versatility was also reflected in the tasks professionally provided by Formel D in the business area of CARing.. For coordination, the experts from Formel D as an established partner to the Volkswagen Group were able to make use of well-founded process knowledge as well as a complex previously installed Formel D infrastructure. In the area of logistics, for example, the service provider has a highly specialised vehicle fleet equipped for safe vehicle transport. “We are supplied with the cars directly from the manufacturer brands in each case,” explains Christian Fulde, Project Manager at Formel D. “Our experienced project team also attends to the logistical processes between the individual process stages. For example, we store the vehicles carefully, safely and professionally in a specially configured space within a high-security area. Of course, our complete solution for Volkswagen also includes the delivery to the exhibition grounds.”
Even a project realised as routinely as this one is always a challenge when the objective is to prepare individual and sometimes very valuable specimens according to maximum quality standards. The precise internal and external preparation of the vehicles is carried out according to clearly defined quality guidelines and coordinated on a project-specific basis with the customer in each case. Due to the abundance of details, the project flow is based on process structures which run smoothly using custom-developed tools and admin- istrative solutions. With them, the service provider generates long-term added value for the customer.
Specialists at Work
The processing experts thoroughly check each individual exhibit. On the basis of industry-specific experience, the visual and sensory assessment of the surfaces inside the car is completed on a highly structured basis. The expert precisely records and evaluates each detail on the instrument panel, window and seat surfaces and in the floor space. In this way, Formel D ensures each visitor receives a maxi- mum positive impression when he sits down inside the vehicle. After a careful initial check, the surfaces are prepared according to their material as required.
In terms of the exhibits for the 9th GASC, this meant a large variety of designed surfaces, especially in the case of vehicles from the luxury segment such as the Bentley Continental GT. The special multi-layer, high-quality paintwork also required professional know-how and the use of state-of-the-art technology. Volkswagen uses special materials in the interiors of models of this kind, causing individual demands to be made on the experts from Formel D. High-quality varieties of leather and wood require just as much special care as the display surfaces of the operating and display elements of the car entertainment system do.
As part of the exhibition support after the opening hours, the Formel D employees checked the exhibits for any traces left behind by users and repeatedly ensured a perfect appearance using individual processing measures. To protect the special paintwork effectively, the Formel D team equipped the exhibits from the luxury segment with special night-time vehicle coverings. Ensuring the flexibility depending on the situation was a matter of course for the service provider. “We are glad to receive the feedback, which has been positive throughout,” Christian Fulde explains.
Optimum Support
The positioning of most of the vehicles in the exhibition area was just as much a part of the comprehensive support given by the service provider on site as prior processing according to the highest possible standards. “Of course, we work on interesting subjects every day, but vehicles such as the Bentley, the Porsche 918 Spyder or the Bugatti Veyron are still highlights,” Fulde explains. “This creates unique points of contact for us as partners to the automotive industry.” In addition, however, the objective was of course to prepare the presentation of the numerous other Volkswagen brands in an ideal way. Current maximally optimised, high volume passenger cars such as the Audi A3 Limousine, the Seat Leon X-perience and the Škoda Superb were well frequented as they reflected an important part of the day-to-day responsibilities of the Volkswagen employees. The processing and positioning of the vehicles therefore required a lot of experience on the part of Formel D. The range of exhibits was rounded off with models such as a Ducati Multistrada Air and a gritting lorry from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, but a Golf I Cabriolet provides the visitors with interesting insights too. The responsibilities in the fields of processing, logistics and coordination realised by the experienced service provider were as diverse as the many exhibits. Due to the abundance of details in the individual vehicles and the great variety of materials used, a high degree of flexibility and rapidity is necessary during implementation, especially with projects as complex as the GASC. Long standing customer-specific experience and established structures allow the employees working on the project to act in an optimum way at all times whenever challenges arise.