TMD Friction Launches Software Platform to Accelerate Digitalization of Independent Garages

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Source: TMD Friction announcement

LEVERKUSEN, Germany – TMD Friction, a global leader in manufacturing brake linings, has launched a new software solution to help garages document and evidence the quality of their work, offering value to all stakeholders within the supply chain.

Working in partnership with GaraShield, the new web-based quality process and documentation platform has been developed in the workshop for the workshop. The simple and easy-to-use solution can be used directly on the vehicle, supports the individual work steps digitally, and offers a highly intuitive operation including:

  • The mechanic will find a clear task description with all the necessary process steps for the specific vehicle model, regardless of whether it is an inspection, or a repair being carried out.
  • GaraShield features an interactive user interface: the work steps carried out can be confirmed with just a click, and vehicle defects and/or faulty parts can be described easily and documented with photos.
  • GaraShield can be integrated into existing IT solutions and this information can be made available in real time to everyone involved: internally to procure the right spare parts and to design the job handover reliably, for example, or externally to inform the customer about the status of their repair at any time.

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TMD Friction worked closely with workshops to ensure the tool provides genuine value to their processes in a simple and easy-to-use way.

GaraShield aims to help future-proof independent garages by not only helping to increase efficiency, but to also aid new customer business opportunities.

“As attitudes towards cars change, the fleet business will become increasingly important. Personal contact between the garage and the individual vehicle owners will continue to decline, which means that a key pillar in the customer acquisition process is lost for the independent garages,” Soeren Kristensen, Vice President Global Marketing & Communication at TMD Friction, said.

“To ensure enough business in the future too, the independents need to win over the fleets, which have very unique requirements when it comes to quality assurance in garages. Transparency is essential if the independent garages are to become an alternative for the fleets in the first place. Only in this way can they prove that they have the required qualifications and work quality, which are the most important criteria when it comes to being competitive.”

Following the coronavirus crisis, fleet managers have become significantly more aware of costs. This has created new opportunities for the independent market to get involved in the fleet business, and their chances of success can be significantly increased by using digital workflow tools such as GaraShield.

As a leading global brake expert in the series and spare-parts business, TMD Friction is committed to not only supplying the independent market with outstanding products, but also sharing the latest expertise and offering value-added services. In addition to technical information, process optimisation is becoming ever more important. The expansion into digital tools, such as GaraShield, increases the manufacturer’s portfolio of quality products and services for the independent market.

More information about GaraShield can be found by clicking HERE.

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