Car Maintenance Application

Introduction

The main problem we face today is the insufficient maintenance of their cars.
Because almost all areas of the world are using cars, it is almost everyone who is
affected. The causes to these problems could be that people lack time, motivation,
knowledge or are just plain lazy to maintain their cars properly. Symptoms showing
this are the fact that there are crashes all over the world and insufficent
maintenance in cars (such as minimal tire tread) are some of the causes. However
there is a solution in which car maintenance can be made easier and more efficiently
as well as being able to help other businesses to grow.

Vision:

To make car maintenance universally faster and easier, creating safer roads for
everyone.

Industry Analysis

Industry: Automotive maintenance industry

Force: High/Low Justification:
Buyer Power High
Buyer power is high as there are many automotive maintenance
shops to choose from. Automotive maintenance shops also mostly
rely on relationships with customers for recurring business.

Overall attractiveness of the industry:

Overall, the industry is moderately attractive however it relies heavily on recurring
customers but it is risky as it relies on CRM (Customer Relationship Management) for
recurring business. However threat of new entrants is low giving a lower likelihood
of competition increasing. Threat of new substitute products is also low which
means customers are somewhat forced to receive service from a automotive
maintenance shop, giving the industry an advantage.
Supplier Power High
Supplier power would be high as automotive maintenance and
repair shops do not have a variety of the resources they need to
choose from.
Threat of new
entrants
Low
Threat of new entrants in the automotive maintenance and repair
industry is low as there are many resources required to inspect a
car in depth.
Threat of substitute
products
Low
The only other choice consumers have with anther product or
service is to maintain the car themselves. However the majority of
people do not know how to repair or maintain their own car in
mechanical depth as well as not having the resources to do so
thence being forced to receive service from an automotive repair
shop.
Rivalry Among
Existing
Competitors
High
Rivalry among existing competitors is high as automotive
maintenance and repair shops rely on recurring customers and
tend to compete competitively in prices.
Customers and their needs

The target group of customers would be all car owners, as all car owners eventually
require car maintenance due to inevitable car deterioration from constant use. The
needs of the customer are that they want or need to know the status of their car
however do not have the time, knowledge or motivation to do so. Customers require
flexibility in knowing the parts they need to change and require and the prices they
want.


The Product and Service

This application will help find automotive maintenance shops, which have those
parts with their prices on display. Customers which do not have time in taking their
car to the maintenance shop was well as leaving it there, rendering them car-less for
the time being (in addition to the time the car may need repairing). This application
will reduce cycle time in such a way that the customer does not need to physically
bring their car to the shop for inspection however can rely on the data the
application provides them with. This would mean that car owners who have no time,
knowledge or motivation about cars and how to maintain them can easily check the
application, checking the status of their car.


Suppliers and Partners

A supplier would be laser measurement manufacturers. Lasers will be used to
measure the tread of tire, which is a problem with car owners today. These laser
measuring devices will measure the tread of tire by how far it travels before coming
into contact with the tire.

Another supplier would be thermostat manufacturing companies as thermostats
would be used to measure the temperature of a radiator or engine, ensuring the it is
correct. The temperature level would then be sent as data to the owner who
accesses this information through the application, which in turn would inform as to
whether or not the part needs to be changed.
Lastly another supplier is a company who produces wirelessly data transmitting
products. This is required for the customer to wirelessly gather data from the car to
their device.
A partner would be existing car maintenance businesses. Automotive maintenance
businesses can list themselves on the application to serve as advertisement and
promotional purposes. By listing themselves on the application, customers can see
which business as certain parts and for what price.

Another partner would be businesses who have certain parts the customer requires.
This would mean that customer satisfaction is increased as they receive the part
directly and faster rather than an automotive maintenance ordering it as well as
having to buy it for a higher price.

Strategy

The generic strategy from Porter, which will be used, is Differentiation. The
combination of everyone having smart-phones as well as having cars and needing to
maintain them means that this caters to almost all of the market. Car maintenance is
mandatory meaning that customers, who want to make it easier, purchase the
product.

Value Chain Activity

An important VCA is technology development (R&D). Technology development is
essential for car maintenance to be faster and easier for everyone. The development
in technology in this product means that customers to not have to physically take
their car to a maintenance shop. This corresponds well with the strategy as the
resources required for the application (such as measuring thermostats and lasers)
may tend to be expensive hence the differentiation strategy. However everyone
should exercise car maintenance and this product makes it easier.





Business Process

A relevant key business process is receiving and storing of materials. This process is
key as it is required to receive resources from the suppliers such, as thermostats and
lasers, which will be the heart of the product. Receiving these materials go through
operations management who order inventory for the business to crate into the
products.



Start
Purchase raw
materials
Receive raw
materials
Raw materials
inventory
Create products
using raw materials
End
Operations
Management
TPS

Another relevant business process is delivering the product. This is essential as
payments need to made and then the product needs to be send along with the
application.

Start
Create the
product
Create purchase
order
Receive
payment
Send invoice
Send product
and application
End
Accounting and
Finance
TPS

Conclusion

Through this product, we are able to make car maintenance easier and faster for
everyone to use. Not only does this help people who have no time, knowledge or
motivation but this also helps other business to grow and most importantly, creates
safer roads for everyone


References

http://education-
portal.com/articles/Car_Maintenance_Technician_Career_Profile.html

http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/science/article/pii/S0957417
410003970

http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/science/article/pii/S0970389
613000608?np=y

(http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa120401a.htm)

http://www.monash.edu.au/miri/research/reports/muarc164.pdf

https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/literature_reviews/Road-transport-
accidents.pdf

(http://www.bathwicktyres.co.uk/branksome/why-are-tyres-important.php)