Swedish automaker Scania has announced a substantial investment of US$ 13 million for the expansion of its spare parts logistics center in Vinhedo, São Paulo. This investment aims to cater to the growing market while enhancing operational efficiency and flows. Moreover, a significant aspect of this investment is directed towards electric vehicles.

Paulo Moraes, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Scania in Latin America, states, "Today, we are responsible for supplying 180 service points in Brazil, in addition to international destinations such as Belgium, South Africa, Central America, and seven Scania Business Units in South America. With this investment, we are preparing for the future, focusing on ensuring availability for our customers."

Not coincidentally, this investment aligns with the center's 10th anniversary, a facility that dispatches over 42,000 parts for distribution and/or storage each day. Currently, the center stocks around 40,000 items, and with a 50% increase in its physical capacity, it will expand from 15,000 sqm to 22,500 sqm.

Pietro Nistico Neto, Manager of Network Development at Scania Commercial Operations Brazil, emphasizes that this location is a fundamental pillar for customer experience. "Currently, we achieve a 97.4% service level, our highest ever, representing the number of orders received by the logistics center and how quickly the team can fulfill them. This is a remarkably high level compared to major online retail networks."

Neto further highlights that in over 180 service points of the automaker, customers find parts available in 93% of cases. Another significant factor underscoring the importance of the logistics center in daily dealership operations is that 60% of the network's inventory is managed with the use of artificial intelligence.

"The consistent investments in the logistics center and the daily pursuit of process improvement in partnership to expedite deliveries have contributed to maximum availability for customer fleets. Consequently, vehicles will spend less time idle, resulting in increased profitability in the transportation operation. This also provides robust support for the Scania network and our Services department," concludes Neto.

With an operation that currently generates 170 jobs, including 140 direct positions and 30 indirect ones, the expansion of the logistics center opens doors to new markets, such as Mexico, which is still under consideration.

Furthermore, the center is set to incorporate electrification to align with the company's global strategy. By 2030, Scania aims to have electrified models account for more than half of its new vehicle sales volume.

Vinhedo has proven to be a strategic location for Scania, owing to its proximity to major highways such as Anhanguera and Bandeirantes, Viracopos Airport, and quick access to the Rodoanel, which significantly reduces the cost and time of parts delivery. Ademir, a company representative, noted, "The accessibility for transportation was a key attraction to relocate the operation from São Bernardo do Campo to Vinhedo. With time, we've seen that the decision was indeed the right one, as we are close to Campinas, a region with high logistics potential and a technology hub."