Chester T. Dean 
What technological trends will disrupt automotive aftermarket services in the Middle East region?
From the rise of advanced technologies, to concerns about sustainability, to changing consumer preferences and more, industries around the world are being disrupted. In the case of the automotive industry, the increasing adoption of digitalization and automation will have an incredibly transformative impact. Cars will no longer be purely mechanical products – instead, they evolve into road-based computers.
What does this mean for after-sales service in the Middle East? Initially, the traditional car mechanics workshop will first and foremost be increasingly digital. Everything that was once on paper, like instruction manuals, will be a thing of the past. Additionally, diagnostics and troubleshooting will no longer rely on a mechanical understanding of an automobile, with digital tools and sensors used to determine what problems need to be addressed. At Bosch, the latest diagnostic tools for troubleshooting have been available in Bosch Car Service workshops for many years, providing access to digital expertise.
Ultimately, car maintenance can be fully automated and no longer require a workshop visit. Thanks to the Internet of Things, connectivity and artificial intelligence, auto owners will be educated about the need to refuel, maintain and repair their cars, with diagnostics performed remotely. Eventually, the whole service process could be managed remotely. While what a workshop will look like in the future is still uncertain, there are several scenarios we can imagine at Bosch. We have developed various future strategies in collaboration with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. For example, repairs can be booked by app, with your vehicle then going to a workshop. Alternatively, repair services can be requested at a selected location, with our expert coming to meet you at home, at work or in another location. Or the third option is that some kind of building set is delivered, allowing the car owner to perform the task himself under the instructions of a Bosch Car Service expert.
Speaking of shared mobility, globally its market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.42% from 2019 to 2026. It’s a space everyone is watching. However, with the pandemic, innovative means of shared mobility have been introduced, such as electric bicycles, which allow social distancing and contribute positively to enabling a carbon neutral environment.
How has Bosch Car Service evolved over the past 100 years?
This year, as Bosch Car Service, we are celebrating 100 years of activity. Today, our network spans over 15,000 partner workshops in over 150 countries. While a lot has changed in our industry since Bosch was founded in 1921, one thing that runs through our company’s DNA is innovation. We have been at the forefront of diagnostics, maintenance and repairs, with many inventions to our credit in the Antilock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Today, our R&D pipeline remains strong, with 72,000 employees working on the latest innovations in the industry. In 2019 alone, we filed over 4,200 patents.
A qualification system with the Bosch Service Excellence program, including regular audits and workshop tests, guarantees the high quality of service from Bosch Car Service workshop partners. It shows in the trust our customers place in our brand. We regularly receive top marks around the world in customer satisfaction and brand confidence surveys.
What are Bosch Car Service’s growth strategies in the region? Any upcoming extension projects?
At Bosch Car Service, we aim to become the most extensive workshop network in the Middle East. We will end 2021 with more than 140 Bosch Car Service workshops, targeting +25 more by the end of 2022. As part of our growth strategy, we offer high quality services at reasonable prices, offer our customers a guarantee one year on our spare parts, in addition to ensuring that our workshop employees receive the most up-to-date technical training. In addition, regular quality audits complement this to offer our customers the best possible service.
What are the main reasons why Bosch Car Service is strengthening the expansion of the industry in the Middle East region?
Across the region, vibrant emerging economies, a growing population and a middle class will continue to drive demand across the sector. At Bosch, we’re on hand to meet this demand and combine it with innovations driven by Bosch across the industry, helping industries meet their climate goals as the transportation sector experiences significant disruption.
