Quality and environmental initiatives at the Swedish Volvo and Renault stakeholder organizations were in need of improvement and the existing IT platform was out of date.
“Had we not found a partner who could provide both an IT platform and training at the same time, our journey wouldn’t have been nearly as successful,” says Quality and Environmental Manager at Volvohandlarförreningen, John Nolebring.
The network consists of a countrywide group of dealers, encompassing approximately 240 dealerships and slightly over 270 service workshops. These establishments are engaged in the sale, servicing, and repair of passenger cars, transport vehicles, trucks, and buses under the brands Volvo, Renault, and Dacia. The dealerships, although separate entities, collaborate through Svensk Volvohandel and Svensk Renaulthandel, which are organizations representing Volvo and Renault stakeholders in Sweden.
John Nolebring, Quality and Environmental Manager at Svensk Volvohandel explains that their role serves as a bridge connecting company shareholders, intermediaries, and other stakeholders. This collaboration yields financial advantages and efficiencies of scale for the member companies.
Obtaining group certification for environmental and quality initiatives is a pivotal aspect for both Svensk Volvohandel and Svensk Renaulthandel. They adhere to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. Alongside various non-mandatory oversight bodies, the member companies are obligated to meet numerous obligatory requirements imposed by government agencies, intermediaries, and insurance firms.
In need of a new platform
Upon taking charge of quality and environmental initiatives, John Nolebring recognized that the existing IT solution didn’t offer the comprehensive management system capabilities they required.
To address this, they chose CANEA as the new supplier. The collaboration commenced in January 2017 with the implementation and customization of the new CANEA ONE platform for each dealership’s operations. This synchronization led to significant enhancements in both operational efficiency and financial management. Thanks to this shared system, member companies no longer need to invest in individual system support or administration; they can seamlessly exchange information among themselves. Furthermore, having a unified management system has streamlined audits, making them quicker and requiring less preparatory effort.
“We chose CANEA ONE because the platform is scalable and adaptable. We use all of the modules and we have named the platform ‘Revolve:s’, to symbolize revolving around the strategy.”
A comprehensive training initiative
A unified management system is actively employed by approximately 50 distinct organizations or member companies, spanning across more than 230 locations. This encompasses a user base of around 7,700 individuals, all operating under a shared multisite certificate.
Upon the implementation of the new system, an extensive training campaign was executed, entirely facilitated by CANEA. These training programs were appropriately adjusted to accommodate the business’s engagement with the management system for ISO 9001/14001 compliance, their other environmental endeavors, and their strategies for change management.
John Nolebring highlights, “CANEA played a pivotal role in training our Group and company management. Furthermore, we’ve extended training to all quality and environmental coordinators within the member companies, along with our internal auditors.”
He adds, “Having a dependable training partner has been of immense significance for us. As each dealership functions autonomously with an entrepreneurial spirit, a uniform process cannot be universally applied. Therefore, when it comes to training, communication, and cultivating support, collaborative efforts are essential.”
Outcomes and factors for success
According to John Nolebring, success is achieved by relying on trustworthy and capable partners, as well as forming the right collaborations at each stage of development. A crucial element of their accomplishment is having a certification body that employs auditors with a business-oriented perspective. Currently, this role is fulfilled by C1 Certification.
John Nolebring emphasizes their satisfaction with CANEA. He believes that their success wouldn’t have been as notable without a partner who could provide both modern IT support and effective training simultaneously.
The adoption of shared quality and environmental certification, along with coordinated quality and environmental efforts and a unified management tool, has significantly fortified the Volvo and Renault stakeholder organizations. This has led to heightened cost efficiency.
John Nolebring points out that a shared management system and a group certificate greatly simplify the sharing of information and experiences. Moreover, these conditions significantly enhance the ability to ensure sustainable development, ultimately contributing to their success.
