The Volkswagen Group ensures the supply of original parts even in the Corona crisis. In Germany, more than 95 percent of the approximately 3,500 service companies are now open so that customers can remain mobile.
Around 60 percent of the 25,000 service stations worldwide are still active. The Original Parts Center (OTC) in Kassel ensures that original parts for repairs reach companies quickly despite the Corona crisis. The order level is around a third of the normal size. Protecting the health of employees and suppliers in Kassel is a top priority. Extensive measures have been initiated in the OTC to ensure sufficient distances between the employees employed and to ensure the necessary hygiene. This includes reducing operational logistics employees on site to around half. Health protection is also a top priority for service companies. Many companies offer customers the opportunity to drop off and collect their vehicle without direct contact and at a sufficient distance from the service staff.
Roman Havlásek, Head of After Sales, said: “Many people need their car in the Corona crisis to get to work, take care of themselves and others, or make necessary doctor visits. Our customers – including numerous employees from the healthcare and food retail sectors – are now more than ever dependent on their vehicles. It is therefore important that our team maintains the original parts supply. This means that service companies around the world can continue to carry out repairs.
We would like to thank our large supplier network for largely continuing deliveries under these difficult conditions and the works council for great support in defining and implementing the necessary measures. “
Ulrike Jakob, deputy chairwoman of the Kassel works council, said: “For us as a works council, employee health is a priority. In some areas of after-sales, the supply of auto repair shops with original parts must be ensured. The employees work there under the protection and hygiene recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute in order to rule out the risk of infection as far as possible. Contactless logistics and other measures taken meet with approval from employees. We as the works council will continue to monitor compliance with the measures taken. Especially under these difficult conditions, we would like to thank the employees for continuing to ensure the mobility of society through their work. ”
Health protection for its employees and suppliers is a top priority for Volkswagen. In the original parts center in Kassel, the Volkswagen Group’s global master depot, extensive measures were therefore taken to ensure sufficient clearance and the necessary hygiene. An important lever here is the temporary reduction in the number of employees working simultaneously on site. The operational logistics team was reduced to around half. The employees in the administrative areas also work in the home office with a few exceptions. In addition, work processes were changed in many places in order to ensure sufficient distances between employees or between employees and suppliers at all times.
More than 95 percent of the 3,500 service companies of the group brands in Germany are currently still open. Around 60 percent of the 25,000 stations worldwide. They enable their customers to carry out repairs and service measures within the framework of the applicable regional regulations. Many companies offer customers the option of contactless delivery and collection of their vehicle. A sufficient safety distance to the service staff is always ensured and additional hygiene measures are used.
Background information original parts Center Kassel (normal operation)
Around 2,400 employees work in the original parts center in Kassel. They ensure parts supply for 86 countries around the world. The storage area is more than 1.2 million square meters. An average of 220 trucks, 111 wagons and 68 containers leave the original parts center every day.
