1link Service Network is used by fleets totalling more than four million cars, vans and trucks to manage their SMR processes, working with thousands of franchise dealers, independent garages and fast fits.
Greg Tucker, head of OEM & dealer management at epyx, said that five manufacturers – BYD, GWM, SSanyong/KGM, Omoda and Seres – had been added to the platform during the last year, and that conversations were ongoing with several more who were interested in joining.
“In a typical year for 1link, we may have one or two new manufacturers come on board, so this is very much a unique moment and one that is creating quite specific pressures in meeting fleet needs when it comes to SMR.
“Large numbers of new entrants who are coming to the UK – from China but also the US and elsewhere – are correctly surmising that fleets are a huge part of our market. Because it is effectively the industry standard for fleet SMR, they want their vehicles and dealers added to 1link as soon as possible.
“Effectively, this needs to be in place as soon as they start selling cars and vans, so that fleets and service providers can process the SMR that keeps businesses moving. On one hand, it’s a practical measure but it’s also an important signal from new manufacturers to large scale vehicle operators that says they are serious about understanding their requirements.”
Greg explained that the process of adding manufacturers to 1link involved key tasks such as drawing new repair data from independent experts in order to assess the likely cost and time needed to complete SMR jobs, as well as individually recruiting franchise dealers for each new entrant to the platform.
“Creating the right data and adding it to the platform takes time but so far, we are pleased to say that we have been able to provide an SMR infrastructure on 1link for the vast majority of these new manufacturers and fleets using their vehicles in a timely manner.
“A key advantage of the platform, developed over the past two decades, is that it is scalable and futureproofed in this manner. While it wasn’t designed with the expectation that so many manufacturers would be added in such a short time, our technology is performing well.”