Distribution center accelerates BMW service

Many local after-service providers have already joined the competition for the future market, as new car sales growth enters a stable stage.

Increasing competition and changing consumer behavior will steadily boost the sales volume of vehicle parts and services. Intense competition will also create a wider range of product and service options for end users to choose from, requiring participants to deliver more than just basic services to consumers and installers, according to the analysis.

"I like competition. Competition makes us better, and creates a better customer experience," Eberhart said.

This year, BMW will continue to strengthen its brand positioning in after-sales service, and focus on offering higher quality premium service for customers, according to a company news release.

Staying close

In recent years, BMW has sharpened its competitiveness in after-sales with an expanded dealer network and innovative business.

BMW Brilliance recently launched its online store on Tmall, one of China's largest online shopping platforms, to provide a taste of the online-to-offline service model. A customer can purchase authorized parts, accessories and arrange services over the Internet, and then visit the after service networks at a convenient time.

By the end of this year, 100 dealers will participate in this O2O practice.

Very soon, BMW customers may be able to enjoy a personalized pick-up service in which service people will handle everything for the customer. The pilot for this service is already running in Beijing and will expand to more cities.

Eberhart's vision is that connectivity technologies will be applied in the future to inform customers and drivers of the need for timely maintenance and parts replacement. With permission from the customers, they will receive such notifications on their mobile devices, and may then select dealers or service stations on their phones, tablets or in-car screens.

Shanghai RDC factsheet

Phase I of the new Shanghai RDC covers an area of 50,000 square meters in Pudong district, and will expand to more than 70,000 sq m in Phase II, becoming BMW Group's largest in Asia.

Urgent orders can be delivered within 24 hours.

The cutting-edge hardware and software, and expertise in global logistics system guarantees 20 percent higher operational efficiency in terms of delivery time.

The previous Shanghai RDC completed about 2 million orders last year, 10 times that of the first center built in 2006 in Beijing.

The center delivers parts for BMW automobiles and motorcycles, BMW accessories and BMW Lifestyle products.

It follows BMW's global standards and applies leading international logistic technology. It adopts a single layer design concept for sufficient storage space.

The center demonstrates BMW's firm commitment to being rooted in China and deepening its localization, and shows the marque's determination to realize longstanding and sustainable development in the country.

The new RDC is expected to contribute to BMW's development of sales and service networks across the country, and satisfy the increasingly diversified demands of Chinese customers.