XtraBlatt Issue 02-2017

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XtraBlatt: The machines become more complicated
with increased digitization. Can dealers still explain the
technology, maintain it and repair it?
Boomgaarden: The digitization advances in agricultural
machinery actually require electronic specialists in the dealerships.
Not so long ago, a dealer said to me that the digital
technology was, in fact, increasingly too much for the normal
mechanic. However, an electronic specialist would not
be fully employed in a business like his. Actually, I believe the
training producing mechatronics engineers for farm machinery
is only to meet a passing requirement. In the future, I
think the mechanic will service mechanical aspects of the
machinery and in agricultural engineering, as in industry
and other demanding service areas, there will be specialists
in electronics. I do not see both specialities being united for
any length of time in the form of a mechatronics engineer.
A thought could be that those specialising in electronics
within the agricultural machinery sector might be able to
establish themselves either as employees or as self-employed
agricultural machinery electricians working as partners
with dealerships.
XtraBlatt: Alongside knowledge of electronics, the employees
in farm equipment dealerships must also have
an intensive knowledge of the product range. This means
continuous training and further education that is
often required by the companies supplying machinery
to the dealerships. Can every business still afford this?
1 Jürgen Boomgaarden reckons that the share of family
firms in farm machinery trading is about 60%.
2 Krone fans in farm machinery trading. In this way,
a fork life becomes a new member of the BiG line …
3 Electronics increasingly influences the work of the
agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics
engineer.
Boomgaarden: Dealers must regularly allow their workshop
staff to be schooled by agricultural machinery manufacturers.
This represents several weeks per person and
year. The costs are high. But the effort is indispensable in
the light of today’s demanding technology. The customer
expects the best and fastest service. The customer is, however,
only to a very limited extent prepared to pay for this
appropriately. However, a question that is just as important
is whether the employee in the trade is able to follow and
understand these technical innovations, or if specialists such
as the electrician are necessary here. A further question is:
Can I guarantee this support for all the machinery in my
range. Or should I reduce the size of my product portfolio?
As already said: Some dealerships will specialise in certain
areas. I see many niches and, with those, many possibilities
for small and medium dealerships to establish their
own business ideas.
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