On board the bus, there is an internet connection, coffee and morning papers to make the trip as pleasant and efficient as possible.

200 people – who have thus far purchased the substantially subsidised monthly ticket – are now using the comfortable means of travel on a daily basis, which takes place using Scania Touring and Scania OmniExpress coaches. The alternatives are commuter trains and regular buses, which take a longer time and are sometimes affected by delays.

“Not to be able to get to work quickly enough can be an impediment for a person to accept work in another place, such as Södertälje, for example. We believe that this solution can help to make Scania an even more attractive workplace,” says Erik Ljungberg, Senior Vice President Corporate Relations at Scania in a news feature for Swedish television. 

The investment in the commuter buses provides Scania with more opportunities. For some years, Scania Transport Lab has operated a Scania-owned haulage company for transport of goods between Scania’s production sites, in order to analyse and evaluate road transport by truck; now they are working in the same way with these buses, in order to evaluate performance and new systems in actual service.

In employment ads and other forms of company marketing, Scania’s employees around the world can now be seen acting as ambassadors for the company.

“We have created a new graphical look for the advertising that applies to Scania’s head office and to our sales and service companies all over the world,” explains Jessica Thompson, project manager within Employer Branding at Scania.

Employer Branding is about strengthening the image of Scania as an employer, in order to be able to attract and retain the right skills.

“It starts with you” signals how important each employee is for Scania, and that the individual is the engine for his/her own development and that of the company.

See the film about working in sales and services at Scania

See the film about working at Scania’s head office in Sweden

“I feel overjoyed to be Women of the Year in Technology,” she says. “If I can inspire one other young woman to choose a career in technology that would be really good.”

In its motivation, the selection jury with representatives from Saab and the employer branding company Universum pointed out that Anna Pernestål “gives us a picture of a women in technology with a great drive who works in an international environment, close to the business with major focus on customer needs.” The jury further stated, “with experience in technology research and a burning interest in solving problems, she is successful in her role as project manager.”

The prize was instituted by Saab to promote interest in technology and highlight skilled women in the field. Anna Pernestål receives a study trip to a trade fair in Europe and a mentor at Saab.

Anna Pernestål trained in engineering physics and started as a trainee at Scania 2002. Her first assignment was in engine development and she subsequently developed new methods for vehicle diagnostics, which was also the subject of her PhD dissertation in 2009.

Bart Delhaye, coordinator, Belgium:

How has your team prepared for the World Final?
“We trained the team, in the way the Top Team finals are held. In total, we had four complete days of practice. For each test we gave our team a 20-minute time limit and practised a mix of practical diagnostics and theoretical questions.
“Afterwards we checked our scores and reviewed the test using the Scania SRS-method. What was right? What could be improved? This way, we refine our methods and knowledge after each exercise.”

What is your team’s greatest strength?
“Our team spirit. The members of our team are willing to learn more and more about Scania and remain extremely motivated to finish high in the World Final.”

What is the most important lesson that your team has learnt by taking part in Top Team?
“That functioning well as a team results in a faster and more accurate way of working.”

Piet Meijer, coordinator, the Netherlands:

How has your team prepared for the World Final?
“We have worked on communication, team building and technical knowledge. Before the final, we met three times for eight hours each time. ”

What is your team’s greatest strength?
“To work tightly together; not only during preparation, but in the workshop as well. The members have been working together for more than 10 years now, so they know each other very well.”

What is the most important lesson that your team has learnt by taking part in Top Team?
“To take time to listen to one another. We have the skills to win together.”

Laurence Medina, coordinator, the UK:

How has your team prepared for the World Final?
“Our team has practised every week in the workshop and every Friday at the training centre. We’ve also gone over technical challenges. They received additional customised training in subjects of their choice and of new products in particular. Finally, we asked the whole network to send the team challenging questions or technical issues, in mechanics and parts, so they could practise even more.”

What is your team’s greatest strength?
“Fantastic technical knowledge, amazing motivation, a will to win, team spirit and sense of organisation.”

What is the most important lesson that your team has learnt by taking part in Top Team?
“The importance of team work in order to solve problems quicker, sharing knowledge and the value of bouncing ideas off of each other.”

“I felt it was time to move on, so I applied for the job,” he says. “Now I have a six-month contract that I hope will be extended.”

Hallberg was a member of the winning Swedish Top Team contestants. Having eliminated the Swedish competition, his team had high hopes – but the dream ended in May at the European final in Brussels.

“At first I was really disappointed,” says Hallberg, “but after speaking with the winning British team, I fully understood why they won. Their team had invested countless hours in training and had received great support; it might be compared to a match between a Premier League club and a League 2 team. But it was our first entry, and we walked away with a rich experience.”

Now Hallberg is taking on a different challenge in Hong Kong, which is a growing market for Scania. His main piece of advice for the local service technicians is to study diagnostics programmes and manuals closer before reaching for tools. “The service technicians are skilled and well-organised, but occasionally slightly too eager to start disassembling components before having analysed what causes the fault. Trucks these days are far more complicated than the 3-series, and it is necessary to ponder a while.”

Hallberg feels fully at home in the former British colony and has mastered the art of using chopsticks. “My teenage daughters will be visiting during the autumn school holidays, and if the assignment is extended my wife will join me in January.”

Read more about Scania Top Team 2011 >

Competitors had to reverse their vehicle into a narrow space between two markers without touching any cones.

Over 1 350 drivers entered the competition and took part in the preliminary evaluations around the country. By the time the final elimination rounds were scheduled to begin at Gerotek, that number had been culled down to 30 pre-finalists.

Over the two elimination days before the final, drivers had to perform tasks on Gerotek’s intimidating banked oval track, travelling at higher than normal speeds. Some of the challenges included braking exercises and performing an emergency stop that activated the anti-lock brake systems.

The finals comprised a gymkhana course, with precision manoeuvring of the vehicles the primary skill being tested.

Only ten drivers in total – five bus drivers and five truck drivers – remained for the finals, held on May 6. This comprised a gymkhana course, with precision manoeuvring of the vehicles the primary skill being tested. For example, drivers had to traverse between cones in a slalom section, and then navigate a front wheel close enough against a cone to touch it without knocking it over.

And that was merely the beginning! Competitors then had to reverse their vehicle into a narrow space between two markers without touching any cones. The final task involved reverse parallel parking into a confined space – very difficult to do well. The course was designed by Scania’s Jerry Selepe, who set an arduous task for the contestants. Nevertheless, he proved it was possible to complete by demonstrating it flawlessly to the final ten drivers.

The only woman in the finals, Letta Mokhutswane from the Tshwane City bus service, finished fourth in the bus category.

The premier award of the competition – Truck Driver of the Year – went to a confident Martin Barnard of Botes Vervoer, who was the only truck driver to successfully negotiate the daunting reverse task. No less prestigious, the top award in the bus category went to M.S. Mdladla of Uthungulu Bus Lines.

The only woman in the finals, Letta Mokhutswane from the Tshwane City bus service, finished fourth in the bus category.

“I’m very proud of myself; it shows that the ladies can do it, too,” said an ecstatic Letta. “It was hard, especially the speed section on the race track, but I managed to get it right.”

Top truck driver Barnard is thrilled with his victory in the final. “All the guys were stressed, trying to decide who should go first, or whether they should go last,” quipped Martin. “If you’re not relaxed, you make mistakes. So I went first.”

Martin Barnard of Botes Vervoer was the only truck driver to successfully negotiate the daunting reverse task.

Martin did indeed ace the course with no penalties, and win the truck category.

“It’s wonderful to win,” he said. “I’m feeling great, and this is going to open doors for me.”

Medalists:
Truck category:
1. Martin Barnard, Botes Vervoer
2. Brightman Mtembu, Gay Transport
3. Jan De Beer, Skygo Transport

Bus category:
1. M.S. Mdladla, Uthungulu Bus Lines
2. Gary Buekes, Pieter Bier Transport
3. Jaco Potgieter, Pieter Bier Transport

The winning team from Austria has practiced three evenings a week after work over the last month.

This was the third and concluding European regional final, all of which took place in Brussels. Nine teams participated in this round: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Turkey.

Austria and Latvia displayed superb cooperation and remained focused all the way through. The competition was decided at the final station.

“Competence, cooperation and team spirit always pays off. It has been clear in all of the regional finals, especially today”, says Harald Cederberg, chairman of the jury.

The winning team from Austria (from the Scania Kirchbichl workshop) has practiced three evenings a week after work over the last month. “This, and the fact that we have a lot of fun together made us successful”, says Florian Fahringere, the Austrian team leader.

The next regional final will take place in São Paulo at the end of August and the World Final in will be held in Södertälje, Sweden, 14–16 October.

Harald Cederberg adds: “The best advice I can give to the teams for the upcoming final is to set aside time to practice together in order to cultivate cooperation and improve upon any weaknesses”.

Latvia displayed superb cooperation and remained focused all the way through.

Six countries from Europe have qualified for the World Final including Austria, Latvia, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway. From the Asian regional final, China and Australia have also qualified for the World Final.

The Trafford Reds from the West Pennine workshop in the UK are a close-knit team that fought its way to the top.

Nine teams fought for victory last weekend at the second European regional final of Scania Top Team: the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Poland and the Netherlands were in the lead when two competitive events remained. At the penultimate station, the UK team managed to get full points and win overall.

The winning team, Trafford Reds, had prepared thoroughly for the competition. Steven Taylor, coach of Trafford Reds, says, “We got great support from our local management and Scania Great Britain’s training centre in i Loughborough.”

The team from the Netherlands, The Lion Kings, competed for the third time in Scania Top Team. The participants were full of enthusiasm for the event.

”It is very useful to test your skills against others,” said training co-ordinator Piet Meijer. “Top Team also makes us feel part of the big Scania family.”

The Lion Kings from the Veghel workshop in the Netherlands participated for the third time in Scania Top Team.

The World Championship Final in Top Team will be held in Södertälje, Sweden, during 14–16 October. Six countries have qualified so far: UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and, from the Asian regional final, China and Australia. The third European regional final will take place in Brussels next weekend (27–29 May).

This was the first of three European regional finals, all taking place in Brussels. The participants came from all directions – from as far west as Iceland and Ireland and as far east as Ukraine and Romania, from the northern part of Norway and Spain in the south.

Good interaction within the team led to success for the Norwegian contenders.

The winning team, from Torhout in Belgium, is one of Scania’s first SRS (Scania Retail System) Role Model workshops. SRS work in Torhout began in 2008, and since then cross-functional teams have been process mapping to increase the quality of their work.

Jo Buysse, workshop manager and coach of the winning team, says that SRS is essentially a way of doing continuous improvements in a systematic way. For the participants, Top Team improves both competence and – most significant – teamwork.

The Norwegian team came all the way from Narvik to Brussels, a trip of some 2,800 kilometres. According to team leader Magne Eidstø, the key to success was the team’s experience, both individual (with electronics, parts and mechanics) and how they interact as a team.

Eidstø also highlighted the continuous challenge of keeping up technical competence with so much new technology, especially electronics that will be entering the markets in the coming years.

Carl Pattyn, Regional Director Flanders & Antwerpen, celebrated with his team from Torhaut. “Results come from people; the Top Team competition is important as it motivates us to do even better.”

Belgium won the first European regional final in the Scania Top Team competition. The team is from Torhout in Flanders, one of Scania’s first SRS workshops.

Journalists from “Transporama”, “Truck & Business” and “Transport Media” were in Brussels to cover the event.

The World Championship Final in Top Team will be held in Södertälje, Sweden, during 14–16 October. Four countries have qualified so far: Belgium, Norway, China and Australia (from the Asian regional final). The second European regional final will take place next weekend (20–22 May).

China won the first regional final in Scania Top Team 2010/11. Ten teams grappled for victory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (8-10 April).

Scania’s Top Team competition is now under way around the world. Teams of service technicians and specialists in 46 markets have been honing their skills and competing to qualify for the regional finals, with the world final in Södertälje in October 2011 as their ultimate goal.

When the first such competition took place in Sweden in 1989, its aim was to raise the status of an occupational group that rarely attracted attention at the time. But today the situation is different. Skilled workers, parts and service staff have increasingly assumed the role of problem-solvers.

“Today, above all, it is a matter of listening to the customer and interpreting symptoms,” says Dan Löfgren, who is in charge of services development efforts within Services and Parts Operations. “With the increasingly advanced electronics, trouble-shooting software-related problems has become more and more complex.”

The Australians had been practising theoretical questions every lunch break for the last three weeks before the regional final. It paid off, Australia was ranked second and will participate in the World Final.

According to Löfgren, the biggest challenge is to persuade everyone working in the service market to fully realise the advantages of fast, reliable service.

“Our most important task is to ensure that our customers’ vehicles are taken care of and back in operation as fast as possible,” he says. “Everyone gains from that.”

The competition emphasises the importance of teamwork. It reflects the growing need for collaboration both on the service workshop floor and between parts and service specialists.

“Solving problems together reduces the pressure on each individual while improving the chances of getting vehicles back on the road quickly,” Löfgren says.

There is increasing interest in joining the Top Team competition. In the 2010/11 round the number of contestants and the number of qualifying rounds has been larger than in previous competitions. Löfgren is convinced that participation helps strengthen the professional identity of the service market staff.

“All of those who compete in Top Team are champions – and ambassadors for Scania,” he says. “The competition also gives them a unique chance to measure their skills on equal terms against colleagues from around the world.”

Björn Linderbrandt, Human Resources Director, Sales and Services Management, says that the Top Team project is well adapted to the new standards required by the service market profession. It is a way for Scania to show that it offers good opportunities to those who want to continue their professional development and boost their skill level.

“It is important for our service technicians to be in the forefront,” Linderbrandt says. “It makes us more attractive as an employer and enables us to create a distinctive identity compared to our competitors.”