Volvo Buses
Global
Together Volvo Buses and Volvo Trucks have one of the industry’s most extensive service networks, with over 1500 dealerships and service centers across the world. Carina Borelius is responsible for Volvo Buses’ global service network.
What does VISTA mean for Volvo Buses?
“VISTA is so much more than a competition – the purpose is to make us even better at what we do every day. For us at Volvo Buses, it is incredibly important to have excellent service technicians. Through VISTA, they get the opportunity to develop and improve their knowledge and skills, as well as practice their ability to work as a team. Competing also creates team spirit and pride, which benefits everyone, not least our customers. VISTA has been around since 1957, and this year the competition attracted an incredible 16,000 participants from Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses, in around 100 countries. It is just fantastic!”
Tell us about the competition – how does it work?
“The competition is designed to train and develop participants’ knowledge and competence. It begins with three theoretical rounds where the participants must solve different assignments and problems at their home workshops. The best teams then progress to the semifinals, which this year were in Italy, USA and Brazil. In the semifinals, the teams demonstrate their knowledge through different stations, for example, ‘I-Shift’ and ‘Start the engine’. Teams are assessed on how quickly and efficiently they solve the assignment. Participants in each team often have different roles and specialized knowledge. Everyone cannot be the best at everything – just like a football team, it is best when you complement each other. In the final, a total of 44 teams from 37 countries fight for first place.”
In which ways does VISTA contribute to Volvo Buses’ service technicians’ competence development?
“Our products are constantly being developed. More advanced drivelines, systems and electronics combined with new technologies such as electromobility and connectivity, require continuous competence development. All our service technicians regularly receive training to ensure they are always up to date with the latest technologies and that our customers’ vehicles get the best possible care. VISTA is simply a way for our service technicians to sharpen their skills further and get the chance to compare themselves with other high-performing teams. Since they solve the assignments together, it also strengthens their teamwork and contributes to raising the competence of our service workshops generally.”
How can VISTA support Volvo Buses’ customers?
“We want to be with our customers the whole way and help them to be more efficient in their business. With excellent and proactive service technicians, we get satisfied customers who can focus on developing their own operations. VISTA is an effective way to motivate and inspire our employees to always strive to be even better. Our service technicians are on the front line and see to it that our customers’ vehicles work optimally, are highly reliable and that they are available when needed. By being proactive and quickly finding solutions to problems that need to be addressed, the risk of an unplanned downtime is minimized. The right maintenance at the right time also extends the life of the vehicle and optimizes its total cost of ownership.”
VISTA (Volvo International Service Training Award) is the world’s biggest competition for service technicians. This year VISTA has more than 16,000 participants from around 100 countries.
The final will be held in Gothenburg between 9-12 September. 44 teams from 37 countries will battle for first place. Read more about VISTA and all the finalists here!
