Marlène Carrias Iked, Valeo: “The playing field is global, but the responses are local”

Africa, the Middle East, China, Europe… These are just some of the areas where the French equipment supplier is poised for growth in 2023. What are Valeo’s “drivers”? The clutch, fuelled by the dual mass flywheel, which should perform even better with new product references scheduled for 2024. Also, the performance of the German company FTE, acquired in 2017* and specialising in active hydraulic actuator systems, and finally the windscreen wiper blade segment. “On this point, we have liberated a product that was too focused on entry-level. We have invested in innovation, focusing on durability, performance and sustainability to stand out from the crowd (Infinium, AquaBlade and Canopy). In China, we have launched three new ranges adapted to mid-range vehicles. The idea is to cover both the mass market and the top end with innovative products”, says Marlène Carrias Iked, Valeo Service’s Strategic Marketing, Digital & Innovation Vice President. Other levers include braking, with the launch of dedicated ranges for electric vehicles, starter-alternators and lighting, as well as the heat component, which is benefiting from “a second lease of life”, she exclaims, highlighting the essential activity of cooling around the electric vehicle battery. 

Still in this electric environment, the Group is also moving into mobile charging solutions (cables and chargers), with launches planned from 2024. “A truly all-embracing offering that enables us to provide targeted responses to distributors. The product offering is built up by teams segmented by regional area, by vehicle fleet… The playing field is global, but there’s no single answer! Our sales forces are calibrated to meet the needs of each international trading group, for example with dedicated Key Account Managers. We are supplementing this presence on the ground with a supplier portal called Valeo My Portal – launched at the end of 2023 in Turkey before a worldwide roll-out in 2024 – and functions such as placing orders, tracking warranties, etc. Above all, it is enhanced by an analysis of the performance of each client according to its catchment area. This way, we can push out personalised content (on special offers, etc.) that is sure to hit the mark!” And it seems that this personalised approach is winning over the trading groups, since Valeo has just been crowned “2023 Supplier of the Year” by Nexus Automotive, ADI, GAI (Marketing & Support Workshops category and Heavy Duty category), and Temot International. 

The end of the year has also seen the launch of a new initiative entitled InVent (Innovation Valeo Event). Featuring 27 dates in France, Türkiye, China, Brazil, Australia, the Emirates, etc., InVent is a gathering with its biggest distributor clients to present its innovations and outlook. “We’re taking advantage of this opportunity to present our STEPS (Smart, Trusted, Experience Premium, Sustainable) strategy. In other words, a mix of digital solutions, a product offering and technical support, the deployment of a Net Promoter Score (NPS) to improve our customer service, and sustainability, in particular via the ‘I Care for the Planet’ programme geared towards the transformation of the aftersales sector towards sustainability, which includes a focus on remanufactured/ reconditioned automotive parts in a wide range of product categories: alternators, starters, compressors, brake callipers and heavy-duty clutches”, explains Marlène Carrias Iked. 

In the value chain, repairers – the last links before the end customer – also benefit from tailored support, with technical aids for identifying parts (Partsfinder), as well as downloadable assembly sheets using the Tech Assist module (one million unique users in 2023). “In Brazil, we have even developed a unique tool based on connected assistance: a link is sent to the repairer so that our hotline can indicate the correct procedure to follow by seeing what they see”, stresses Marlène Carrias Iked. Training, considered to be “essential at the heart of the system”, is built around tightly calibrated online lessons lasting just 10 minutes on a specific subject, supplemented by face-to-face sessions for more complex repairs. But the aim is always to be in tune with the realities on the ground. “In China, for example, nothing can be done without using WeChat (the local Chinese messaging system).” At the end of November, the Group had delivered 125,000 training courses worldwide. In 2024, its offering will be further extended, with a focus on electric vehicles and ADAS... while an “unprecedented” programme to help repairers make the transition to electric vehicles is due to be launched before the summer. 

This highly professional-geared approach was also demonstrated at the last Shanghai exhibition, when Valeo signed an agreement with the BtoB marketplace Casstime, which boasts 270,000 workshops! This is an exceptional business opportunity for Valeo, given the immensity of the country, and will enable it to develop its network of approved sellers there. The platform supports Chinese repairers in purchasing their parts, but also blurs the lines between the different business lines, since it also offers a software package for managing parts orders, inventories, schedules, etc. “This is an ultra-integrated system that only exists in China… for the time being”, says Marlène Carrias Iked. The IAM dynamic surfed by the equipment manufacturer is largely fuelled by an ageing global fleet predominantly made up of fossil fuel vehicles. More broadly speaking, this augurs at least another fifteen to twenty years of business for the independent aftermarket. “Which leaves distributors and repairers plenty of time to adapt to this shift towards electric vehicles. They have everything to play for. And so do we. The signs are all good: digitalisation, electrification, decarbonisation. The future looks green!”
* FTE has operations in Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Mexico, China. 

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