Navistar’s EZ-Tech
Program Equips
Service Bay techs with
Rugged Panasonic
Toughbook Computers
Challenge
Navistar was looking for a solution to standardize the
diagnostic technology used by its dealers to service
International brand commercial and military trucks and
other Navistar transportation solutions.
solution
The EZ-Tech program – consisting of durable and reliable
Toughbook mobile computers and diagnostic software – was
put in place to provide Navistar dealers the best technology at
an affordable price point.
result
In partnership with reseller, Bizco Technologies, Navistar has
deployed more than 3,500 Toughbook mobile computers to its
dealer network through the EZ-Tech program. With Toughbook
notebooks, dealers are able to service more vehicles without the
fear of device failure and have experienced strong ROI on their
technology investment.
Founded in 1902, Navistar International Corporation is a holding company whose
individual business units build integrated transportation solutions. Headquartered
in Warrenville, IL, the company produces International® brand commercial and
military trucks, MaxxForce® brand diesel engines, IC Bus™ brand school and
commercial buses, Monaco® RV brands of recreational vehicles, and Workhorse®
brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. Navistar’s equipment and services
are sold through a network of over 1,000 dealers in the U.S. and abroad.
Service revenue is a critical part of dealership profit and success; however, many
dealerships struggle to realize this profit without the necessary resources. For
many companies, the solution is modernizing technology in the service bay.
In 1999, Navistar introduced a dealer program called EZ-Tech – designed
to standardized service diagnostic technology in Navistar dealers’ bays. The
goal of the program is to offer dealers the best technology at a cost-effective
rate. An EZ-Tech device consists of a rugged notebook loaded with diagnostic
software and the vehicle interface cables. Upon arrival at the dealer’s location,
the EZ-Tech turn-key solution is ready to be deployed. Once deployed, Navistar
is able to remotely manage the software program and push out updates to its
dealer network.
Given the harsh service bay work environment, the right rugged computer was
critical to the success of the program. Many of Navistar’s dealers relied on
early-generation military mobile computers which were extremely heavy,
expensive and lacked performance capabilities. Navistar was looking for a
new mobile computing solution that was rugged enough to survive the service
bay, competitively priced to sell to dealers and would deliver strong return on
investment (ROI).
Navistar’s Vehicle Programming team evaluated approximately eight notebook
vendors. After careful consideration, Navistar selected Panasonic’s Toughbook®
notebooks for the EZ-Tech program based on the Toughbook brand reputation,
extreme durability and competitive pricing. Navistar first deployed the fully-rugged
Toughbook 27 and upgraded to the Toughbook 28, 29, 30 and 31 as the line
refreshed. Navistar also offers its dealers the semi-rugged Toughbook 52 as an
alternative option.
Diamond
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
“With extreme environments like trucking service bays, durable technology
and equipment is critical to success. We chose rugged Panasonic Toughbook
mobile computers for the EZ-Tech program to ensure that our dealers have
reliable technology in place to streamline diagnostic and repair procedures,”
said Tom Beesley, Electronics Service Tools Manager, Navistar Inc.
Early on, Navistar recognized that it needed to work with a partner to manage
the product orders, billing and administrative functions of the program. Five
years ago Navistar enlisted Lincoln, Nebraska-based Bizco Technologies, a full
service technology firm that uses proven managed service strategies to help
businesses establish and manage realistic and predictable IT budgets. Bizco
developed a custom online portal that allows dealerships to review, select and
purchase product directly – both domestically and internationally. In addition,
Bizco Technologies created a unique hardware as a service option that allows
dealers to pay a low monthly fee with a built-in refresh cycle three years
from purchase. This value added reseller also handles all mobile broadband
activations purchased by the dealers making IT procurement seamless and
easy for all Navistar dealers.
“Our partnership with Navistar provides their dealers a seamless way
to secure a reliable Panasonic Toughbook computer equipped with the
diagnostic software dealers need to service their vehicles properly,” said
Paul Zoz, owner of Bizco Technologies. “By allocating fulfillment and billing
responsibilities to Bizco, Navistar can focus on what it does best – building
reliable vehicles.”
Additionally, Navistar and Bizco work very closely with Panasonic’s National
Service Center, Heartland, located in Kansas City. Once a dealer purchases
product through Bizco, the order is sent to Heartland where the device is
configured and imaged. Heartland is able to quickly configure the device with
necessary software programs and ship out to the dealer in a timely manner.
This greatly reduces the wait time as well as the responsibilities of a dealer’s
IT department or headquarters.
One of Navistar’s dealers, Diamond International, has been a Toughbook
customer for fifteen years. Headquartered in Memphis, TN, Diamond
International offers a full line of International Brand trucks (medium, heavy and
severe service) along with a large inventory of used trucks for sale or lease.
The company’s dealership has more than 150 service bays and 400 certified
technicians located throughout Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.
Currently, Diamond International has Toughbook 29s, 30s and 52s, running
a suite of International software, deployed in its service bays. The Toughbook
notebooks are the ideal device for the dusty, dirty environment where devices
are dropped frequently.
On average, Diamond International issues 50-75 repair tickets a day and has at
least 50-60 trucks on the lot to service. As a result, the Toughbook computers
are used heavily to perform diagnostics. Critical features include drop-shock
protection, a rugged keyboard and dust and dirt resistance. Port durability is
also an important feature as the USB ports are used frequently to connect
vehicle-interface modules.
©2011 Panasonic Corporation of North America. All rights reserved. CS_Navistar_09/11
“With extreme environments like trucking
service bays, durable technology and
equipment are critical to success. We
chose rugged Panasonic Toughbook mobile
computers for the EZ-Tech program to
ensure that our dealers have reliable
technology in place to streamline
diagnostic and repair procedures.”
Tom Beesley
Electronics Service Tools Manager
Navistar Inc.
Even in the demanding environment of the service bay, Diamond International
has achieved an outstanding return on its mobile computer investment.
Due to the longevity and reliability of Toughbook computers, the company’s
Toughbook 29s have been in service for more than six years.
“The service bay is a tough environment for mobile computers, but after six
years our Toughbook laptops are still in use, making them a great long-term
investment,” said Jim Hinton, Trainer / Recruiter for Diamond International.
“The reliability of Toughbook notebooks in our service bays leads to reduced
downtime, improved efficiencies, lower support costs and more satisfied
customers.”
The EZ-Tech program has been a great success for Navistar and its dealers.
The company is able to offer its dealers the best equipment to service its
vehicles at a cost-effective price point. EZ-Tech has also reduced the burden
on dealers’ IT departments as the Toughbook devices are shipped fully-
loaded and configured through partnerships with Bizco and Heartland, and
their durability easily withstands the service bay environment.
Currently, Navistar has deployed more than 3,500 Toughbook units to its
dealer network worldwide. With the EZ-Tech program, Navistar has proved
that a centralized approach to service technology offers dealerships high-end
solutions without the burden of management costs.
1.866.797.4125 panasonic.com/toughbook
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