Schaeffler Vehicle Lifetime Solutions Germany
REPXPERT workshop portal
The digital companion

The all-round carefree package for vehicle repairs

Keeping up with the latest technologies, deepening expertise, exchanging ideas and easy access to the latest tools, digital documents and equipment – these are just as important for automotive professionals as providing spare parts and repair solutions.

Finding the right solutions for all aspects can be time-consuming and inefficient. To provide every professional with an innovative garage companion, hmmh has implemented the REPXPERT portal for Schaeffler.

Global automotive aftermarket support

More efficiency in the daily garage routine, solution-orientated and always accessible: hmmh has been working together with Schaeffler on the REPXPERT garage portal since 2014. At the start of the project, it was particularly important to identify and define all the requirements for an innovative workshop companion. Besides easy access to product information on spare parts and equipment, the portal also provides technical training, services, special tools, repair instructions and videos, as well as tips on installation – all quickly and intuitively available in digital form. On this basis, we have further developed the innovative workshop portal over many years of collaboration and, since its launch in 2015, have rolled out REPXPERT in 40 countries and 25 languages (as of 2023).

Client: Schaeffler Vehicle Lifetime Solutions Germany GmbH & Co. KG
Duration: Fortlaufender Kunde seit 2014
Expertise: • Projektsteuerung; • Konzeption; • Frontend Entwicklung; • Backend Entwicklung; • Agile Arbeitsweise; • Requirements Engineering

Workshop 4.0 – the digital workshop assistant

[Translate to English:] Mann in einer Werkstatt vor einem PC-Bildschirm, neben einem silberenen Auto. Im Hintergrund (unscharf) ein weiterer Mann über einen offenen Motorraum gebeugt.

The Project

In addition to our high level of expertise in software implementation, our strength lies particularly in our experience in managing interdisciplinary project teams. Through agile project work, we quickly achieve the required results and are also flexible in our day-to-day operations. This allows us to react quickly to new requirements and events.

[Translate to English:] Eine Frau und ein Mann stehen vor einer Glasscheibe, auf der Post-Its kleben, auf die sie etwas schreiben

Agile and effective for high implementation quality

Thanks to the agile project approach, requirements can be recorded,
specified and implemented in the shortest time possible.

Gunnar Niehuis, Account Director at hmmh

The user-centred loyalty programme

The integrated REPXPERT bonus system offers users a bonus shop where registered customers can redeem vouchers and use their bonus points to purchase products. It also allows them to access TecRMI documents for day-to-day workshop operations.

The Schaeffler OneCode

In order to make day-to-day workshop operations more digital across the board, innovative approaches had to be created for proven manual processes. A key concern here was to reduce or even eliminate paper coupons. We achieved this by introducing the Schaeffler OneCode, which makes collecting bonus points even easier. The popular paper coupons included in the product boxes have been gradually replaced by QR codes printed on the packaging. The bonus points are credited to the customer's account immediately after scanning, making them even easier to collect and use.

[Translate to English:] Mann mit Handy in der Hand und einem grünen Pappkarton in der anderen. Mit dem Handy wird die Verpackung gescannt. zur Veranschaulichung ist in der Mitte des Bildes ein grüner Kreis mit einem Barcode, der das Scannen des Barcodes verdeutlichen soll. Links im Bild ist ein Mockup eines Smartphone Bildschirms von der Schaeffler OneCode Startseite.

Digital courses & online training

[Translate to English:] Laptop Mockup mit einem Foto auf dem Bildschirm, indem ein Mann an einem Motorblock schraubt

REPXPERT offers a wide range of training courses that are either held on site or are available as digital online training courses. Users can filter all training courses by subject area, location and time on the workshop portal and register directly.
With this concept, Schaeffler REPXPERT reaches tens of thousands of mechanics every year, who are trained in handling the products of its own brands (Luk, INA, FAG) in this way.

The SAP Commerce Cloud as a stable foundation

The REPXPERT portal runs as a SinglePageApplication on SAP Commerce Cloud with a customised frontend via Spartacus. Since 2015, hmmh has carried out all the necessary major updates to SAP Commerce Cloud in order to keep the workshop portal up to date and ensure the smooth integration of new features.

All content is maintained using the ‘SmartEdit’ content management system, which is integrated into the SAP Commerce Cloud. A special feature of this system lies in the different preview views, which can vary depending on the user role. This allows editors to view and approve designed pages before they are published.

The designed and implemented ‘inheritance principle of CMS catalogue content’ makes the day-to-day work of editors even easier. Content is created centrally and synchronised in the relevant country catalogues according to the domains and language versions. If content needs to be adapted afterwards, the changes only need to be made once at a central location. The country catalogues inherit these adjustments.

And the winner is ... hmmh!

In 2023, we were honoured with the ‘Supplier of the year’ award from Schaeffler in the category of innovation in the automotive aftermarket. Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, and Georg F. W. Schaeffler, family shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG, presented the award at the Schaeffler Supplier Day. Jens Schüler, CEO and Member of the Executive Board at Schaeffler Vehicle Lifetime Solutions Germany, and Thomas Mc Sweeny, President Purchasing and Supplier Management at Schaeffler, took the time for a personal chat. The award honours almost 10 years of successful cooperation within the framework of the international workshop portal ‘REPXPERT’ and the continuous development.

from left: Susanne Schöne (Moderator), Klaus Rosenfeld (Chairman of the Executive Board of Schaeffler AG), Gerd Güldenast (Managing Partner hmmh & CTO of PlanNet Group), Gunnar Niehuis (Account Director hmmh), Georg F. W. Schaeffler (family shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG)

Technologies used

Angular

TypeScript-based frontend web application framework

NgRx

State management for Angular apps

Material UI Framework

Fast, platform-independent interface development

Spartacus

Frontend - Angular-based Storefront

SAP Commerce Cloud

Backend

The right decision

From day one, the decision to work with hmmh felt right and we have been working together very close and trustfully for almost 10 years now. Our initial expectations were clearly exceeded.

Sven Olev Müller Global Head of Schaeffler REPXPERT Garage Services

From everyday work

> 2.500 Daily Calls

Epics, Stories and more

> 100 Content Catalogues

Pull, Merge, Close. Again and again.

> 1.000 Documentation pages

Confluence at full blast

15.000 JIRA Tickets

Digital Planning at its best

1 International Team

Agile & self-organised

Let us advice you

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Your Contact

Interested or have any questions? We look forward to hearing from you.

Gunnar Niehuis
Account Director

Schaeffler Vehicle Lifetime Solutions Germany REPXPERT workshop portal The digital companion