|
Based on its recent analysis of the automotive vehicle pressure sensors market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Schrader International with the 2009 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Industry Innovation & Advancement of the Year. The company’s product line of tire pressure monitoring sensors (TPMS) and value-added services offers customers the unbeatable advantages of quality, efficiency, convenience, and cost-efficiency.
The TREAD Act of 2000 marked the beginning of a new category of automotive safety products. The law mandated the installation of tire pressure monitoring systems on all new vehicles sold after September 1, 2007, causing a scramble among tire pressure sensor suppliers for original equipment (OE) production contracts with automakers.
“At the time the law was enacted, Schrader had a decade of experience in the development of tire pressure monitoring systems, and had produced sensors for road vehicles for eight years,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst, Matt Scruggs. “This favorable initial condition, created by the company’s vision and product development, contributed to the adoption of Schrader tire pressure monitoring sensors by major OE manufacturers (OEMs).”
Today, Schrader’s vast clientele includes General Motors, Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co., Hyundai Motor America, Mercedes-Benz International, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor Co., Subaru Automobiles, and Suzuki Motor Co. The company has also acquired a contract for manufacturing tire pressure monitoring systems for BMW motorcycles on a global scale.
Schrader has developed its value around the premise of being a ‘one-stop shop’ for OEM tire pressure sensor needs.
“Several of the company’s tire pressure sensor models feature “snap-in” installation, allowing faster OE wheel assembly with fewer tools, while reducing overhead costs and enabling more efficient production,” observes Scruggs. “This aids more efficient removal and replacement of the sensor, if required.”
Schrader has set up educational clinics, conducted by Tire Industry Association (TIA)-certified employees, to instruct technicians on the proper installation, servicing, and replacement of Schrader-brand sensors. This allows OEM assembly facilities, original equipment spares (OES)-channel repair facilities, and independent repair facilities to make optimum use of the advantages in tooling and labor reduction that the company’s snap-in sensors provide.
The company also offers a complete line of diagnostic and service equipment for repair facilities to further reduce service time and increase technician productivity. This is designed to ensure that Schrader sensors’ maintenance is superior to competing sensor brands’.
“For convenience and cost-effectiveness, OE service facilities and independent repair facilities can also order service packs containing OE grommets and fittings that are federally required to be replaced along with each TPMS sensor,” notes Scruggs.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has proven to be a leader in the industry and that, through its pioneering technology, sound business strategy, and research efforts, has been successful in moving the state of the industry forward. Its excellence in the field has extended beyond its technical advancements and encompasses a comprehensive view of market participants, resulting in an ongoing improvement in the industry over time. This award recognizes the company for its broader, more comprehensive participation in the industry and for its contributions to the advancement of the market.
Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.
|
