There is a lot of untapped potential in the Iveco product, which new Iveco Managing Director, Michael May, can begin to work on exploiting. He says the company’s inventive and entrepreneurial philosophies were an attractive proposition for Michael to get involved.
“There’s a lot of innovative thinking going on within Iveco,” says Michael. “Covid has probably limited what I hoped to do in the first hundred or 200 days, but on the whole we’ve done a good job. We have been very concerned about people’s safety and providing them with continuity.
“I think we have a unique window for Iveco to get it together and really move forward. It’s got its challenges, but all of the bigger companies are facing similar challenges. However, we do have a strong heritage around International and our manufacturing and production here. There are a lot of people in the truck industry in Australia who have come through this organisation. The depth of knowledge around product and engineering is really robust.”
In recent years that engineering strength has been put to the test as Iveco has had to go through the process of moving from a North American truck platform which is performed so well for so many years, the Acco, and now replace it with something coming out of a European heritage, but required to meet the exacting requirements of market segments like the waste industry.
Brand Identity is Critical
“I think that brand identity is critical and we need to make it very transparent to people, so they can latch onto it,” says Michael. “We’ve got to decide where we can be strong and refine our product portfolio. We may have all the contents in the candy shop, but we are not doing some of it justice. We need to decide where our strengths lie, what the brand will look like and what it stands for. That kind of focus and refinement is something that I have always been into.”
The Daily van from Iveco is a strong point for the brand. There is a new model on its way, which will help to energise this part of the business. There are growth opportunities for the organisation with a premium product which does a good job.
The other parts of the product offering, like Eurocargo, X-Way and Acco are all very different propositions. Michael is looking to develop a focus on particular products and the market into which they are being sold.
This process is going to involve some new team building within the organisation. Michael is confident that the right product for the market can be made available and that the dealer network which is already in place can distribute the right product to the right people and become energised.
“We have got to work out exactly where we stand as a brand, make that very clear and bring people in on that journey,” says Michael. “It’s not for me to come in from the top and shove something down people’s throats. We are working really hard to understand our identity. We need to make it clear to customers that we offer a choice and that we play in particular spaces.
