Successful completion of the development of the DAF Diagnostic Assistant

Efficient, targeted diagnostic process implemented.

ServiceXpert Gesellschaft für Service-Informationssysteme mbH, developed the interactive diagnostic assistant together with the Dutch commercial vehicle manufacturer DAF Trucks N.V., Eindhoven. The diagnostic assistant is based on the DAF diagnostic method, which uses a structured workflow to fix a reported malfunction of a truck, from customer registration, through diagnostics and repair, to system-technical feedback, i.e. up to the faultless operational capability of the vehicle.

Until the implementation of the diagnostic assistant, the service technicians were able to call up the assignment of the symptoms of a fault to the possible causes using the DAF RMI (Repair & Maintenance Information) service information system. However, the diagnostic information was not recorded according to a generally valid system. Therefore, due to time-consuming tests, it was difficult to identify possible causes of a fault. The service technician could only prioritize the processing of the possible causes based on his experience, i.e. the more experienced a technician, the faster the fault was found and corrected.

In order to convert the existing procedure into an efficient, targeted diagnostic process, the Diagnostic Assistant was developed: Based on intelligent queries for symptoms and predefined algorithms, the possible causes of a malfunction will be correctly prioritized so that every service technician - regardless of his experience - efficiently and quickly is able to fix the fault. The complete diagnostic process is recorded and documented and is therefore available for later analysis or troubleshooting. Due to the structured diagnostic workflow of a truck, DAF Trucks is expected to reduce the effort for diagnostics and repair services in the future, which will lead to considerable cost savings.

The ServiceXpert team has been working for the Dutch commercial vehicle manufacturer DAF Trucks as an engineering service provider in After Sales for over 25 years. The project to develop the Diagnostic Assistant was successfully completed at the end of April 2020 due to the very close cooperation between all partners involved, DAF Trucks, the ServiceXpert project team and selected pilot users of the dealer organization.

ServiceXpert, an ESG-Group company, employs over 85 staff in Hamburg and Munich. ServiceXpert is a Europe-wide operating system and software house with a focused service portfolio for Lifecycle management of EE information for leading manufacturers of commercial vehicle and their supplier industry.