VSF Experts: Cutting-Edge Software Solutions for Equipment Manufacturers
New safety and environmental regulations for agricultural vehicles being sold into the European Union.
In view of the new Type-Approval Regulation (EU) 167/2013, Agricultural and Forestry equipment manufacturers will need to turn to sophisticated technological solutions to manage the new Type Approval request process.
Since 2017, a revised Type-Approval process has been in place for new models of Agricultural tractors and introduces more stringent regulations on safety and environmental performance to reach the standards already established within the automotive industry. As of January 2018, existing models of tractors being sold into EU member countries will also be subject to compliance with new requirements.
Combined with the especially high configurability of vehicles in the European tractor market, the focus on safety and environmental performance comes at additional costs as the new regulation includes stricter and more detailed standards. In some instances, the required documentation adds up to 1,500 pages per type-approval.
The impact of this legislation far extends re-doing forms, but significantly increases time to market and the entire logistics chain to the end-user. There is a risk for manufactures not following a systematical approach to sell non-compliant equipment with its documentation not matching the product configuration. Every error has extreme potential to extend time to market, man hours, and other valuable resources. With an average filing process up to 30 days, being able to catch violations prior to submitting the type approval application can dramatically reduce costs and lead times, not only for manufacturers, but also for importers and customers. Using state-of-the-art software solutions that eliminate errors, simplify the process and free-up valuable resources will become highly valued by all organizations. Modular, subscription based software solutions such as VCX (Vehicle Compliance Xpert) that are easily integrated into existing environments, allow enterprises, specifically small and medium based, to affordably invest in compliance and simultaneously increase their competitive edge. With a fiercely competitive global economy, why waste resources on paperwork and bureaucracy, when efforts could be focused on what really matters – a great machine, road ready.