Bradley Rhoton is the Marketing Manager for the Servigistics Business Unit at PTC. He leads and organizes the Servigistics client affinity group organizations and facilitates best practice sharing and knowledge transfer between PTC, PTC clients and industry thought leaders. For 13 years he has worked closely with Servigistics clients to help capture their service program accomplishments and share their success stories.
The automotive industry is undergoing a seismic transformation. The shift from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EV), surging customer expectations for seamless service, and the relentless pace of global competition are forcing OEMs to rethink every aspect of their aftersales strategy.
Amid this dramatic evolution, Nissan North America and Volkswagen Group of America have emerged as standout performers, proving that excellence in service supply chain management is not only possible—but essential.
Their recognition in Ducker Carlisle’s North American Parts Benchmark (NAPB) reflects strong KPIs, bold leadership, smart planning, and the strategic use of advanced technologies like Servigistics to stay ahead of the curve.
The advantage of benchmarking
In a rapidly evolving industry, benchmarking is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. The most successful OEMs are those that not only measure their performance but also understand how it compares to their peers, where the gaps are, and what best-in-class truly looks like. That’s where Ducker Carlisle delivers exceptional value.
For decades, Ducker Carlisle has been the gold standard in aftersales benchmarking. Through its North American Parts Benchmark (NAPB), the firm convenes the world’s leading motor vehicle manufacturers for in-depth data sharing, research, and collaboration. The NAPB is far more than a scorecard—it’s a catalyst for insight and improvement.
“The NAPB provides an unparalleled view into the operational performance of the world’s top OEMs,” said Eric Francucci, Partner at Ducker Carlisle. “Our analysts capture and align granular data across service supply chain functions, while our consultants help translate that data into actionable insights that drive meaningful change.”
The strength of Ducker Carlisle’s approach lies in its dual capability: an elite team of data scientists who bring rigor and consistency to KPI collection and alignment, and a seasoned bench of consultants who uncover trends, diagnose root causes, and help organizations act decisively. Their expertise enables OEMs to make fact-based decisions that sharpen competitive advantage, delight customers, and position the business for long-term success.
“Benchmarking through NAPB is about seeing where you rank and, as importantly, seeing where you can go,” added Gene Metheny, Senior Partner at Ducker Carlisle. “It’s a journey of continuous improvement, and we’re honored to support forward-thinking OEMs like Nissan and Volkswagen Group of America.”
Nissan North America: forward-thinking and exceptionally unified
Nissan’s service supply chain spans 16 distribution centers across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—and the company is executing a bold strategy to unify these networks for greater efficiency and agility. Leveraging Servigistics, Nissan has embraced sophisticated segmentation strategies, demand analysis, best-fit forecasting, and robust scenario simulations to meet the needs of over 1,700 dealerships across North America.
“Nissan is leveraging Servigistics in exciting, forward-thinking ways, from collision part center optimization to machine learning-powered forecasting,” said Steven Caldwell, Vice President of Servigistics Technical Solutions at PTC. “Their service parts team is collaborative, visionary, and deeply committed to innovation.”
Nissan’s inventive use of Servigistics’ scenario modeling tools allows the team to simulate changes and optimize inventory strategy with confidence. The company’s segmentation strategies ensure consistent service levels by region, part type, and lifecycle stage, resulting in remarkable performance across its network.
“Their ability to customize forecasting and inventory policies by velocity and geography is world-class,” added Eric Francucci, Partner at Ducker Carlisle. “They’re optimizing for today and engineering the supply chain of tomorrow.”
Volkswagen Group of America: data-driven, scalable, and globally influential
Volkswagen Group of America has taken service supply chain planning to the next level. Using Servigistics since 2011, the organization has realized inventory reductions and achieves an impressive forecast accuracy across 11 Distribution Centers in the U.S. and Canada. From network consolidation and slow-moving inventory pooling to EV battery storage optimization, Volkswagen’s team consistently applies strategic insight to complex challenges.
“Volkswagen is a textbook example of what happens when you combine smart people with the right technology,” said Steven Caldwell. “Their use of simulations for long-range forecasting and network impact modeling is some of the most advanced we’ve seen in the industry.”
The company’s experience in the U.S. is laying the foundation for a global Servigistics rollout, starting in Germany, and expanding to additional international markets.
“Volkswagen’s success demonstrates that a well-executed supply chain strategy powered by advanced analytics can scale globally,” said Gene Metheny. “They’re showing the world what’s possible.”
Servigistics: the common denominator for high performance
Both Nissan and Volkswagen Group of America have embraced Servigistics as a critical enabler of service supply chain optimization—leveraging its AI-driven forecasting, scenario modeling, segmentation, and advanced planning features to deliver measurable results.
“These organizations are more than customers—they’re true partners,” said Steven Caldwell. “Their engagement, feedback, and leadership help drive innovation across our entire community.”
With a shared focus on customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and future-ready innovation, Nissan and Volkswagen Group of America are redefining excellence in service parts management, and customers are noticing the improvements.
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