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Posted: Wed, August 11, 2004
Profile: Gendan Limited In the past few years, cars and computers have become truly compatible. Yet until recently, expensive dealer-only tools were needed to extract and clear fault information. The introduction of a European Directive on vehicle emissions in 2000 changed all that. Standardising the way in which engine fault information is stored in a car, it created new opportunities for hobbyists and mechanics to access vital information about a car's performance. Enter Swansea-based Gendan Limited. For the past 3 years, Gendan has been developing and supplying innovative fault-diagnosis tools to car owners and small garages. Using Gendan's products, car owners can now use simple handheld tools, or even their own PCs, to connect to their cars and download codes. Matt Pearce talks to Dean Norman about how it all works. What unique products and services does Gendan provide? We offer an ever-growing range of tools and resources to help car owners and small garages diagnose faults on modern cars. These can extend from simple handheld devices for reading fault codes to advanced packages for charting live engine information on a PC. In addition to supplying the tools themselves, we have also developed a number of Internet-based information resources and software packages to support our products. These range from information on the technology itself, through to fault code definition look-up via a mobile phone. In developing and selling products we have always strived to ensure that we understand our products. We commit a great deal of time and money to researching and testing products to ensure that we fully understand the capabilities and limitations - that way, we can honestly answer a customer's questions when they call. 
Diagnostic softwareWhat are the benefits of being able to use your laptop or palm pc to connect to your car? Computerisation within cars has increased hugely in recent years, to the extent that modern cars are almost entirely monitored and controlled by onboard computers. An inevitable consequence of this is that car owners and small garages are less able to diagnose faults when they occur. A dashboard warning light often means another trip to the dealer, and another fee. The dealer-only diagnostic systems are expensive, and the cost can rarely be justified by anyone not servicing cars on a full-time basis. Recent emissions laws implemented across Europe have simplified this by standardising the way in which cars store and report faults. Using a normal PC with one of our diagnostic interface packages, car owners can now learn much more about their cars. By understanding what is wrong with the car on their own driveway, owners can tackle maintenance jobs at home. Or, if they prefer to have the work done at a garage, they are armed with information on the fault and are not walking in 'blind'. The Internet also has a wealth of information on fixing car faults - you can almost guarantee that you won't be the first person to come across the fault on your particular car! You offer online resources such as a code definition database and an information site. Is it important to you to back up products with online services? We have always believed it very important to offer customers detailed information on the technology and products, and to provide additional resources to complement our product range. All too often it is easy to buy a product and not understand how it works, or what the output from it means. We've tried to ensure that our site is as informative as possible, both to people looking to buy the products, and to current owners. We hope that by offering free services and information, online visitors will feel more confident about buying the products from us, and can see that their purchase is backed-up with additional resources should they need them. 
Scantool package You also launched the UK's first WAP trouble code definition lookup. What are the advantages of this service? When a fault codes is read from a car, it is often simply just that: a code. The definitions can often be quite tricky to get hold of, but we have so far gathered over 11,000 together and made them available online. After launching our online fault code definition database, we recognised that a number of our customers were actually on the road when reading fault information from a car. Carrying service-manuals for every make of car, or having access to a PC, is not always an option. We believe we currently have the largest resource of European On-Board Diagnostic (EOBD) fault code definitions online in the UK. By expanding this and introducing the WAP mobile phone service, we're allowing our customers on the move to have this information wherever they are. What's the history of Gendan Limited? The company was established as a family business in 2000, selling a small range of car diagnostic tools. Since then, the company has consistently grown its range of tools to include handheld tools, PC-based packages, PDA-based packages and software. Research into the technology and the development of the online tools began when the company was founded. This is still an ongoing project that we believe is a key part of our business. Our management team has come from quite a range of different backgrounds, including teaching, engineering, accountancy and investment banking. These varied skills have been a great help in consistently bringing fresh ideas to the table. In addition to the car diagnostic tools, the company has also developed a successful online car accessories outlet. This arm of the business (Gendan Direct - http://www.gendandirect.co.uk/) started out with a few specialised accessories, but now boasts several hundred products in its range, including high-tech, performance and styling accessories. Gendan Direct also provides the online sales platform for the company's diagnostic tools. 
Code-reading tool What one piece of technology has benefited you most? The Internet has undoubtedly been the most important piece of technology used by the company from day one. As we are almost entirely web-based, the Internet has become a key component of almost all of our business processes, from marketing right through to after-sales support. We maximise our use of Internet technologies, where possible, which allows us to save a great deal of time and keep costs to a minimum. In turn, this helps us keep our prices as low as possible. What's been the key to your success? There are so many hurdles in setting-up and growing any new business that I think perseverance is definitely one of the key qualities you must have in your team. We have also tried to build up a strong customer loyalty, by focussing on our customers. We always process and ship orders as quickly as we can, and we make sure we take the time to respond to customer queries promptly, or spend time talking to customers on the phone. Where do you see your company going in the future? We currently have a number of projects in the pipeline, including new products and new online services. As the technology continues to develop within cars, we will continue to focus on providing low-cost car diagnostic products and related services for car owners. Car manufacturers are constantly developing more advanced features for cars, so the diagnostic systems will need to keep evolving along with them. For more information on Gendan's range of diagnostic tools and resources, visit: Gendan Limited Corporate: Corporate website, Radar Detectors http://www.gendan.co.uk Gendan Direct: Direct Sales Division http://www.gendandirect.co.uk Gendan Automotive Products: Professional Car Diagnostic Tools http://www.gendan.co.uk/auto Gendan Car Diagnostics: Information site on Car Diagnostics http://www.gendan.co.uk/diagnostic |
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