The plus for your bus or coach

A new era in bus and coach services in Europe began on 23 March 1996: that Saturday, the newly founded OMNIplus brand invited bus companies to an open-doors event at all its German service points. Exactly one year after the fusion of Setra and Mercedes-Benz Omnibusse to form EvoBus, part of the overarching Daimler family, the launch of OMNIplus marked the beginning of an unparalleled servicing campaign. Its innovative force retains full vigour even 25 years later. The core idea, now as before, is as follows: to offer bus and coach-specific services from a single provider for two brands, Mercedes-Benz and Setra.

Cross-brand servicing
OMNIplus was launched on four key pillars: the Service Centers, the Service Network, the innovative Service Card and unique “Service Check” maintenance packages. OMNIplus also offered extensive additional provision from the very start, such as the much-loved, much-used Driver Training. Two years after its foundation, OMNIplus was already able to celebrate its 7500th Service Card and was once again setting benchmarks with the newly introduced Service Contracts for bus-specific services. But OMNIplus never rests on its laurels: ten years after its foundation, 40 proprietary Service Centers and over 500 Service Partners across Europe were in place to look after customers’ buses and coaches. In 2008, the new SpareParts LogisticsCenter was opened after a build time of only 17 months, offering global parts supply. In parallel, OMNIplus further professionalised its pre-owned Mercedes-Benz and Setra bus dealership department – this was subsequently hived off as its own business under its own brand, BusStore.

A close-knit Service Network ensures mobility
Today, OMNIplus guarantees 360-degree support for Setra and Mercedes-Benz. If a bus or coach has a problem on the road, 24h SERVICE is there at all hours, seven days a week. Over 600 Service Points are ready for action at locations across Europe, from the Arctic circle to Sicily and from Ireland to Perm, just on the edge of the Ural mountains: this is the close-knit OMNIplus Service Network. The Service Points were provided with a logical classification system in 2004 to clearly indicate the range on offer in each location, being named either a BusWorld/BusWorld Home, BusPort or BusPoint. All accept the OMNIplus Service Card, which with its mobility packages can be considered the entry ticket to the OMNIplus world.

Replacement parts on the spot from the 3D printer
Whether it’s maintenance and repair, original parts and original spares, Service Contracts, the Service Card, training for drivers and workshop staff – the bus-specific services from OMNIplus are exemplary and unique in the sector. For example, the huge, ultra-modern SpareParts LogisticsCenter in Neu-Ulm keeps 130,000 parts ready for despatch. On top of this, replacement parts are increasingly being made in 3D printers, even at our service partners’ own sites. 3D printers also make individual decorations for the interior possible.

Individually designed solutions and Service Contracts
Bus companies are able to insure their vehicles individually using Service Contracts. OMNIplus has developed special eService Contracts for the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, including a multi-stage training system for workshops. And if a fleet operator wishes to concentrate on the core business, the BusDepotManagement contract puts OMNIplus, and OMNIplus employees, in charge of servicing at the customer’s workshop. Special services such as BestAge Repair for older vehicles complete the range.

Continuously expanding digital services
Digitalisation is not unexplored territory for OMNIplus. Its online range has been available since 2004. OMNIplus is also doing pioneering work in its online shop, where companies with their own workshop can order parts with the greatest of ease. The outstanding innovation of recent years is OMNIplus ON, introduced in 2017. This bundles together all the existing digital services from OMNIplus and is constantly adding new ones, helping to make operating a bus company easier and more efficient. OMNIplus ON rests on four connected pillars. OMNIplus ON advance ensures bus companies achieve maximum fleet availability. OMNIplus ON monitor encompasses fleet management telematics services. OMNIplus ON drive supports the driver, starting with the required daily departure checks. OMNIplus ON commerce allows the rapid, targeted purchasing of parts or digital services in the OMNIplus ON eShop, round the clock.

OMNIplus Uptime warns of faults
OMNIplus Uptime, a service with fascinating possibilities, deserves a closer look: in real time, it checks and updates the status of vehicle systems. If there is a suggestion of an incipient malfunction, the diagnostics information is analysed and interpreted. If the need for repairs or maintenance is identified, the bus operator receives information on the cause and how to alleviate it. If the threat is acute, the bus company will be put in touch with OMNIplus 24h SERVICE within minutes. When needed, OMNIplus will look for the right workshop and organise repairs. In this way, unplanned stoppages can be prevented and unavoidable workshop visits reduced to a minimum.

COVID-19 retrofitting in focus
OMNIplus has also acted swiftly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: for numerous Setra and Mercedes-Benz bus and coach models, OMNIplus has developed driver protection doors and separating screens to protect drivers against infection. With the installation of high-performance particle filters, companies can reduce the risk of infection in the coach ever further. This is an important step towards making public and private bus concerns crisis-proof and ensuring economically viable operation in the future.

“OMNIplus – Your performance plus”
25 years from the foundation of OMNIplus, our uniquely broad spectrum of classic and digital services is broken down into five categories: solutions, mobility, expertise, support and OMNIplus ON. Bus companies can rely on the new OMNIplus brand promise: “OMNIplus. Your performance plus.”.

“25 years of OMNIplus: a unique success story in the bus sector. The OMNIplus story continues: we have plenty more ideas for innovative services – to keep the buses rolling and ensure ever-greater efficiency for our customers.”
Bernd Mack, Head of Customer Service & Parts