Archived Copies of Warranty Week

December 2002 to Today

WCM Conference Schedule:  Attendees have some tough choices to make between six different parallel conference tracks. Several continue to repeat the dual themes of warranty fraud detection and the Internet of Things, while many showcase the latest innovations that new technology has to offer to warranty professionals.
March 7, 2019
WCM Opening Keynotes & Closing Panel: For the 15th time, warranty industry professionals are heading to the annual WCM Conference, convening this year in Orlando, Florida. Over the course of three days, industry thought leaders are scheduled to delve deep into topics such as warranty fraud and the Internet of Things.
February 28, 2019
WCM Pre-Conference Workshops:  Warranty professionals heading to Orlando for the 15th annual Warranty Chain Management Conference could arrive a day early to attend any of six different workshops on topics such as fraud detection, claims handling, customer satisfaction, and how to launch or expand a commercial or consumer service contract program.
February 21, 2019
B2B Service Contract Conference: Last year, a commercial service contract trade association was launched at the Nashville conference. This year, two half-day programs have been added to the main conference to delve into topics related to how commercial service contracts are priced, configured, and sold to businesses.
September 27, 2018
The Global Warranty Services Community Is Reflecting a Return to Growth -- and Profitability!: After conducting its fourth annual Warranty Chain Management Benchmark Survey, Strategies For Growth president and principal consulting analyst, Bill Pollock, has put together a results package consisting of an Analysts Take paper, a webcast and a WCM Conference workshop. The webcast will be hosted by PTC Warranty and Contract Management on May 24, 2018.
May 3, 2018
WCM Conference Preview, Part 2: Travel plans are being made for the 14th edition of this annual warranty and service contract industry conference, which opens in less than two weeks. The agenda this year is a mix of both returning favorites and new topics suggested by both presenters and attendees at past conferences.
February 22, 2018
WCM Conference Preview, Part 1: The workshops are filling up, and travel plans are being made for the 14th edition of this annual warranty and service contract industry conference. The agenda this year is a mix of both returning favorites and new topics suggested by both presenters and attendees at past conferences.
February 15, 2018
Extended Warranty Conference, Part 2: In the service contract business, the breadth of protection plans and coverages is growing, and the pace of technological innovation is quickening, while the lawmakers and regulators struggle to keep up with all the changes.
September 7, 2017
Extended Warranty Conference, Part 1: Several hundred professionals from the extended warranty and service contract industry are headed to Nashville to talk about how changes in technology and regulations will impact their businesses in the years ahead.
August 31, 2017
WCM Workshop Schedule: Six half-day classes on topics of interest to warranty professionals and service contract practitioners are scheduled for Tucson in early March, during the day before the beginning of the main conference.
February 16, 2017
Extended Warranty Conference Overview: Nashville is once again the destination for the extended warranty industry's annual gathering. But this year, the day-and-a-half conference is supplemented by two additional half-days focused on the sales and marketing of service contracts.
September 22, 2016
GWSCA Conference Overview: With a theme centered around the role of warranty and service contracts in customer engagement, this year's annual meeting and conference runs from Wednesday afternoon to Friday at lunchtime.
September 15, 2016
Extended Warranty Conferences: Both the show in Chicago and the one in Nashville last month were generally regarded as advancements over their 2014 editions, with better presenters, more people, and much improved venues. But they're still not in the same league as the conference held in March, according to people who have been to all three shows.
October 15, 2015
Warranty Training Seminars: Instead of multi-day training packages for warranty and service contract industry professionals, the GWSCA has scaled back its educational efforts to hour-long webinars and training seminars tacked onto the agenda for its annual conference next week.
September 10, 2015
WCM Conference Keynotes: The technology is changing. The need for repairs is changing. Even the concept of ownership is changing. And the way people shop is changing. Two industry experts describe how they see these changes impacting warranty and service contracts.
February 26, 2015
Extended Warranty Conferences: As the old saying goes, two's company, but three's a crowd. With the Warranty Chain Management Conference a fixture in the spring, two conferences are competing to become the industry's preferred event in the early fall. This year, they were three weeks apart, but next year, there's only three days between them.
October 16, 2014
Service Contract Regulation Seminar: In addition to the customary annual update on service contract laws, regulatory actions and civil cases, attendees at the WCM Conference this year will get a detailed look at the CFPB and a snapshot of how service contract regulations work in Canada.
February 27, 2014
Manufacturer's Warranty Conference: More than anything, the WCM Conference is a place for manufacturers to meet and talk about problems and projects -- to see what everyone else is up to. Beginners learn from experts, and the experts learn from each other.
February 20, 2014
Vehicle Service Contract Conference: This year, it will be possible for an attendee at the WCM Conference to hone in on some high-level discussions about issues affecting the vehicle service contract industry. They used to do that in the fall at a show in Vegas, but that event has gone in a different direction.
February 13, 2014
Warranty Innovations Conference: Next week, the fourth annual edition of the Extended Warranty & Service Contract Innovations conference moves out of Chicago, site of the first three events, and into Nashville. Here are some of the expected highlights.
September 12, 2013
Extended Warranty Conference: The WCM Conference provides both basic and advanced presentations about both manufacturer's warranty and extended warranty issues. So how can one person see it all? This week, we look at the sessions most appealing to extended warranty professionals.
March 7, 2013
Warranty Conference: Opening in two weeks, the WCM Conference provides both basic and advanced presentations about both manufacturer's warranty and extended warranty issues. So how can one person see it all? This week, we look at the sessions most appealing to manufacturer's warranty professionals.
February 28, 2013
Warranty Workshops: Three of the four pre-conference workshops at this year's WCM Conference are built around analytics, but none require much math. Instead, they lay out the business case for analytics, and the benefits the software and services can provide. Another workshop promises to show diversified manufacturers how to gain a global view of their warranty operations.
February 21, 2013
Warranty Keynotes: The typical warranty manager is going to transform from a data processor into a data communicator, according to the predictions of the keynote speakers at next month's WCM Conference. They're going to become the eyes and ears of the corporation, advising other departments how their products are being used and what's causing them to break.
February 14, 2013
Extended Warranty Survey: At long last, warranty researchers are publishing the results of surveys and vendor assessments, as the industry matures and the appetite for analysis and expertise grows. One study was released and another was previewed at this week's WCM Conference.
March 8, 2012
Warranty Success Stories: Major manufacturers will share their insights and experiences at the WCM Conference next week, detailing the highlights of their warranty journeys and business process improvement efforts. What follows are some previews from the presenters.
March 1, 2012
Warranty Experts: Attendees of this year's WCM Conference will have a rare chance to not only learn from the experts, but to engage them in lengthy question and answer sessions about the past, present and future of the warranty industry. And those who haven't learned how to be in two places at once can watch it all later on video.
February 23, 2012
Warranty Workshops: Before the upcoming WCM Conference begins, warranty professionals have an opportunity to learn from the experts about topics such as text mining, fraud detection, risk management, supplier relationships, and reliability engineering.
February 16, 2012
Warranty Maturity Model: Now that three companies have put themselves through the self-assessment and compared notes, it's time to widen the offer to additional manufacturing companies. Next month, the three companies will present case studies at the WCM Conference in Orlando.
February 9, 2012
WCM Conference, Part Three: The future of the consumer electronics industry was the subject of a panel discussion that brought together retailers, manufacturers, repair service providers, insurance underwriters and extended service contract administrators to talk about everything from OnStar to iPhone.
March 24, 2011
WCM Conference, Part Two: Even just the highlights expected over the course of the three days would take a month to detail. So here are just some of the themes and topics selected by the warranty experts headed to San Diego next week.
March 10, 2011
WCM Conference, Part One: With less than two weeks until the annual WCM Conference opens in San Diego, we take a look at some of the major themes expected. And almost every speaker has the same advice: don't try to do it alone without help from some of the warranty industry's experts.
March 3, 2011
Vehicle Shopper Survey: Buyers in 2010 will take more time, do more research, and ask more questions. But these "tire kickers" may also be the best prospects for sales of add-ons such as extended warranties and other vehicle protection services, according to a survey being released this week at the WCM Conference.
March 1, 2010
Warranty Master Class: The day before the sixth annual Warranty Chain Management Conference opens next month in Los Angeles, several warranty experts will deliver three-hour workshops aimed at those who already have some familiarity with warranty analytics.
February 18, 2010
Warranty Conference: Economic turmoil is likely to take its toll on WCM 2009 attendance, but those who can make it to Orlando next week will see a series of how-to presentations by some of the biggest warranty providers in the world. Legal and regulatory issues are also on the agenda, and yes, there will be a quiz at the end.
March 5, 2009
Warranty Improvements: Clever companies are now looking beyond warranty, wondering what else they can do with their data to improve quality and service and further reduce costs. At the WCM Conference in a few weeks, several will report on the status of these efforts.
February 27, 2009
Warranty Optimization Workshops: Warranty data analysis can help you understand where you've been and where you're going. But can it also help you choose the right way to get there? At pre-conference workshops next month, two leading warranty optimization companies plan to show how both product warranty and service contract programs can benefit from the careful use of analytics.
February 12, 2009
Warranty Workshops: What's the probability that two Russian physicists with degrees from the same university would deliver back-to-back workshops on new statistical approaches to warranty data? On March 10, that's exactly what's on the agenda for the WCM Conference's opening day.
February 5, 2009
Ford's Warranty Costs: Figures presented at the Warranty Chain Management Conference last week showed a massive drop in the automaker's warranty expenses. But that had much to do with the accounting for the soon-to-be-sold Jaguar and Land Rover divisions. Still, even after adjusting year-ago figures to account for that impending sale, Ford's warranty costs are down significantly.
March 12, 2008
WCM Preview: Attendees at the Warranty Chain Management Conference will have their choice of two panel discussions and survey overviews on Thursday morning. Via different routes, both come to much the same conclusion: more work needs to be done on document communication and collaboration efforts.
March 4, 2008
Warranty Analytics: The Warranty Chain Management Conference in San Diego next week will feature both a workshop on loss cost analytics aimed at extended warranty providers and a warranty analytics software enhancement aimed at engineers and quality managers.
February 28, 2008
WCM Workshops, Part Two: The day before the opening of the Warranty Chain Management Conference next month, attendees have a chance to hear experts talk about how to reduce warranty-related litigation and how to cut down on the amount of warranty fraud.
February 21, 2008
WCM Workshops, Part One: The day before the opening of the Warranty Chain Management Conference next month, attendees have a chance to hear two experts talk about the pitfalls of relying upon seemingly simple statistical measures of warranty cost.
February 14, 2008
WCM Keynote Address: For the first time, a top automotive executive delivers the keynote address at the WCM Conference next month in San Diego. His message to attendees will stress the need for common standards to improve warranty workflow among partners, suppliers, competitors, and dealers.
February 7, 2008
Warranty & the Law: Some laws that affect warranties go back decades. Others are just a few months old. At the recent WCM Conference, three lawyers provided some perspective on how they see these laws affecting both manufacturers and extended warranty providers who find themselves in court defending against a breach of warranty lawsuit.
March 27, 2007
The Chief Warranty Officer: Having detected something of a plateau in warranty activity, one speaker at the WCM Conference calls for the creation of a job position that cuts across the many departments with interests in warranty.

Yet some top executives still see warranty as nothing but a cost that needs to be reduced, and pay little attention to its potential to increase customer loyalty or build a brand's image of quality. Perhaps that's why a warranty champion is needed?
March 20, 2007
Warranty Conference Exhibitors: In between all the keynote speeches and panel discussions in Tampa this week, WCM attendees will have an opportunity to take a look at the offerings of a diverse cross section of warranty software and service providers.
March 13, 2007
Warranty Conference, Day One: Whether by design or by coincidence, this year's Warranty Chain Management Conference seems to have two major themes: the globalization of warranty management and the legal aspects of warranty and extended warranty. At times, attendees will have to choose between two or even three equally good choices when deciding which track to follow.
February 28, 2007
Warranty Conference Keynotes: Globalization is already a major trend in warranty service provision, according to WCM Conference keynote speakers from Solectron and Lenovo. Next month, they'll tell the Conference that what's happened to them is what may happen to everyone else soon, as mobile phones and laptops amplify global demand for warranty service -- turning next week into next-day.
February 14, 2007
Warranty Legal Solutions: So often warranty cost reduction efforts are focused on either the product or the process. But what about the warranty itself? At the WCM Conference, an attorney explained how the right choice of words can limit liability and reduce warranty cost.
March 21, 2006
Warranty Chain Management: After another successful conference, the warranty community has asked for an industry association in addition to the groups already operating. Warranty community builders said positive things. But now the hard work is just beginning.
March 7, 2006
Mark Your Calendars: Both pre- and post-show events now surround the WCM conference in early March, plus there are now additional warranty events to consider attending in February and June.
January 18, 2006
Warranty Management Conference: If the WCM show in March drew heavily from Silicon Valley, last week's warranty show in Chicago attracted a mainly Midwestern crowd of manufacturers, who came to hear about the best practices of their peers. What they heard instead was lots about service and quality and other topics at the periphery of warranty.
September 27, 2005
Warranty Conference,
Part Eight: Behind the numbers used in warranty metrics, there's a lot that's left up to the discretion of each company. This makes comparisons somewhat unreliable without a standard set of definitions detailing what is and what isn't a warranty expense.
April 26, 2005
Warranty Conference,
Part Seven: Warranty fraud is a big problem for both manufacturers and warranty administrators. What's surprising is how deliberate and organized their schemes have become.
April 19, 2005
Warranty Conference,
Part Six: Warranty fraud is a big problem for vehicle service contract administrators. But surprisingly, the biggest culprits are usually the mechanics and repair shops, not the consumers.
April 12, 2005
Warranty Conference,
Part Five: With extended warranties, a lack of regulations invites inconsistency. But too much regulation could drive up costs. The SCIC's attorney helps states find a middle ground.
April 5, 2005
Warranty Conference,
Part Four: Your best customers buy extended warranties. And the proper administration of extended warranties can boost customer loyalty. Two top executives explain how it's done.
March 29, 2005
Warranty Conference,
Part Three: Extended warranties may look like easy money to some, but beneath the surface there are lots of moving parts. Here's one expert's how-to guide:
March 22, 2005
Warranty Conference,
Part Two: Members of the AIAG detailed their effort to create an early warning system that uses new warranty data communications standards to improve product quality.
March 15, 2005
Warranty Conference,
Part One: During the kickoff keynotes by HP and IBM at last week's Warranty Chain Management conference, the need to involve people in warranty transformation projects outranked all technical and financial challenges.
March 8, 2005
Warranty Industry Associations: Readers respond to a brief survey, expressing a clear preference for an independent cross-industry warranty group and a multi-day warranty industry conference focused on quality, best practices, measuring return on investment, and benchmarking efforts.
May 4, 2004