Todays Technician

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Today's Technician

Sep 17, 2014
Blog, Associated University, Thought Leader, Supply Chain

Choosing the right service provider is critical to lowering your operating costs.

Here is a common scene that frequently plays itself out in warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing plants all over the country, every day.  Everything is running smoothly when an operator comes to you with a down piece of equipment.  Productivity not only ceases for the operator, but for any other tasks associated with that piece of equipment as well.  Dollars are being lost for every minute that productivity is being delayed.  A service call is placed and a technician quickly arrives.  After speaking with the operator about what happened, he quickly locates the faulty component, replaces it and has the equipment up and running in no time at all. 

Advancements in technology combined with the need to effectively respond and adapt to the changing demands of your customers makes choosing the right service partner a more critical link than ever before. 

Below are some important things to consider when choosing a service provider:

  • Does your service partner understand your business and how it operates?  Their expertise in the material handling industry should help you operate your equipment more efficiently, safer and at a lower cost.
  •  Are their service technicians factory trained? Even better, are they OEM certified?  It is important that the technician is professionally trained, with the know-how to repair your material handling equipment quickly and completely.
  •  Are they using cutting-edge technology designed specifically for what they are working on?  The old adage of “when my only tool is hammer everything looks like a nail” days are gone. 
  • Do their technicians use either (or both) mobile tablets and laptops?  Access to this technology reduces the time it requires technicians to service your equipment.  This is because manuals and troubleshooting support platforms are now online to ensure they have all the necessary tools at their fingertips to repair your equipment right the first time. 
  • Does your service partner have a support infrastructure?   Supporting the service needs of customers reaches far beyond the ability of the technician.  It is important that your service organization stands behind every technician and consists of many dedicated individuals, such as expert technical trainers and quality assurance support, which hold the same values to ensure your equipment is running smoothly. 

Best-In-Class companies understand that investing in a partnership with a quality service organization could be the difference between satisfying their customer’s demands or not.  Overall, make sure to do your research and partner with a company that understands your business and allows you to focus on what matters most.  This will ultimately ensure you operate at the highest level of efficiency possible.

Service