Materials handling system vendors and system integrators are finding that asset management services are becoming key to customer satisfaction, and therefore continued business.
According to a new Aberdeen Group report, ¡°Integrating Spare Parts Planning with Logistics,¡± 60% of the leading companies surveyed are integrating their service workflow, from parts forecasting and planning through logistics and distribution.
¡°Seventy five percent of best-in-class respondents stated that they are combining parts planning and logistics into a common workflow under the oversight of a single executive,¡± the report¡¯s author, Jack McAvoy, writes. ¡°This strategy allows organizations to better manage the equilibrium between parts inventory (supply) and service delivery (demand).¡±
An example of this integrated approach to service can be found in HK Systems¡¯ recent announcement of a new division: HK Facility Services. These services include:
¡¤ 24 x 7 x 365 ¡°live¡± Support Center
¡¤ Operations, maintenance and repair
¡¤ Outsourcing
¡¤ Facility audits
¡¤ Project management
¡¤ CMMS solutions
¡¤ Condition monitoring
Todd Sermersheim, vice president of customer service for HK, says facilities management was a natural evolution for the company and was actually being requested by several large clients.
¡°We already have technicians in these facilities, so now we¡¯re saying why don¡¯t you also let us take care of your HVAC, your building, the lights, the dock doors and levelers?,¡± he says. ¡°We¡¯re managing the spare parts for the whole facility, not just for HK¡¯s equipment. We¡¯re also doing predictive maintenance¡ªor condition based monitoring.
We¡¯re using thermal imaging, vibration analysis and oil analysis. We¡¯re able to identify things that are wearing out and change those ahead of time instead of waiting for a failure.¡±
In an economic environment where investments in new systems are becoming less common than investments made to extend the life of existing ones, the Aberdeen report suggests that best-in-class materials handling and logistics services providers will evolve with that demand to integrate facilities support with logistics management capabilities.
