Service and support
Let’s face it. With all kinds of technology at our fingertips, we take a lot for granted. Day in and day out we use and benefit from many devices, but we usually don’t appreciate them until they malfunction or break. One device we use the most, for example, is the cell phone. Most people manage their day-to-day life on their phone, and if anything should go wrong, it’s an emergency. It is a nuisance to try and replace a phone battery, or to fix a cracked screen, but when these troubles do arise, there is urgency in getting it repaired.
The same mentality applies to commercial printers. Commercial printers are an important part of a production to help meet regulatory requirements, but due to scale and cost, are sometimes considered a lower priority. Manufacturers utilise coding technology to empower varying levels of traceability, not because it is a core function of their business. With other competing needs on the production floor, worrying about the printing and coding device at the end of the packaging line is not top of mind, but when it goes down, so does production, and there is urgency to finding the cause and getting production back on line quickly.
Similar to cell phones, the top performing brands of commercial printers typically have a baseline level of reliability and total cost of ownership, but they are able to differentiate themselves by service coverage. Reliable printers are good, but reliable printers with excellent service are even better.
The importance of knowing who will be providing service
When evaluating the pros and cons of any service organisation it’s important to consider the type of service model being provided. The depot model, which is a more traditional service method, requires a user to take the printer off their manufacturing line and to remove any potential hazardous consumables (e.g. ink or solvent) before shipping it to the service center for maintenance or repair. After the printer is serviced and shipped back to the customer, it must be reinstalled, realigned, and recalibrated on their manufacturing line. Adding a layer of complexity, to keep production running during this time, the manufacturer must also have a spare printer on hand or risk a bottleneck in manufacturing.
With growing functional capabilities, it is now logistically easier to send a service engineer to a plant than to have a printer removed from the factory. While this can be more convenient for repairs, based on the staffing model used, fast issue resolution the first time, with the right person to do the job, may not always be achievable. Consider whether your printer company has service engineers that are responsible for selling products and doing repairs? For companies that have engineers split their responsibilities between selling and servicing, it could be the case that engineers are more knowledgeable on selling rather than fixing due to pay incentives and structures. Other providers may outsource their service team, which has the potential to create competing priorities for the service engineer. Requiring a significant investment to maintain adequate service coverage, other providers may choose to have engineers dedicated solely to servicing their customers.
Beyond a service model, it is also important for a service engineer to be an advocate and consultant for the customer. A service engineer should have a wide range of experience, be knowledgeable about multiple types of coding technologies in multiple industries, and be able to provide expertise on what’s trending in the industry. This expertise and knowledge of your application can help with the identification of an ideal coding solution that addresses the challenges faced, both now and in the future as business changes.
When selecting a coding solution provider, it is important to understand the nuances between these service models as well as the support and expertise needed during your selection process, and after the sale. With that in mind, it is also helpful to ask questions such as, “What is your service coverage? How many service engineers are within a 25, 50, or 100-mile radius? Where are the parts I’m being serviced with coming from?”
Avoiding downtime; maintenance and the speed of repair
Buyers consider service-after-the-sale as part of their decision making process to help maximise the ROI of their selected coding solution. Properly maintained equipment can bring the benefits of less downtime, equipment longevity and sustained operator productivity. Moreover, with proper maintenance, there is greater predictability with required service expenditures, and less risk for unexpected downtime events and costly printer repairs.
Understanding there can be high costs associated with downtime, it is important to have a high first- time fix rate, getting your line up and running immediately if possible, and limiting the need for an onsite repair visit. And if a visit is required, it is ideal for the service engineer to come prepared with knowledge of what is wrong and the correct parts to complete the repair.
Remote connectivity services, such as VideojetConnect™ Remote Service, can equip users with performance reports that identify faults, errors and maintenance requirements. With remote access to printers on the line, Videojet service engineers, for example, can review this information to help users to address issues directly on their line. If a repair visit is required, Videojet service engineers are made aware of the issue prior to arriving and can come prepared with the parts required to address the problem. This empowers them to walk onto the production floor and immediately get to work. This robust functionality raises the bar on service and maintenance capabilities and allows service engineers to provide a more targeted and consultative approach that yields quicker turnarounds and less downtime.
When it comes to selecting a coding solution there are many things to consider, but it is clear that service after the sale is an important component. While a printer on the line may not be top of mind every day, when it goes down and production is stopped, making a quick correction is paramount. Identifying a coding partner that has the expertise, equipment, including remote service capabilities, and service model that best meets your needs can make a huge difference in driving uptime and minimising downtime.
Note: The author, Chinaecherem Omenyinma, is Vertical Marketing Manager at Videojet Technologies
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