5/30/96
Proposal for an Enhanced Service
Department
CEMS Division of Enertec, Inc.
Introduction
The tremendous growth of the CEMS business at Enertec has historically limited
the allocation of resources to service. Ownership of installed CEMS has been sporactically
handed off from the Project Engineer, usually only in the case of the engineer leaving
the company. Wave after wave of regulatory deadline and software versions have only
added to the confusion making the service of our systems a stressful job and one
prone to burn out.
The growth spurt in CEMS for Enertec has abated and will allow the astute
manager to seize this opportunity to bring order out of chaos. There is also the
tremendous potential for after sales growth of service contracts, if the customer
is presented with the right motivation. In fact, for the Service Department to grow
there needs to be a determined sales effort to bring all of our installed base into
an agreement with Enertec for our continued combined (Enertec & customer) success
in meeting regulatory statutes. The current reactionary response to servicing our
customers cannot continue if we intend to expand our obligations in service contract
form.
Tools To Do The Job
The primary tool for servicing our customers remotely is a HELP DESK. This
must be a data base that includes: customer information, version information, problem
information. The service representative must have access to all of this information
at the same time that she/he remotely accesses the customers DAS. This tool
does not exist at the present time and must be developed quickly, before much of
the customization information is lost. There are many software packages available
for this function or Lotus Notes data bases can be developed to perform this crucial
function.
Another fundamental tool for service department success is a mechanism to
relieve the stressful burden of interruptive problem solving. The service representatives
must have scheduled periods of uninterrupted work and relief from always being the
point man. The dynamic workload must have an overload mechanism to bring “firemen”
to the scene, if necessary, and a cutoff mechanism to prevent re-learning or undue
effort by inexperienced personnel. A note about personnel: service representation
is a stepping stone at Enertec into Software or Projects. As such, service sees
the newest engineers with the least experiance and has a high turnover. This means
that the management of personnel should be tighter than is customary at Enertec.
The key tool to the success of the Service Department is the development
of a team effort in handling the workload of the department. The Service Manager
must assess each service representative for their strengths and weaknesses and train
them for “specialties” within the realm of CEMS: Reports, Episodes, Cemspeak, etc.
At the same time, each representative must be able to assess situations from telephone
inquiries so that they may take point (initial contact) on any given day and start
the problem solving process. The workload is approached with rotating responsibilities
for individuals. The agreed upon schedule of responsibilities becomes the
backbone of the team effort. Depending on the urgency, escalation to specialties
and/or more experience occurs at set times, guaranteeing uninterrupted work time
for individuals not on call. There is still a flexibility within the group towards
individual effort but only at that individuals own initiative. This will distinguish
where raises and promotions come from for all to see.
On Site Service
Currently there is a separation of in house service personnel and on site
service personnel. On site service personnel must deal with mechanical devices (analyzers,
sample conditioners, probes, etc.) as well as the computer/plc side of our CEMS.
They also install new CEMS and train operators. A study should be conducted
to determine the feasibility of rolling both groups together and whether there is
good economic sense in supporting all of the hardware installed.
Service Contracts
Our long term success as a CEMS vendor rests on the keel we lay for servicing
our systems after they are installed. There was little, if any, keel laid for the
40CFR60 systems and only some of the 40CFR75 customers have realized the importance
of maintaining a long term contract with Enertec. The first order of business for
the Service Manager must be to motivate a high percentage of the installed base
to support Enertec’s development and maintenance of a “full” Service Department.
Each and every customer must be contacted and prospected for the type of
service they can sustain. Even if we haven’t heard from them since the installation,
even if they do everything themselves, they must participate in our programs. Our
“Users Group” will become a voice in the regulatory wind and our job, as the combiner
of diverse interests, is to make that voice common and loud. For this reason, Enertec
should participate in Air Quality groups and attend any important meeting concerning
our customer’s interests. This is a strong selling point to the customer who has
neither the time nor inclination to fight for his or her rights.
A variety of service contract packages can be developed so that there is
something for everyone. Preventive maintenance should be stressed over breakdown
maintenance. New features can be developed to encourage software/ hardware updates.
For instance, a program to minimize expendable costs (filters, calibration gas,
in house service) could be incorporated into an annual “check up”. Some customers
may want quarterly reports prepared by Enertec. Each customers “hot spot”
must be determined and satisfied. From the smallest to the largest, each customer
will benefit from our service and perceive that the value added is at least in proportion
to, if not exceeded by, the annual fee we charge.
Conclusion
The short proposal given is only a beginning, a jumping off point, for enhancing
the Service Department.
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