Parts Availability Key to Faster Equipment Repairs
Having quick access to required repair parts is key for service agents looking to effectively assist operators with parts management, writes Derek Knapp, vice president of foodservice sales for 3Wire Northern in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
By Derek Knapp, Guest Author -- Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, 7/1/2007
Parts management has become a major component of the equipment repair process. It has evolved from being a back-office, secondary segment of the supply chain to a complex aspect of the business. The ever-growing and demanding foodservice operators and the increasing variety and complexity of the equipment are driving these changes.
The keys to faster foodservice equipment repairs are 1.) being able to identify the equipment problem quickly and 2.) having ready access to the necessary parts. Technicians need to be trained for the equipment they work on, training often supplied by the manufacturer or our trade organization, the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (CFESA).
Having access to required repair parts is where an effective distributor becomes your working partner. Any major parts distributor should offer online inventory and food equipment service manuals as well as technical phone assistance.
Several current industry practices inherently inhibit the ability to complete repairs profitably. A service van is usually stocked with $20,000-$30,000 of the most used replacement parts. Technicians may drive to local providers for parts they don't normally carry or forgot to replace. Often that local vendor will need to order those parts, since few keep the breadth of inventory a major parts distributor has available.
“Having access to required repair parts is where an effective distributor becomes your working partner.” |
A more efficient way to reduce both van and parts inventories is to give technicians the tools to contact your parts distributor instantly. A best-in-class parts distributor has a staff with the technology and training to give technicians and purchasing agents immediate answers regarding parts availability, part number verification and shipping information. Your distributor also needs to provide the tools to place, confirm and track orders instantly from the field or from the office. Offering same-day shipping is critical to this process.
An effective parts distributor must adapt to your needs and help you manage and track the whole parts supply process. This empowers you to make better parts management decisions. You should be able to:
• Make one phone call to a knowledgeable foodservice equipment expert and get answers quickly. They should be able to confirm information with manufacturers for you.
• Log onto an e-commerce site giving you 24/7 access to thousands of replacement parts from hundreds of OEMs. The site should give you visibility to orders, accounts and paperwork in real time from any computer or laptop and it should allow you to store and manage parts inventories.
• Receive parts and shipping information via new technologies, like a ".mobi" site, which uses the mobile web browser on your PDA or cellular phone.
• Accommodate any of your shipping requirements and expedited shipping needs, even making split shipments of your parts order or shipping direct to repair locations.
• Rely on your distributor to facilitate faster delivery options from multiple warehouses.
Having these capabilities reduces van and warehouse inventories, cuts capital outlay, storage, obsolescence and carrying costs, while improving the speed and accuracy with which equipment is repaired. Your distributor can be a tremendous asset in helping improve first-time fix rates and keeping your technicians working efficiently in the field.
