Interview: Services & Solutions
Olaf Remmers leads Global
Customer Service within
the Paint and Final Assembly
Systems Division.
Olaf Remmers leads Global Customer Service within the Paint and Final Assembly Systems Division at Dürr. We asked him about the present status of service business.
1. Mr Remmers, Service as a growth industry – isn’t this a trend that’s already peaked?
No, in fact quite the opposite, I think. Much depends of course on favorable economic conditions but in my opinion proactively offering customers services that are relevant for them still holds plenty of potential. As our services are offered not only for our own but also for competitors’ plants, we have an extensive playing field.
2. Dürr restructured its service business a while ago. What is the position today?
Today, we have a main customer service contact - a “National Service Manager“ (NSM) - for each business unit in virtually all of the countries where Dürr operates. The NSM organizes service arrangements in his or her country, offers the full range of products and services to customers and bears overall responsibility for proper completion of orders received there. The close contact with the customer that this involves is of mutual benefit – the more we are aware of customers’ concerns and needs, the better and more concrete the advice we can give and the offers we can make. For example, if a customer is particularly interested in energy efficiency, we can compile a program of measures that will significantly reduce energy costs for his paint or final assembly shop. If the local service team then receives an order to carry out the modifications and changes necessary, this leads to a win-win situation.
3. Do you offer a variety of service packages or modules?
Our customers generally are looking for very different forms of service and in response we offer an individual approach. If requested we will, for example, set up a Service Antenna close to the customer’s factory or on his premises; at the moment forty five of these are in operation. It’s an approach that can be very helpful to customers who are newcomers to a country, as is often the case in many Eastern European states. The major advantage is that there is a contact stationed at or near the factory and, if there is a problem or a matter that needs discussion, that contact can be on the spot in a matter of minutes. In this way the whole of Dürr’s know-how and expertise – and that includes support from the local our company or from our System Centers in Germany or the US - is directly available to the customer.
4. And what happens if there is no customer Service Antenna?
Production facilities where there is no Service Antenna are looked after by the National Service Manager or the local Group company. Countries without a local company are looked after by our companies in neighboring states or by the System Centers in Germany or the US. Belgium, for instance, is serviced from Germany, as are the South East Asian countries of Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.
5. Doesn’t providing customized service automatically make that service more expensive?
No, I think that the opposite is more often the case. We offer the customer just what he wants – no more and no less. Spare parts and maintenance business aside, there are many reasons for taking up service offers, such as a need to modernize, to increase capacity, to cut costs or to improve efficiency. When carried out, measures like these lead to better quality and reduced costs as a result of paint and energy savings, for example.
6. A moment ago you disregarded spare parts business. What’s the situation there?
Spare parts business will be especially in focus this year. Many customers buy only an initial stock of spares even though long-term Service Agreements with Dürr offer significant advantages. We have access to interesting alternatives price-wise and these possibilities are strengthened by our position as a single source supplier. An advantage we are happy to share with our customers.
7. At the beginning of our conversation you mentioned the development of specialized service products. What did you mean by this?
A service product is essentially a successful technical solution to an actual problem. The solution is subsequently brought to market so that everyone can benefit from it. One recent example is Ecopaint CFD Simulation, a simulation tool for use in the planning of paint shops. It provides early but reliable predictions of flow patterns, turbulence, heat transfer or particle transport during the planning phase. As far as service is concerned the tool is of particular assistance in improving quality, defining savings potential in relation to energy or material consumption and in ensuring effective plant modifications. This means processes are already optimized in the virtual factory environment.
Your contact:
Olaf remmers - olaf.remmers(at)durr.com