MAN Ferrostaal / IPP

Solution Type: Software Development – Service & Equipment Management Solution

Industry: Industrial Printing

Business Situation: Due to the fast growth of their installed base, MAN Ferrostaal’s service center team was outpaced by the increase of maintenance and service calls. They needed a software automation system which would optimize the experienced service center staff.

Solution: SoftControl developed a software product which can efficiently handle large amounts of service data, and have that data routed to the appropriate service repair person.

Benefits:

• Simplified business processes which are easier to execute and simpler to train
• Increased control of information and job handling
• A speedy escalation routine for improved customer satisfaction
• Increased morale and productivity of service staff
• Improved sales and operational information

Client Information

MAN Ferrostaal, with 4,300 people in 60 countries, has been providing industrial solutions for more than 75 years. After MAN Ferrostaal’s purchase of Intergrafica Print & Pack (IPP), one of their core businesses became providing integrated printing and packaging systems, with solutions for companies ranging from large newspaper printing houses to smaller commercial printing shops.

Client Challenge

Due to a fast growing installed base, MAN Ferrostaal is servicing increasing numbers of printing machines and equipment. This caused a higher level of service and maintenance calls for the MAN Ferrostaal service center.

The growth had outpaced the service center’s ability to handle the load appropriately. Even though MAN Ferrostaal had already developed an application to help automate its services, this application was not mature enough to handle the increased load effectively. It became clear that more sophisticated software would be required.

Implementation Details

The software was designed to be used through a simple web user interface. Examples of the interface can be seen below. The interface allows access to all information pertaining to a particular piece of equipment. All service jobs and issues related to a particular unit are recorded with service time and action data. The software also manages information about MAN Ferrostaal’s customers, contacts and equipment manufacturers, so information can be quickly cross referenced by the service team.

Solution in Use

Below are some screenshots of what the solution looks like in use:

The above screen shows a typical customer data screen: simple, clear and easy to use with drop down fields to help eliminate data entry errors. There is quick access to existing customer data for easy, multilingual reference.

The above screen shows contract information available to the service center operator, with all of the important information easily reached, including engineer name and hours. Notice the always present left hand navigation column with drop down menus, allowing quick access to additional information.

The above screen shows a dashboard view of the active service jobs and their status which gives the operator an overview of pending, needed actions.

This screen shows the details of a service job, including its history. The operator can add service reports, customer feedbacks, recommendations etc.

Business Benefits

• Simplified business processes which are easier to execute and simpler to train
• Increased control of information and job handling
• A speedy escalation routine for improved customer satisfaction
• Increased morale and productivity of service staff
• Improved sales and operational information

Contact SoftControl today to see how we can improve your business and your IT performance.