Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for heavy machinery face increasing challenges in customer retention and after-sales service. With large and complex machines operating in diverse environments, ensuring timely and efficient servicing is critical for both customer satisfaction and business growth. As machinery becomes more technologically advanced, the need for predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring is greater than ever. Without a robust service strategy, OEMs risk losing customers to third-party service providers or independent mechanics. By adopting data-driven service solutions, manufacturers can not only enhance customer relationships but also generate new revenue streams through proactive and efficient servicing.
Challenges
Our client, a leading OEM for heavy machinery, was struggling to maintain a strong relationship with its customers after the initial sale. To improve customer experience, they introduced doorstep servicing via dedicated service vans. However, this approach had several inefficiencies:
- Higher Number of Cold Visits: Service vans roamed the city searching for customers who might need servicing, often encountering customers who had no immediate service requirements.
- Competition from Local Mechanics: Customers often turned to local mechanics because service vans were not always available at the right time.
- Lack of Vehicle Usage Insights: There was no way to track machine usage, making it difficult to determine when servicing was actually required.
- High Turnaround Time (TAT) for Engine Servicing: Since service vans did not carry all spare parts, diagnosing an issue required multiple trips—sometimes traveling 50-100 km back to the service center for parts.
Solution
To address these issues, the OEM integrated SIMHA Smart Fleet CAN-based devices into each machine at the time of dispatch. These devices provided real-time data on vehicle performance and engine alerts, enabling smarter and more efficient servicing operations.
- Engine Alerts & Diagnostics: The CAN-based device enabled real-time monitoring of engine alerts, allowing the client to detect issues proactively.
- Targeted Service Visits: Service vans were dispatched only to customers experiencing issues, reducing wasted trips and increasing meaningful interactions.
- Customer-Initiated Service Requests: Customers could view vehicle issues via a mobile app or website and request servicing directly. These requests were routed to the nearest available service van.
- Usage-Based Maintenance Planning: By tracking machine usage patterns, the OEM could proactively schedule maintenance, reducing unexpected breakdowns.
Key Benefits
The implementation of the SIMHA Smart Fleet solution resulted in significant improvements for the OEM’s after-sales service model:
- Reduced Turnaround Time (TAT) for Engine Servicing: Knowing the issue in advance allowed service vans to carry the required parts, reducing multiple trips and downtime.
- Advanced Analytics for Machine Performance: By leveraging data collected from the CAN-based devices, the client gained deep insights into engine performance in real-world scenarios. This analysis allowed them to identify recurring issues and optimize design parameters for future batches of the same machine model, improving overall product reliability and efficiency.
- Increased Service Revenue: With better customer engagement and proactive maintenance, the OEM saw an increase in service requests, leading to higher revenue from after-sales services.
- Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Customers appreciated the efficiency of the targeted service model, leading to higher brand loyalty and repeat business.
