Intelligent product-identification solutions specialist Matthews has launched a customer support system, Care 24x7, offering remote service support to manufacturers of all sizes with three levels of help, including diagnostics.
Matthews Intelligent Identification’s technical operations manager Andy Hecke said, “Matthews’ strong capabilities across the Internet of Things and remote install will prove advantageous to many customers with our 24x7 Care.
“The new tiered offering will strengthen the way we help customers, and importantly, in many cases it will allow us to get a customer’s machine back online quicker.”
He said advances in technology capabilities have grown the potential for remote diagnostics, while increasing machine robustness.
Matthews can resolve more than 70 per cent of support calls on the phone, Hecke said. “In these cases, it means we don't need to send a technician out to the site, resulting in a quicker resolution and meeting the continual aim to reduce downtime for our customers.
“It also enables businesses to further their drive towards attaining lean functioning, including reducing what is known as necessary waste.
“With IoT, we now have the ability to see a machine’s vital signs and optimise its functionality. This gives us the capability to lift our success rate of supporting our customers remotely to well above eighty per cent.
“As well, with that information, we now have the opportunity to predict any issues, which speaks to the core issue for manufacturing: reducing unplanned stoppages to production lines.”
Local advantage
Hecke said having the 24x7 help desk and remote diagnostic technical services run locally in Australia, rather than as an overseas help desk, had several advantages.
“Firstly, it instantly removes barriers such as language and time zones, but perhaps equally as importantly it also means our Care 24x7 technicians have a strong understanding of Australian manufacturing conditions.”
He said each of the three support tiers offers unlimited around-the-clock remote access support, so every customer with these programs knows onshore help is at the end of the phone. Membership will also be offered for a one or three-year plan.
“The Essential Care Program is a great general-purpose choice and is perfect for sites where production lines require an entry level of support and peace of mind of true 24x7 coverage.
“On top of that, the Complete Care Program is quite comprehensive in supporting uptime, risk mitigation and TPM and OEE functions. For instance, it includes scheduled tasks to mitigate the top five causes of machine failure and helps identify efficiencies and savings.
“The top-level Advanced Care Program really is a gold-standard customer-support partnership and is well suited to businesses needing the absolutely highest levels of support to help them keep optimising production output. For instance, it offers a site or line-stoppage response and recovery plan and offsite data backup if applicable, along with our full range of hardware and software remote diagnostics capabilities.”
Hecke said having the three tiers meant customers could choose how they needed Matthews to support their equipment.
“Every business is different, with individual needs. It means our customers – no matter their size – remain focused on their core business activity and continue maximising their productivity and output,” he said.
