He patiently goes away to find the
details, in the full understanding that
finding this information now means
the engineer can come to site with the
correct equipment, the correct manuals,
the correct laptop if necessary, with the
correct software and cables, perhaps
a replacement unit if it is appropriate.
Spending five minutes getting accurate
information now could save hours of
downtime through driving back and forth
or unnecessary fault finding.
The multi-universe you also takes the
same attitude to purchasing spare
parts. With no Google to consult, he
has learnt not only to call with his
requirements, but also not just to ‘check
stock on an item’. Instead he explains
what machine he needs to keep running.
He may have an item in mind, but he is
open to options. He has found taking
five minutes to have a chat about the
problem, or potential problem, can save
a huge amount of time, and money, when
problems strike.
The supplier explains to him that,
with over 30 years’ experience finding
solutions to breakdown problems, there
is not much they haven’t seen. And,
although their website can suggest
replacement products for obsolete
equipment, it is no substitute for talking
a problem through to find the solution.
Inverter faulty? He says. We may not
have the exact model number but maybe
we have a higher kw rating in the same
frame size. PLC problem? Maybe we
have the exact CPU or maybe we have
one with more memory. Maybe we have
your exact HMI but it is under a different
part number because it has a different
colour bezel or has a plain membrane
instead of a branded one.
All of these are drop-in solutions, not
complicated retrofits. They are all
things they come across on a regular
basis, and they are all things a website
cannot tell you, because the scenario
planning would just to be too vast to
make it functional. It is easy to rely on
the speed at which technology can give
us an absolute answer, but from time
to time, having a conversation with
someone who knows a guy who knows a
guy can be the quickest or even the only
way to solve a problem.
So, even in a Google universe, breaking
the norm and picking up the phone and
taking a few minutes to talk, will actually
get the job done faster.
www.nicontrols.com
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