TECHNOLOGY technology , extending its functionality with a full suite of features designed to support services and give a great customer experience ,” says Pytel . “ It should also be customisable so that , as your services aspirations grow , you can add new features or extend it into other areas of the business .
“ How do you choose the right tools ? Well , first you need to know what kind of tools you need for the job . Tools such as customer relationship management , sales tools and stock management should already exist in a modern manufacturer and be available through an ERP system of some description .
“ But it ’ s not as simple as extending these to sell services . For example , customers are used to being able to use websites to order parts or book services , rather than pick up the phone – can your ERP solution support this ? Equally , for any field service , you need to be able to give those engineers access to all the customer and systems information they need , as well as enabling them and customers to make payments on the move or through the website . All these systems need to be seamlessly integrated and able to share information in real time .”
Don ’ t be a rabbit in the headlights “ You might look at this list and be horrified at the prospect of introducing services to your business , even if you can appreciate the benefits to the bottom line ,” says Pytel . “ The reality is that the technology exists to integrate with your existing ERP solutions and help you hit the ground running with a services offering in your manufacturing business . Pick the right platform and partner , and you can bring a services revolution to your business . Depending on the ERP solution you already use , you may even be sitting on the technology already !”
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