Jonas Nilsson works as a salesperson for Hägglunds products in southern Sweden, and service agreements are an important part of the offering he presents to customers.
– Before becoming a salesperson, I worked for many years with service in industry, first as a service technician at Hägglunds in the 1990s and then as service and aftermarket manager in the marine market, so I know the value of service for product durability. All our service agreements are individually tailored for each customer for maximum benefit; it is important that they get good value for the money, he explains. He says that many customers today have lean organizations, which makes it difficult for them to keep all competence in-house, and they also do not have the time to carry out preventive maintenance during their planned shutdowns.
– Then a service agreement with us at Hägglunds is a good alternative. In many cases, these are drives used in critical applications where unplanned downtime can become very costly. The goal is to help the customer minimize downtime and maximize productivity.
Preventive maintenance secures operations
The purpose of a service agreement is to optimize operations and ensure the reliability of the equipment and products covered by the agreement. A service agreement includes robust and scalable services that help customers modernize, streamline and extend the technical service life of their systems. By tailoring the service agreements to each individual customer, they can offer the support and long-term assistance that specific customer needs to keep a facility trouble-free throughout its entire life cycle.
– It is very much about preventive maintenance in order to minimize the risk of operational disturbances. The main part of a service agreement is a regular inspection of the equipment, often twice a year. Then some of our service technicians travel to the customer and carry out preventive maintenance on the equipment. With their expertise and experience, they go through all important parts to ensure operational availability.
Key components are checked
They primarily focus on inspecting and checking the hydraulic motor and hydraulic pump in the customer’s system. Another very important part of trouble-free operation is the hydraulic oil, which they test thoroughly. It is checked to ensure that it maintains the highest quality by, among other things, measuring the presence of particles or water as well as viscosity.
– They also check the machine’s operating temperature and operating pressure, which provide a very good picture of how the application is performing and functioning. They also inspect other parts of the system such as valves, and pipe and hose systems. Quite simply, they ensure that the entire system is in good condition. Dialogue with the customer is central, and feedback from the service technicians is a very important part if they discover things during the review that need to be addressed. Then quick and important decisions can be made in consultation with the customer. Everything is of course explained in the service report that they always leave behind.
– In contact with the customer, they also suggest suitable improvement measures that the customer can then choose to carry out themselves or with the help of Hägglunds, which most often happens during planned shutdowns. The service vehicles traveling on roads all over Sweden also handle corrective maintenance when problems arise.
– But the main purpose of a service agreement is to minimize corrective maintenance, so the more service agreements we have, the less corrective maintenance there will be, Jonas Nilsson notes.
Technical support around the clock
In addition to visits from Hägglunds service technicians twice a year, other parts are also included in a service agreement.
– Through the agreements, customers have access to technical support by phone 24/7 every day of the year. It may concern urgent problems that have arisen; it becomes a sounding board that customers have access to, which gives them a great sense of security.
– My colleagues’ many years of knowledge and expertise are something I truly want our customers to make use of; we are always here for our customers, says Jonas Nilsson.Through the agreements, customers also have the opportunity to visit Hägglunds a couple of times a year for shorter training sessions on different themes.
– It may concern the importance of oil for a hydraulic system, reviews of how the presence of different contaminants affects a system’s performance and what can be done to remedy such problems if they arise. Another recurring theme is safety issues related to hydraulics. There are great forces in a pressurized system, and you need to be very aware of how to handle such systems during maintenance. If mistakes are made, the consequences can be serious. Usually, around ten customers attend each training session, and it is a good opportunity to send newly hired employees if they will be working with Hägglunds products. In addition to the training, a natural connection is created with Hägglunds staff.
Renovates components for increased sustainability
The service agreements also include offers for Hägglunds to refurbish worn components at fixed prices, often after more than 10 years of continuous operation.
– It is often far more sustainable and efficient to refurbish a product than to discard it and buy a new one. That is one aspect of a service agreement: through regular inspections, we really make sure that key components are fully utilized instead of being replaced on a time basis. We help them optimize the service life of their products by identifying wear and deviations in time, before they cause unplanned downtime. A service agreement also includes the possibility that Hägglunds helps develop a maintenance plan for preventive maintenance that optimizes the customers’ operations.
– Another part of a service agreement, which may easily be forgotten, is helping customers keep stock-held products in good condition. Many customers often have spare components in their warehouse to be able to replace them quickly if a need arises. It is important that they are continuously kept in good condition so they can quickly be installed and start functioning as soon as the need arises.
Many choose service agreements
Most of Hägglunds’ customers have some type of service agreement, while others buy different services from time to time.
– Of course, there are customers who feel that they have the in-house competence to carry out maintenance on their equipment, and we are always there for them when they need support. You can choose to sign a service agreement on a small scale to begin with, covering only the most essential parts, such as regular condition checks.
– Many customers start that way and then discover the value of receiving support and inspections, after which they gradually expand the agreements. Our contract customers appreciate Hägglunds’ role as an expert they can discuss and analyze different situations with. We are a partner they use to plan their maintenance, providing them with reliable drives, which creates a great sense of security for our customers, says Jonas Nilsson.
Sustainability an important part
He notes that he has rarely had a customer who wanted to terminate a service agreement once they had entered into one.
– They see the long-term value in it. Hägglunds motors last at least ten years, often considerably longer, and customers see the benefits of ensuring that critical drives perform over time. Long-term preventive maintenance is needed to achieve that, and that is something they are happy to get help with. The long-term perspective and partnership with Hägglunds also have a sustainability aspect: when they optimize operations, they also optimize sustainability.
– With our service agreement, much can be refurbished instead of replaced with a new part, which creates a sustainable system from both an economic and environmental perspective. Well-functioning preventive maintenance also contributes to a more sustainable system, and both of those aspects make service agreements attractive to customers. Through our service agreements, we become a natural part of the customer’s work to ensure safe and reliable operations, which is something all of us at Hägglunds strive for, Jonas Nilsson concludes.
