Importance of Customer Service & Support in Intralogistics

In intralogistics, it is about complex, long-term business relationships with many contacts at every stage – from layout creation to implementation and lifetime service. To ensure efficient operations in this area, maximum availability and quick response are essential. Service providers across all industries see their top priority as making their customers’ daily lives easier.

By: Elie Zita

(Press release; Neunkirchen) The standard package in intralogistics includes 24/7 Technical Support, Call Out Support, preventive maintenance, reactive support, and many other services. With the advent of Industry 4.0 and remote tools like SSI Augmented Support, communication becomes clearer and lead times shorter.

For intralogistics specialist SSI Schäfer, Customer Service & Support (CSS) means building long-term partnerships where the customer is at the center. For this reason, SSI Schäfer has invested heavily in CSS growth and its global development in recent years. Currently, we have more than 1,750 service experts in over 70 countries, conducting around 60,000 support activities annually. SSI Schäfer understands the importance of service and support requests and ensures they are tailored to the individual needs of the customer.

In the material flow industry, there are three main areas and touchpoints where CSS can support customers.

1. Reactive Services: Ideally, this should have been done yesterday

Both speed and quality count.

When technical problems lead to operational interruptions, it affects every aspect of the business and can have serious consequences. Stopping the production line for just one minute can lead to hours of delays in subsequent steps within the process and possibly days of delays in delivery to the end customer. In these situations, what matters most to the customer is the time it takes to restore operations to full capacity. At SSI Schäfer, we place great emphasis on being available around the clock and largely present on-site, as well as training our professionals to be experts in the customer’s business requirements. That’s why we have local service and support staff who speak the local language and can assist customers at any time in resolving any issues.

1. Preventive Services: Don’t wait for a problem to occur, but take precautions

It is always more advantageous to identify a potential weakness before it disrupts the system.

What is preventive maintenance? Here’s a simple example: You have a car. You can take it to the workshop several times a year according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. The car is checked, all problems are fixed, and some potential future issues are pointed out. You pay the workshop and drive back on the road. Now it is relatively unlikely that your car will break down anytime soon.

However, you could also continue until the system fails and you are forced to take it to the service center. This often happens at the wrong time and in the wrong place, resulting in high costs. Your car would also be out of service for a few days or longer.

In the first approach, we speak of preventive maintenance. The customer comes in time so that the problem does not even arise and has the condition checked before more serious steps are necessary. One should consider the big picture here: A service performed today helps avoid stress and costs in the future. This applies to every industry, as technology is now included in almost all areas. Expensive high-end equipment, complex IT, cutting-edge technologies – these are just some of the aspects that the intralogistics industry deals with on a daily basis. Therefore, preventive maintenance is of utmost importance.

1. Life Cycle Management: Grow as you go

Upgrade the existing system instead of buying new.

Global Spare Parts Service

Thanks to a well-thought-out layout and sophisticated sequencing, the system operates like a very complex organism made up of many interconnected parts. At SSI Schäfer, we ensure that we have enough spare parts in stock to guarantee the long-term operation of customer systems and solutions.

Retrofit

A customer has purchased a solution that has been in use for some time. There will come a time when this is no longer sufficient. Regardless of whether the reason is the growing demand in the industry, the rapid technological change in the market, or a necessary change in the solution. In each of the mentioned cases, the CSS team is the right contact, as the following example shows:

One of the internationally leading dairy companies approached SSI Schäfer to realize an expansion of an existing system. The original concept of the plant already considered a possible future expansion, which became necessary due to the steadily growing demand and production increase. The goal was to increase storage capacity and operational efficiency, integrate the expansion into the already running systems, and simultaneously operate the warehouse continuously at full capacity. Thus, processes and storage space were optimized while simultaneously saving costs.

At SSI Schäfer, we know how important it is for companies that equipment, components, and software are up to date. Therefore, our team not only conducts inspections and updates of the systems we install but also supports customers in upgrading purchased components. Our customized solutions help extend the lifespan of the system.

E-commerce is growing rapidly, allowing customers to access distant markets with a vast range of products. This creates a completely new environment for companies from various industries. As customer expectations are higher than ever, companies are called upon to increase the flexibility of all their processes. This is only possible if the customer keeps the fundamental functions such as logistics and supply chain in mind. With good customer service, a customer can focus on the big picture and develop and pursue their business goals while ensuring that the system is equipped for these goals.

Elie Zita completed his technical training at the “Bac Technique Mathematique” in Lebanon. In August 1986, he began his professional career at SSI Schäfer in Graz, then still known under the company name P.E.E.M Förderanlagengesellschaft. With the acquisition of the company by SSI Schäfer in 2001, Elie Zita took over responsibility for the Customer Service & Support (CSS) department and successfully built this area. Today, Elie Zita is responsible for more than 1,750 SSI Schäfer service experts worldwide in over 70 countries, conducting around 60,000 support activities annually – from Preventive Services to Reactive Service to Life Cycle Management.

Photos: © SSI Schäfer