The greatest potential for growth for Atlas Copco Compressor Technique South Africa, a division of global industrial and tooling manufacturer Atlas Copco, lies in its installed base, says Compressor Technique service division business line manager Wayne Jacobs.

“We need to ensure that every Atlas Copco compressor is serviced directly or indirectly by us,” he tells Engineering News.

Currently, Atlas Copco Compressor Technique maintains and services about 50% of its compressors in South Africa. “This figure is based on the number of Atlas Copco compressors that are less than ten years old, which receive at least one service intervention a year,” Jacobs explains.

He says service excellence ensures that customers remain satisfied with their products. “A good service ethic is vital, as it relates directly to customer value; value for money, as opposed simply to low cost, is the key to business sustainability.

“A customer makes a substantial investment when buying a compressor and the incorrect fitment of a part or use of the wrong replacement part can result in the premature failure of the compressor and subsequent downtime and replacement costs,” warns Jacobs.

Underlining the importance of using only skilled technicians, he explains that a good service ethic entails highly trained technicians who use the correct tools when performing maintenance and fitting the correct parts.

He attributes the fitment of incorrect replacement parts to “the perceived lower cost of not using original-equipment manu- facturer (OEM) parts – in reality, the cost of using these parts could be very high, owing to the damage they could cause to the compressor, as a result of their premature failure or incorrect specification”.

Jacobs points out that, because downtime is extremely costly for customers, immediate response to a customer’s service requirements, and parts availability, are also fundamental to a good service ethic. The company has four service branches in Johannesburg, Gauteng; in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal; in Cape Town, in the Western Cape; and in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape; they are supported by ten auth- orised distributors that meet customers’ requirements nationwide, he notes.

“Our service branches have a 27-man technical team at their disposal, with a significant back-office support structure that can maintain and service all Atlas Copco products anywhere in South Africa.”

Atlas Copco recommends that maintenance be done as a preventive measure rather than as a result of equipment failure, Jacobs adds.

“Recommended maintenance intervals are based on the number of hours that the compressor has been running and the impact of site conditions on the product. Where dust loading and ambient temperatures are more severe, the frequency of maintenance interventions needs to be greater.”

In terms of stockholdings and parts availability, he says Atlas Copco Compressor Technique’s current local parts stockholding exceeds R15-million. Parts not stocked locally will be outsourced from the company’s main warehouse, in Belgium, with delivery to South Africa taking place three times a week, adds Jadobs.

There are numerous challenges that interfere with providing sustainable service excellence.

“While ensuring a comprehensive stockholding tops the list, we also face a serious shortage of skilled artisans. To address the skills shortage, we have established an in-house apprenticeship programme that offers training of the highest standard to develop qualified and skilled artisans. Training needs are identified during staff appraisals and scheduled through our in-house training facility – the Atlas Copco Academy”, he explains.

Product updates and trouble-shooting training sessions are also scheduled and held continuously throughout the year.

It is important that Atlas Copco achieve and maintain the right balance between cost and customer value, says Jacobs.

“Perceived value is of the utmost importance. It does not matter what the cost of the service is. What matters most is the value the customer receives from the interaction. What counts for value are aspects such as communication, first-time repairs, advice on energy optimisation and a long-term partnership with a company.

“Our future plans address these challenges we face with sustainable solutions to ensure that our customers are satisfied by providing reliable support and services, ” he pointed out, noting that Atlas Copco Compressor Technique has already effec- tively adopted various successful projects, which include more efficient planning and administration tools and systems. “Recently, we converted to a new stock-management system, which will further improve stock availability in the near future,” adds Jacobs.