By: Eric Zany, Channel Manager EMEA, Parker Hannifin

The hydraulic and pneumatic maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) requirements of all types and sizes of manufacturing business have changed considerably over the past 20 years. In line with this evolution, the services, products and capabilities that exist to support them have changed too.

For MRO specialists – companies contracted to provide maintenance and repair parts and services - the past two decades have seen a dynamic shift in business strategy. The end customers being served by these operations cannot afford downtime, as this comes with a heavy price tag in terms of cost, but also with regard to lost productivity and reputation. When plant and equipment needs repair, MRO organisations have to act quicker than ever as production and projects are costed and monitored more tightly today than at any time before.

Products, knowledge, service and reaction time when a product or system goes down on site is key to setting an MRO specialist apart from its competitors and pleasing the end customer. Whether it’s the face-to-face service provided by knowledgeable staff, in-store hose make-up and repair capabilities, or on-site hose fabrication such as with Parker’s Hose Doctor and ParkerStore units, the service an end user gets is crucial.

MRO specialists such as ParkerStore provide an environment for the immediate and direct sale of industrial products through an approved platform that serves the walk-in MRO customer. Combining the trade counter and retail models, such outlets allow customers to order bespoke, while-you-wait hydraulic hose assemblies while shopping for complementary products such as couplings, fittings, valves, filters, lubricants, oil, tooling, safety equipment and more.

But as important is the knowledge, expertise, information and support that goes hand-in-hand with high product availability. The customer won’t always know exactly what they need, or what is best to solve a specific problem, and so an MRO specialist such as ParkerStore who can also take on the role of trusted advisor is of huge value. Furthermore, the ability, if required, to deliver that expertise at the end customer location is also important.

ParkerStore is an example of an organisation that has drawn on its many years of experience at the front-end of the MRO process and recognises the huge importance of helping such mistakes being avoided. Consequently, supplementary initiatives such as the clear identification of components on the part itself and extensive manufacturer cross-reference apps for products such as filters have been developed to minimise risk.

Hydraulics