Manufacturers understand the importance of parts availability and providing their customers with the most recent and up-to-date parts information. It’s the difference between a machine being down a day or a week, the difference between earned deadline bonuses or being late, and the difference between predictable owning and operating costs and an unexpected rental expense that eats a job’s profit.
There are instances, however, when an existing machine goes through a model year change or an otherwise incremental change (versus a full series change) where the owner of that machine may have no way of knowing that a part, or part number, has changed or is different than what’s in the published parts book.
They bought Machine X Series 2. The manufacturer still calls it Machine X Series 2. But the parts catalog for Machine X Series 2 on the shelf is now out of date.
This may happen several times throughout the life of a specific series or model of a machine. And new parts books aren’t printed and shipped out each time. Incorrect part orders are placed and show up, losing time and adding frustration because it’s not the right part.
This is where access to serial number-based parts information and a parts procurement system that automatically updates machine and parts information (based on the bill of materials from the manufacturer) is critical.
SmartEquip Procurement ties orders based on specific machine and serial number, identifying and notifying that a supersession has taken place and you are sent the correct part based on the most current data from the manufacturer. You may put the wrong part number in your order based on what your out-of-date parts book says, but SmartEquip supplies up-to-date information, eliminating mis-order frustration.
It also goes one step further: sometimes, it’s more than just an out-of-date part number — sometimes it’s determined that another supporting part or component needs to be added to make the part work properly on the machine you’re installing it on. SmartEquip Procurement immediately flags the need for additional parts and will add it to the order.
The other advantage that SmartEquip provides — especially in the world of large, decentralized fleets — is that all of this happens online on one portal, for multiple brands of equipment. We know that as equipment travels from site to site, or state to state, that the parts book doesn’t travel with the machine. Instead of chasing down a parts book, all a technician has to do is log into the platform and input the serial number, identify the part, and add it to their cart. Click. Cart. Boom.
Another bonus tied to parts ordering via SmartEquip is the ability for a manufacturer to present options. This can range from identifying that a new part that costs $8K is in fact available, or that a remanufactured part that only costs $4K is available — information that’s typically not offered in a dusty parts book on the shelf.
From supersession to visibility into additional parts options like that, SmartEquip Procurement helps you make the right choices for your business, boosts uptime and productivity, and gives your tech team confidence they are getting the right part.
Schedule a demo today and take another step towards more efficient fleet management.
