Developing operations from the customer's perspective and from the perspective of internal efficiency
When considering the acquisition of a spare parts portal, the question of ERP and PDM systems often arises. If €50,000 were to be invested in the development of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, €30,000 in the development of a product data management (PDM) system, and €15,000 in the acquisition of a spare parts portal, which of these would be the best investment if you want to make your operations more customer-centric?
The equipment supplier's systems should include the design structure, manufacturing structure and maintenance structure of the equipment. The design structure lists the parts and sub-assemblies required to build the product. It is compiled during the product design phase. The manufacturing structure includes everything needed to deliver the product. The manufacturing structure can describe the stages of the process, the necessary equipment and packaging requirements. The maintenance structure specifies the parts of the product that require regular maintenance and that affect the functioning of the product. This information is used, for example, by product maintenance teams. (Rootstock Software 2023.)
An ERP system, or enterprise resource planning system, is used to maintain the manufacturing structure of equipment. Sometimes the maintenance structure is also maintained in the ERP. However, changes to the maintenance structure are rarely updated back into the ERP system, which makes the system difficult to use because the information is not up to date. If an equipment supplier's customer needs a new valve for their equipment, they must know the valve's item number from the ERP system in order to search for it, or they must be able to describe the valve's characteristics in sufficient detail to find it in the equipment supplier's ERP. Identifying a part can take much longer compared to a situation where the equipment supplier's customer can identify the part themselves from visual documentation and place an order immediately.
The PDM system, i.e. a system suitable for product data management, includes the design structure and manufacturing structure of the equipment. The functionalities of the PDM system largely serve the equipment manufacturer's designers. Sometimes, but less frequently, PDM also includes the maintenance structure and related maintenance tasks, as well as updates made.
The Spareparts365 customer portal always includes a detailed maintenance structure. Exploded views of the equipment provide an easy-to-understand overview of the equipment structure. Spare parts for all components are easy to find, and no multiple systems are required. If, in addition to the customer portal, the company uses ERP, PDM or both, the portal can be integrated into existing business systems. By connecting the systems together, you can get the most out of them.
You can import all the necessary equipment information into the customer portal: product names, prices, quantities, delivery times and compatibility. It provides equipment suppliers' customers with an up-to-date view of the equipment they have at their disposal, helps them identify the right spare parts and reduces the duration of unplanned maintenance. It also makes it easier to plan periodic maintenance, as the customer portal provides information on wear parts and their life cycles. Equipment suppliers, on the other hand, can more easily draw up maintenance contracts, for example, because the customer portal provides up-to-date information on when the wear parts in the equipment used by customers need to be replaced.
One might think that ERP and PDM must be in place before a spare parts portal can be implemented. However, this is not the case. Service Rata quickly and easily converts equipment suppliers' spare parts catalogues, for example in PDF format, into a spare parts portal. This means that previous business systems are no longer needed.
When reviewing the original choice between ERP, PDM and a customer portal based on this information, the answer seems easy. By purchasing the most affordable option, i.e. the spare parts portal, the equipment supplier increases its turnover and gains access to a business system that provides valuable information to both the equipment supplier and its customers. In addition, the spare parts portal is a customer-centric solution that is directly visible to the end user, while ERP and PDM focus more on improving internal efficiency.
Is it time for your company to develop its operations to be more customer-oriented and to implement a spare parts portal? Whether your company uses ERP, PDM, both or neither, let us help you!
Sources:
Rootstock Software. 2023. Best Practices for Effective BOM Management. Website. Accessed 14 February 2023. https://www.rootstock.com/cloud-erp-blog/ebom-vs-mbom-management-best-practices/