Services are the backbone of the German industry. Regardless of the type of product, the so-called “after-sales” phase holds chances as well as risks. Documentation in technical client service (TKD) is often paper-based and rides along implicit methods. Besides the efficiency problem that resources are not optimally planned and used, results are not documented in a form that can be evaluated in a structured manner. In concepts such as “Total Cost of Ownership” and “Product Services Systems” (grouping services and physical products into a combined product) the integrated evaluation of services (maintenance and repair) is unavoidable and a key to being able to offer products with a strong financial margin.
In cooperation with AERIUS Marine GmbH which is market leading in design, fitting, component selection and delivery as well as implementing complex technical climate solutions for ships, above mentioned method was analysed, and a solution was designed, piloted and evaluated. The focus of the project “Service Management App” was on a perfectly fitting support for service technicians in the fields of work organisation, preparation, execution, documentation and analysis of technical service processes in the maritime industry. Asymmetrical levels of information between members of staff (different areas, different experience levels), project carriers and decision makers were to be eliminated.
The iteratively developed prototype was finally evaluated in a field trial (execution of technical services on board of a cruise ship) and transformed into a now popular product of AERIUS Marine GmbH. Apart of increased efficiency, also the quality of data increased noticeably, which helps with decision making on both demand and supply side in a more informed manner.
Staff: Dr. Gerald Däuble
Cooperation partner: Aerius Marine GmbH