Success with  ServicePLUS

Date: 31.10.18
A collaborative relationship in Europe with Sandvik Mining & Rock Technologies Parts & Services leads to business optimization with Service PLUS across the Atlantic.-By Jan Sklucki; Photo: Sandvik

WHEN THE US BRANCH of Sandvik Mining & Rock Technologies Parts & Services were looking to improve their business processes, they reached out to Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and its ServicePLUS offering to help meet their internal KPIs.

“Sandvik was looking to address some issues related to its business in the US, and due to a healthy working relationship with Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in Europe, we thought it might be able to help here too,” says the Project Manager at Sandvik Mining & Rock Technologies. “We were correct in that assumption.”

Identifying solutions

The key issues to be solved were supplier management and logistics costs, which were shown to be negatively affecting KPIs. Firstly, Sandvik felt that it needed to consolidate its suppliers, and secondly that purchasing parts from outside of the US was driving up logistics costs.

“Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has experience with these kinds of issues. We pride ourselves on being a one-stop-shop, providing as many components as possible from a single source and have helped many companies to expand their operations to other countries with Trelleborg’s ServicePLUS logistical backing. This project fitted perfectly with our global-local philosophy,” says Susan Korb, Sales Engineer for Trelleborg Sealing Solutions.

Trelleborg’s sales engineers worked with internal customer service advocates and its special handling department to devise solutions that would add value to their customers’ operations and meet their objectives.

“When we started looking into it, we saw that we could improve Sandvik’s processes beyond what they were asking for,” says Susan. “We created a set of metrics to measure outcomes, identified any possible roadblocks and we proactively communicated with the customer to help smooth the transition.”

ABOUT SANDVIK

For more than 150 years, Sandvik has remained committed to developing the most advanced engineering solutions. From the first steel products to today’s comprehensive equipment ranges, the always strived to develop solutions that add value to customer’s business.

As a world-leading mining equipment manufacturer, Sandvik are committed to improving your productivity and profita bility. Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology products and services provide maximum value in terms of performance, quality, safety, flexibility and — not least — total economy.

Solving the issues
Taking Trelleborg’s ideas on board enabled Sandvik’s seal suppliers to be cut to three from nearly ten; a large reduction in dealing with different companies and simplifying business significantly. Logistics experts identified the ideal location for stocking as Trelleborg’s central Fort Wayne facility, reducing supply chain costs. This met the main objectives, but Trelleborg Sealing Solutions didn’t stop there. “Having helped others with this kind of challenging project enabled us to understand Sandvik’s processes better and to propose other related services that would further ease their business and add value at every step,” says Susan. Specifically, Trelleborg’s dedicated ServicePLUS experts provided kitting, individually bagged parts and customerbranded packaging to ensure that the correct products were well protected and would require fewer operations by Sandvik.

The next steps

To further improve the operation, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions also proposed related services. “To provide more visibility of the supply chain, Trelleborg suggested the use of its shipping portal, giving real-time reporting on shipment locations and lead times,” says the Project Manager at Sandvik. “We also offered the services of our technical teams to Sandvik’s field teams, which they are using to address issues as they arise,” says Susan. The next step is to implement an EDI order management system, to further streamline operations.

The new ServicePLUS processes have helped Sandvik to achieve its aims in the US. “We’ve supported Sandvik in reaching their KPIs; we’ve reduced its number of suppliers, improved its logistics and helped increase its market share. It’s benefitted both it and its customers through increased vendor loyalty and decreased price sensitivity for the enduser,” finishes Susan. “We look forward to working with Sandvik again.”

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MORE INFORMATION

Find out more about ServicePLUS by visiting:
www.tss.trelleborg.com/serviceplus

ABOUT ServicePLUS

Wouldn’t it be great if your C-parts stock would refill all by itself? Or what about automating your Kanban system and creating replenishment orders with just the click of a button? ServicePLUS solutions can help simplify your logistics with our Advanced Delivery offering. From C-part management to automatic stock replenishment, our services are designed to save you time and money.

Field Stock Locations
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions offers a variety of Field Stock Locations – or satellite warehouses – worldwide. These local warehouses operate around the clock, 365 days a year for “On-Demand” and “Scheduled Route” services, ensuring that the product you require reaches you as soon as possible by avoiding long transport routes and multiple logistic partners.