PRODUCT SUPPORT

Tom McKenny, Roving Reporter

The relationship between a quarry operator, or owner of capital, and that of suppliers in any industry has changed significantly in recent decades. Competition in particular has equated to greater customer service systems being implemented by many suppliers in order to maintain business and build reputation.

In many respects the ‘modern’ deal is as much about the relationship as the product or service on offer. Capital owners can be expected to be concerned that their individual needs are met and their requirements for service, support and assistance are forthcoming long after the deal has been struck.

Pas CMPA Chairperson, Ron Kerr, was recently invited to address leading earthmoving equipment supplier, Komatsu’s South East region product support conference to present a customer’s viewpoint in a quarry equipment or service supply agreement.

In any relationship regardless of the service or equipment being negotiated for supply the quarry manager or owner will expect:

1. Be able to establish networking skills based upon giving (only what is yours). This is against conditioning which only teaches us to take.
2. Have the ability to address the customer’s concerns with outcomes (through power and presentation skills).
3. Be genuinely interested in seeing the customer’s concerns resolved. This includes:
   1. Ensuring all persons are supported in their roles
   2. Managing and work as a team with those persons you are responsible for on OHS issues identifying hazards, developing solutions and complying with the outcomes
   3. Develop and maintain a culture of total site participation in all daily activities and training
   4. Enhance each customers personal standing through he sharing of skills, knowledge and treating them with dignity and respect
   5. Talk to customers on a regular basis offering support and enquiring on their personal concerns
   6. Manage all irregular maintenance tasks that are to be undertaken at customer’s sites by addressing hazards, previewing work with persons who will carry out the tasks, seek advice from recognised industry specialists, supervise those tasks which have been identified as hazardous and inspecting task on completion
4. Be familiar with the customer’s equipment and all their current upgrades.
5. Have a clear understanding of your products and where it can be used.
6. Assist the customer in achieving their best outcomes through an effective customer rating which is reflective of their history, loyalty, credit performance, quality of employees etc (build a profile and
   then support it).
7. Follow through on resolved outcomes (eg. ensure that parts being needed to remove a safety hazard are delivered). This is often difficult, as it is not directly related to production.
8. Be able to inspect an item of capital and present a report on it specifying if it is mechanically fit for duty, and an approximate cost of repair.
9. Be aware of what is happening around Victoria
10. Maintain regular contact either through work or socially (ie. industry gatherings).
11. Train the customer through high priority break-downs parts (that is training with personal commitment).

Areas that can affect the relationship between the customer and supplier include:

• Availability of parts
• Promises that are broken
• Having the wrong part delivered for late model units (within 5 years), (you can use electronic cameras and computers etc to confirm the right part with your supplier
• Not keeping in contact with the customer either by the salesman or the product support person

Mr Kerr was asked to specifically review Komatsu’s customer and product service, and while these comments were supplied by a select group of key industry owners and managers, it is worth considering the points raised in your own supplier relations.

The CMPA has long regarded the relationship between suppliers to the quarry industry and owners to be of significant interest and would welcome contributions from other owners or suppliers about methods to achieve relationship outcomes that serve each party well. The CMPA certainly acknowledges our customer/supplier relationships and would be pleased to dedicated future newsletter editorial to further discussion.

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