CUSTOMER-CONNECT: Customer at the Centre of the System!

The construction-equipment industry is in the midst of considerable change. Demand has been highly volatile and is currently weak, the customer landscape and expectations of OEMs are changing, new and potentially revolutionary technologies are coming (for instance, electrification and big data), and competitors from emerging markets are getting stronger.

Equipment Times looks into the strategies, customer engagement with newer technologies, dealership network, nurturing relationship for after-sales initiatives and challenges.

Change is not new in construction equipment. But what is unique about this moment in the industry’s development is that many of these changes are converging and hitting the industry all at once.

Although most trends have global impact, these shifts will likely be accentuated everywhere. The market has traditionally been complex, with a variety of local specifications, and fragmented, with OEMs focused on national markets. Although the market has been consolidating for years as demand and standards globalized, Indian market remains more complex and fragmented than other markets. Today several OEM groups are active in India, and they have more than 40 percent of their business in other continents. Furthermore, the Indian demand situation has been challenging for several years because of lower construction activity and the present Covid-19 pandemic.

Increasing customer relationship

Construction equipment is indispensable to the customers’ businesses, so most OEMs have been dedicated to ensuring that the equipment that they deliver functions properly over the long term. They provide ongoing, timely, high-quality after-sale services (product support), such as component replacement and troubleshooting. These services are vital to increase the customers’ productivity.

Companies are located around the world, and they have built extensive regional distribution and service networks to supply products and maintenance services. Most of them focus particularly on dependable repair services. The engineers perform on-site repairs or bring problematic systems back to the workshop for servicing – thereby increasing customer relationship.

What leaders have to say…

According to Wilfried Theissen, Managing Director – Putzmeister India, “When a customer invests in Putzmeister, they don’t just get the right equipment – they get an integrated solution to help them make the most out of their investment and improve their profitability. After-Sales support is infact one of the top 3 reasons why customers choose Putzmeister over other options. Our After-Sales team has deep experience and expertise across a range of applications and environmental conditions across India. Our teams support customers in installing and commissioning equipment and training operators and other staff on siteto operate the equipment safely and efficiently. Through maintenance contracts and genuine spares, our teams ensure value retention while keeping the equipment in optimal running condition. We also offer Operations & Maintenance support for the more challenging projects.”

Rahul Shorey, National Head – Construction, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company, “We have continued to enhance our presence in digital communications channels, where we are seeing great traction in terms of audience participation as well as engagement. We have conducted several product launches on social media channels, which have proven to be valuable as well as cost effective.”

He further added, “Our digital connect platform, e-Dost, has augmented our capability to engage with customers. In addition, our corporate website, as well as our website for used equipment has seen increased activity, especially during the pandemic. In terms of newer revenue models, we are continuing to expand our reach in the rentals market. This market is supported by factors such as the government’s enhanced focus on infrastructure, as well as advantages from the customer’s perspective like standardisation and customisation, and the ability to remain competitive while remaining asset light. We are poised to take advantage of the growth in this segment given our inherent advantages, which among other factors include, a young fleet with company-certified operators, a diverse portfolio of machines, lower maintenance costs, certified genuine spares, and hassle-free operations as well as transparent billing based on our on-board telematics systems. As for feedback mechanisms, we constantly collect and analyse several layers and levels of feedback from customers, apart from direct feedback through our sales and service teams. These include analytics data from our telematics systems as well as our CRM system from both the sales as well as service perspective. This data is then sent back to the product development team to further make improvements in our products.”

Saurabh Kulkarni, Mobile Automation Expert, India at B & R Automation, said, “We are proud of the best-in-class service and support we offer our customers. Support doesn’t end only by delivering the products. Our technical team sits with customers on their shop floor and brings machines to live. Every pilot case is studied and applied to technical expertise efficiently. Our support is extended to get a machine or project from the prequalification stage to the series stage and thereafter support. Our World-Class Support hotline enhances our customers’ experience and lets them offer their customers faster service and reduced machine downtime. We have a dedicated support hotline that serves as a single point of contact for our customers nationwide. We ensure that our customers receive a consistently high level of support with the fastest possible response times through dedicated support. Our online Support Portal allows all our customers worldwide to create and track support requests and share support documentation via the B&R website. With the new hotline, our customers also benefit from streamlined telephone support from a local team of experts. Our highly qualified support team is committed to our customers’ success and has the expertise it takes to help them gain a competitive edge in their market.”

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