Features of a Service Contract

Anyone involved in production management knows how important it is for their machinery to be fully operational, day in and day out. Unplanned downtime can significantly impact production schedules and product lead times. While no machinery is immune from breakdown it is an accepted fact that regular planned maintenance lowers the risk of breakdowns, increases efficiency and extends the lifetime of the equipment.

A common solution to ensuring regular maintenance is undertaken is to take out a service contract covering routine services and often including a number of other benefits. Typically various different service levels are offered, depending on the production environment or the complexity of the machine. 

A basic service contract for a workshop machine may cover an annual service along with some additional features such as telephone support, while a production critical machine may require more regular services and additional inspections.

So what features should you look out for in a service contract?

Machine specific services

As a minimum the contract should include machine specific services whether that is annually or 6-monthly. Shift work should be taken account of and the service interval set accordingly. Additional health checks between full services can identify potential issues early.

Telephone and/or video support 

A common feature of service plans is to include telephone and video support which is intended to provide the quickest solution to any issue or operator query. A high proportion of calls are solved at this stage without requiring a service engineer to visit in person, resulting in increased efficiency. 

Remote connection

With many modern machines it is possible to connect directly to the machine control from a remote computer. This allows parameters and event logs to be easily checked by a technician, vastly increasing the chance of a first time fix in the event a call out is required.

Priority call out

Another reason why service contracts are popular is that they are often treated as priority over non-contract service work. As well as priority call out, plans may include an allowance of call outs annually, providing insurance against unexpected costs.

Want to find out more?

Here at Bison we offer service plans for a variety of requirements and budgets, and for single or multiple machines. Please get in touch via our contact form or email to service@bisonmachinery.co.uk