DEK announced that new services within the Merlin World web-based customer support environment will go live in July. These are designed to help customers find fast and accurate answers to daily machine and process issues, and to order updates and upgrades, including software and hardware, more efficiently. EPP Europe talked to Jon Howell, who describes the whys, whats and hows of the latest innovations inside “Your Account Details”.
What new services can customers get from the web?
Customers can now download the latest revision manuals for their machines and any options that are fitted, such as ProFlow, Hawkeye or Vortex Plus. They can also call up the actual engineering models for any assembly on the machine, to inspect it in detail, check the part number, and place an order without discussing first with a DEK engineer or sales representative. Software updates can be ordered and downloaded from the website.
Why would customers want to download their own manuals?
Customers no longer have to store manuals in a place where they can be easily retrieved. They are now instantly accessible from the desktop. Storing manuals in a manufacturing environment is difficult and occupies valuable space. They may not be returned after use, and easily become lost. All of these problems are now history.
Are paper manuals also available?
Yes, but they are costly due to low volumes produced … this coupled with the fact that they would have to be despatched from our publisher in Weymouth means that downloads are a much more attractive proposition.
But they often do not know where the manuals themselves are! We know that customers often spend hours or even days searching for manuals that are lost somewhere within the organ- ization. Customers who want a hard copy can download the manual they require and even print it if that is a preference.
There are so many manuals, how will they know which is the right one?
We maintain an individual web page for each DEK machine in the field. That page links only to the manuals that are relevant to that specific machine. The machine’s owner can navigate to the relevant page for all machines in their organisation, by logging into their secure customer account.
What about customers with several sites, or multinational customers?
Shared access to any manual is another powerful aspect of the online manuals service. Most DEK manuals are published in multiple languages, and each of these can also be accessed from the machine’s own URL.
Do customers have to pay for access?
No, access is free of charge – even to customers without current maintenance agreements. By accessing their own manuals online, users are actually saving DEK time and expense, so it is in our interest to encourage liberal use of the service. From the individual machine within “Your Account Details”, customers can link to a 3D computer model of any component or subsystem fitted to the machine. 3D Find-A-Part replaces the general assembly, or GA drawings, which we have traditionally provided for customers.
Why would customers want to download models?
There are many reasons. For example, a customer may want to find detailed information about the size or function of a component on their machine. To do this without the 3D Find-A-Part service would require stopping and partly dismantling the machine – very bad for productivity. Now, it is easy to inspect and even dismantle any part or assembly online. As another example, the customer may simply want to buy a replacement part, but not knowing the part’s name or translation, difficulties may prevent them from being able to use a search engine to locate that part using enquiry. Previously, this would necessitate a call to DEK for technical help, or a visit from an applications engineer.
So there is another saving for DEK?
Yes, it frees our customer facing engineers to deal with the really challenging aspects of our customers’ processes, and thereby delivers another time saving to DEK. It also reduces the risk of ordering the wrong part which is time wasted for DEK and the customer.
Are the models accurate?
They are very accurate and detailed, as they are the exact computer models that our engineers create when designing new products. This “re-use of engineering information” allows us to provide comprehensive information for customers, quickly and at low cost. As soon as any change is made, the models will updated, because these are the same models that we work from internally. This streamlines document maintenance and assures customers that they are always working from the latest information. This is not really possible with GA drawings, because the pace of change is now so fast that the hard copy drawing is out of date almost as soon as it is published.
Do the models take a long time to download?
Potentially, yes. However, we have installed “content replication servers” at three locations around the world, allowing customers to access the models from a local server. This saves large quantities of data from travelling the length and breadth of the world wide web, which contributes significant delays when downloading information. Of course, the download time is also governed by the customer’s individual connection speed, and this is beyond our control. We aim to achieve a nominal download time of 60 seconds for the largest models, over a typical enterprise broadband Internet connection. Certainly much faster than finding that hard copy manual.
What can customers do with the models after they are downloaded?
These are three-dimensional CAD models, which can be rotated in any plane to be viewed from any angle. The customer can zoom in or out, isolate individual components, and even dismantle the assembly to understand how it works. It is also possible to measure between points on the model, for example to check the distance between a pair of locating pins, or to verify that certain dimensions are as required.
How do software downloads work?
By clicking on the “Software Version” link for any machine within “Your Account Details”, customers can view any software package applicable to that machine, such as updates and upgrades. These can be purchased online and downloaded in much the same way as online music or computer programs.
How do customers benefit?
Ordering from the unique machine URL protects customers against buying the wrong software. Downloading also by-passes the costs and delays associated with shipping software.
How does DEK benefit?
Customers can be more confident of managing the software configuration of their own machines without asking us for advice, and without requiring the help of our telesales staff.
Are all of these services available immediately?
Yes, the service went live during the first week in July.
What do customers need to know, to access them?
Customers only need to know the login details for their dek.com account, then head straight for SupportYour Account Details. After entering their secure account pages, all services can be accessed intuitively.
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