From reactive to predictive: an AI agent-powered early warning system for future-ready manufacturers
Every year, OEMs lose billions to avoidable failures — not because the data wasn’t there, but because no one saw it in time. In Europe’s manufacturing ecosystem, the equipment you sell today enters a complex, high-stakes aftermarket ecosystem. From spare parts planning to warranty claims and service calls, the aftermarket service lifecycle often determines not just profitability but also reputation and brand trust. Yet too many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) remain trapped in the reactive model, responding to failures. The real opportunity lies in predicting them before they impact customers. Why the reactive model is broken Across the manufacturing sector, warranty and support costs regularly consume 2–5 % of revenues. At that scale, doing nothing to anticipate issues is simply not viable. Traditional workflows run reactively: a problem becomes visible only after an owner complains, a dealer raises a repair order, or a claim is submitted. By the time those issues arise, the damage is often already done; customers are inconvenienced, brand trust is eroded, and supply-chain disruptions are underway. At Tavant, we observe the same pattern repeat itself over and over: teams spend 80% of their time identifying the issue and only 20% actually resolving it. Progress slows because the information they need is scattered across dealer repair orders, call-center notes, IoT logs, parts movements, technical service records, social posts, even photos and audio. Most of this data is unstructured (free text, images, PDFs), spread across multiple European languages, and crucially, much of it never connected back to the manufacturer at all. This is the leakage that keeps organizations on the back foot, and it’s precisely the gap an Early Warning System (EWS) is designed to close. What “Early Warning System” really means A condition materializes (the true starting point), long before anyone is aware. If the owner notices, they may go to a shop. The shop decides whether the issue is covered; if not covered, the signal often never reaches the manufacturer, resulting in lost data. Even when it does, it can be weeks or months after the first hints appeared, in call transcripts on social media or in error-code streams. Two things must be fixed: Latency: shrink time-to-awareness between occurrence and OEM visibility. Leakage: capture signals that currently die in dealer systems, local files, and informal channels. The response is not another dashboard. It is a data and decision fabric designed to bring signals forward and convert them into timely action. The architecture of proactive service Tavant’s approach is straightforward and proven in aftermarket and service-heavy environments: Unify the data you already own Bring dealer repair orders, customer calls, warranty claims, IoT/telematics, parts consumption, service/TSB records, and social feedback into a central service data hub with connectors and APIs to your core systems (SAP, Jira, survey platforms, and others). Think of this as creating an always-on “context layer” for service. Enrich what’s messy A GenAI layer cleans the input, resolves entities (such as products, causal parts, and customers), translates multilingual text, corrects typos and free text, and transcribes audio. This is the difference between reading thousands of unstructured notes and receiving decision-ready signals. Correlate and detect patterns Analytics models (including forecasting, trend detection, Pareto analysis, and anomaly detection) examine multiple sources to identify emerging issues, rather than simply confirming what’s already visible. For field teams, the output is intuitive: failure clusters grouped by product/series, causal part, geography, or symptoms. Prioritize, then route Every cluster is scored for risk and impact, so engineering, quality, and service leaders focus on what matters now. Workflows push each item through different stages (Detect → Investigate → Monitor → Close), creating a single trail for corrective actions, countermeasure validation, and (when needed) campaigns or recalls. The system surfaces the business outcomes quality leaders care about most: Data Enrichment Market impact ($) Failure Rate % Per Incident cost ($) Priority Ranking Root Cause Determination Part Consumption Counter Measure Validation Causal Part Identification Campaign Planning The result is not just speed, it’s consistency. When service teams see the same cluster, the same severity score, and the same trendline, debate narrows to what to do next. Success Story: Proof that predictive beats reactive A large engine OEM centralized more than 98,000 claims and applied AI-driven workflows with this approach. The outcomes: >83% of claims are auto-approved by rules, cycle time is reduced from weeks to hours, throughput increases with a flat headcount, and customer satisfaction rises from 30% to 83%. These kinds of results, which we’ve seen in implementations globally, demonstrate that the investment in predictive service isn’t just about cost‑avoidance; it’s about unlocking growth. Read more Why this matters for European Manufacturers Early warning isn’t just a cost story; it’s a resilience and regulatory story: Multilingual operations: Enrichment and translation reduce friction across Europe’s service footprint, normalizing technician notes and customer language into usable signals. Safety and brand protection: Faster triage creates earlier visibility for potential safety issues, critical in markets with stringent product-safety regimes and rapid consumer-protection escalation. Sustainability and circularity: When you identify defects sooner, you avoid scrap, rework, and excessive parts consumption, supporting European sustainability goals while protecting gross margin. Customer experience at scale: Prioritized clusters help you address the right issues first, improving first-time-fix, reducing repeat visits, and increasing CSAT, especially valuable for pan-EU service networks. Conclusion For European manufacturers, the ability to pivot from reactive support to predictive service is no longer optional; it’s critical. By embracing a modern AI-powered Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) solution, OEMs, Suppliers, Dealers, and Distributors can connect their aftermarket operations into a single, coherent lifecycle, enrich and interpret their service data intelligently, and act faster, smarter, and with greater customer focus. The result? Fewer failures. Faster resolution. Stronger customer trust. And a service operation that delivers growth, not just cost-cutting. If you’re still waiting for the next service call to appear, you’re already one step behind. Now is the time to modernize. Explore Tavant’s SLM solution suite and learn more about how AI-powered Service Lifecycle Management is transforming aftermarket operations: learn more. This article was originally published by Tavant on The Manufacturer.
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Transforming Aftermarket Experiences: The Power of Service Lifecycle Management
The significance of providing exceptional aftermarket services cannot be overstated in today’s times as organizations strive to meet the dynamic expectations of their customers and stay competitive. Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) emerges as a powerful solution, seamlessly integrating various aspects of post-sales support to create a connected and customer-centric experience. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the multifaceted features of SLM, exploring how it revolutionizes field service, warranty management, service contracts, service parts management, customer service, supplier recovery, service intelligence, recalls, auditing, and service quality. Additionally, we’ll shed light on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Advanced Analytics are playing a pivotal role in powering SLM. Customer Service: SLM enhances customer service by providing a 360-degree view of customer interactions and service history. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants enable quick issue resolution, while predictive analytics anticipates customer needs, ensuring a proactive approach to service delivery. Warranty Management: SLM enables efficient warranty management by automating claims processing, tracking warranty periods, and ensuring compliance. AI algorithms can predict potential warranty issues, allowing organizations to take preventive actions before problems escalate, ultimately saving costs and improving customer trust. Service Intelligence: Harnessing the power of AI and Advanced Analytics, SLM provides actionable insights into service performance. Predictive analytics identifies trends and areas for improvement, empowering organizations to make data-driven decisions and continuously enhance service quality. Field Service: SLM streamlines field service operations by optimizing technician scheduling, route planning, and real-time communication. AI-driven predictive maintenance ensures proactive service, reducing downtime and enhancing overall customer satisfaction. This feature is particularly beneficial for industries relying heavily on equipment maintenance, such as manufacturing and healthcare. Service Parts Management: Effective inventory management is crucial in providing timely service. SLM optimizes service parts logistics, minimizing stockouts and excess inventory. AI algorithms predict demand patterns, ensuring that the right parts are available when needed, reducing lead times and costs. Service Contracts: The management of service contracts becomes seamless with SLM, providing a unified platform to create, manage, and renew service agreements. AI-powered analytics can identify upsell opportunities and recommend personalized contract options based on historical data and usage patterns. Recalls and Auditing: SLM ensures a rapid response to product recalls by efficiently tracking affected units and managing the entire recall process. Advanced analytics aids in auditing, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and providing a comprehensive overview of service processes. Supplier Recovery: SLM facilitates collaboration with suppliers by streamlining communication, order processing, and performance tracking. AI analyzes supplier data to identify potential risks, enabling organizations to proactively address issues and maintain a reliable supply chain. Service Quality: Continuous improvement is at the core of SLM, as it enables organizations to monitor and enhance service quality. AI-driven analytics identify patterns in customer feedback, allowing companies to address issues promptly and refine their service offerings. Final Thoughts Service Lifecycle Management is a game-changer in the aftermarket services landscape, fostering seamless and connected experiences for both businesses and customers. The integration of AI and Advanced Analytics adds an extra layer of intelligence, enabling organizations to not only meet but exceed customer expectations. As industries evolve, embracing SLM becomes imperative for those aiming to stay ahead in the competitive market, delivering unparalleled post-sales support and solidifying customer loyalty. Tavant SLM solution is a comprehensive solution suite comprising of products and services designed to empower manufacturing ecosystem by simplifying and streamlining service lifecycle management processes.
Service Contracts in Manufacturing: A Blueprint for Revenue Growth and Customer Loyalty
In today’s competitive manufacturing landscape, the imperative to stay ahead transcends the realm of producing high-quality products. Service contracts have evolved into a strategic cornerstone for manufacturers, providing an additional revenue stream, fostering customer loyalty, and delivering crucial insights into customer expectations. The symbiotic relationship between service contracts and manufacturer success hinges on the ability to consistently exceed customer expectations while capitalizing on the wealth of data generated through service interactions. Let’s explore the various advantages of Service Contracts in Manufacturing below: Diversifying Revenue Streams Service contracts offer manufacturers a dependable additional revenue source, extending far beyond the initial product sale. Ongoing services such as maintenance, repairs, and upgrades create a steady income throughout the product’s lifecycle. This predictable revenue ensures financial stability and facilitates better planning and investments in research and development. As manufacturers bolster their ability to innovate, they gain a competitive edge, positioning themselves as dynamic entities capable of adapting to the market’s ever-changing demands. Building Long-Term Customer Loyalty The significance of service contracts goes beyond monetary gains; they play a pivotal role in nurturing enduring customer relationships. Offering comprehensive service packages leads to increased customer loyalty. Timely resolution of issues, proactive preventive maintenance, and efficient support contribute to positive customer experiences. These positive experiences foster loyalty and potentially translate into repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals, further solidifying a manufacturer’s market position. Insights from Service Interactions Every service interaction allows manufacturers to gather valuable data about their products and customer needs. The nuanced analysis of service contract data yields insights into common issues, usage patterns, and emerging trends. This treasure trove of information becomes a potent tool for continuous improvement. Manufacturers can enhance product design, identify areas for innovation, and proactively address customer concerns, ultimately ensuring their offerings remain in sync with evolving market dynamics. Tailoring Products to Customer Needs Armed with a profound understanding of customer expectations, manufacturers can tailor products and services to better align with those needs. Whether introducing new features, optimizing existing functionalities, or addressing pain points highlighted by service interactions, manufacturers can continually refine their offerings to resonate with customer preferences. This not only boosts customer satisfaction but also positions the manufacturer as a customer-centric entity capable of adapting swiftly to evolving market demands. Proactive Maintenance and Risk Mitigation Service contracts empower manufacturers to adopt a proactive approach to maintenance, substantially reducing the likelihood of product failures and downtime. Predictive analytics derived from service data allow manufacturers to identify potential issues before they escalate. This proactive stance facilitates timely interventions, minimizing disruptions for customers and enhancing the overall product experience. Furthermore, it instills confidence in customers regarding the manufacturer’s commitment to delivering reliable products. Strategic Expansion Opportunities Beyond the immediate benefits, service contracts open avenues for strategic expansion. Manufacturers can explore additional service offerings, creating new revenue streams and diversifying their portfolio. This strategic expansion reinforces financial stability and positions manufacturers as comprehensive solution providers capable of addressing a spectrum of customer needs. Final Thoughts In conclusion, service contracts represent a multifaceted strategy for manufacturers to secure additional revenue, build customer loyalty, and gain invaluable insights into customer expectations. To unlock these benefits, manufacturers must prioritize meeting and exceeding customer expectations in their service offerings. By leveraging the data generated through service interactions, manufacturers can address immediate concerns and position themselves as dynamic entities capable of adapting to the ever-changing landscape of customer needs and preferences. As the manufacturing industry evolves, service contracts emerge as a vital tool for those seeking to survive and thrive in a customer-driven marketplace.
From Warehouse to Customer: The Strategic Journey of Service Parts in Service Lifecycle Management
Within the aftermarket world, service parts management assumes a pivotal role in upholding customer satisfaction and operational excellence. This blog explores the role of service parts management, its far-reaching influence on various stakeholders, and the nuanced challenges it presents alongside strategic solutions. The Significance of Service Parts in Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) Aftersales service transcends mere technical support; it is a commitment to upholding customer satisfaction and brand integrity. Service parts help in product longevity and performance, facilitating timely repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. Service Parts Management (SPM) is not just a logistical function; it is the backbone that reinforces trust, loyalty, and an enriched customer experience, solidifying a brand’s reputation for reliability and support. By harnessing the synergies across interconnected SLM modules, organizations can attain greater agility, visibility, and control over their spare parts operations. This, in turn, leads to the maximization of service parts availability, minimization of costs, and the facilitation of sustainable growth. Customer & Field Service – The seamless orchestration of service parts ensures that orders are initiated promptly when service requests or work orders are raised. Real-time visibility into service activities enables proactive planning and inventory management to meet the dynamic demands of the service domain. SPM acts as the linchpin, aligning service parts orders with contractual obligations and minimizing errors and disputes. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also maintains compliance with contractual commitments. Warranty Management – An often overlooked facet of SPM is its role in warranty management. It allows for the automatic identification of warranty-eligible parts, streamlining the process of identifying, ordering, and replacing parts covered under warranty. Enhanced visibility into warranty claims and coverage aids in optimizing service parts inventory, ensuring that organizations are well-equipped to fulfill their warranty commitments. Service Campaign Management – SPM facilitates proactive identification of parts subject to recalls or service campaigns. This proactive stance ensures the timely fulfillment of replacement parts, mitigating risks associated with non-compliance or safety issues. The interconnected nature of SPM within the broader SLM framework ensures that organizations are not only responsive but also preventative in their approach to potential issues. Supplier Recovery – A crucial aspect of SPM is the improved visibility into supplier recovery processes. This transparency helps in tracking returns, processing refunds or replacements, and optimizing inventory levels to minimize financial losses. Synchronized efforts between organizations and suppliers foster a mutually beneficial relationship, contributing to streamlined supply chains and shared growth. Service Quality Management – SPM goes beyond logistics; it enables organizations to monitor and analyze parts performance metrics and quality. Key indicators such as fill rates, lead times, and order accuracy are closely tracked, providing insights into the effectiveness of service operations. This data-driven approach empowers organizations to continuously enhance service quality. Service Contracts For organizations operating within contractual frameworks, SPM ensures that service parts orders align with contractual obligations and service level agreements (SLAs). This meticulous alignment minimizes errors and disputes, thereby improving customer satisfaction and maintaining compliance with contractual commitments. Service Parts Management At the heart of it all lies the centralization of service parts management within an integrated SLM solution. This not only streamlines end-to-end service parts lifecycle processes but also provides data-driven insights. These insights, derived from integrated modules, enable predictive analytics and optimization algorithms to anticipate service parts demand. This, in turn, optimizes stocking strategies and ensures the timely availability of critical parts. Connecting Stakeholders: OEMs, Suppliers, Dealers, and Customers Service parts management serves as the nexus connecting a myriad of stakeholders within the aftersales ecosystem. This interconnected network collaborates harmoniously to ensure that the right part is at the right place at the right time, delivering superior service experiences and driving operational excellence. Suppliers – Effective communication, shared data, and synchronized efforts between suppliers and organizations contribute to streamlined supply chains and mutual growth. SPM acts as a bridge, facilitating this collaboration and ensuring that suppliers play a pivotal role in supplying high-quality components on time. OEMs – For Original Equipment Manufacturers, the efficient supply and management of service parts are not merely logistical puzzles but strategic imperatives. It contributes to brand integrity, customer satisfaction, revenue growth, and the ability to uphold warranty commitments. Additionally, it plays a pivotal role in fostering customer loyalty and repeat business. Dealerships – Dealerships serve as frontline ambassadors, providing expert guidance and support to customers seeking service parts and aftersales services. Their role in the aftersales ecosystem is critical, and SPM ensures that they have the necessary tools and information to serve as trusted service partners. Customers – For customers, service parts become the lifeline for maintaining and repairing their cherished products. The availability of the right service parts at the right time directly influences the customer experience, shaping perceptions of brand reliability and customer care. Challenges in Service Parts Management: Solutions for Success Understanding challenges in service parts management and implementing strategic solutions is crucial for unlocking untapped potential and ensuring operational excellence. Demand Forecasting and Inventory Optimization Inaccurate demand forecasting and suboptimal inventory levels can lead to stockouts or excess inventory, impacting customer satisfaction and operational costs. The solution lies in implementing advanced analytics and forecasting models that leverage historical data, customer trends, and market insights to predict demand accurately. Additionally, employing inventory optimization techniques such as ABC analysis and just-in-time inventory helps optimize stocking levels and minimize carrying costs. Parts Obsolescence and Shelf-Life Management Managing parts obsolescence and shelf-life expiration poses a significant challenge, particularly for components with limited usage or those susceptible to degradation over time. Excess and obsolete inventory tie up valuable resources and can result in significant financial losses. The solution involves regularly reviewing service parts inventory and implementing proactive strategies such as phase-out plans and shelf-life management protocols. Prioritizing the use of First-In-First-Out (FIFO) or First-Expired-First-Out (FEFO) methods helps mitigate the risk of expired inventory. Supply Chain Disruptions and Lead Time Variability Supply chain disruptions and lead time variability can result in delayed service parts delivery and customer dissatisfaction. The solution lies in diversifying the supplier
How to Improve Collaboration Between Your Developers and Testers
This proverb “a Tester & Developer are not two distinct entities but have adopted separate routes towards one common objective” is true to its words. While testers and developers think differently, their collaboration improves communication and mutual understanding. Only together will developers gain a deeper understanding of the benefits that thorough testing brings to the software development process. In contrast, developers can help to inform testers of any technical constraints and provide insights into potential implementation challenges. Through collaboration and sharing knowledge and perspectives, testers and developers stand to share much. Here are some suggestions for promoting developer and tester cooperation: Early involvement of testers: Involve testers early in the development cycle, such as during requirement-gathering and design conversations. It allows testers to be able to give good feedback and identify potential test scenarios or problems to help them better understand the system and its intended purpose. Regular connects and communication channels: Set up ongoing meetings and communication pipelines among testers and developers to discuss requirements in detail, share updates, and address issues and concerns, if needed. This fosters transparency and ensures everyone is on the same page. Partnership in test planning: Promote collaboration between developers and testers during the process of test planning tasks. Testers will provide expertise in creating test scenarios and test case development, while developers will provide expertise in identifying risk areas and gaps in test coverage. Collaborative test case reviews: Run joint Test Case Reviews where developers and testers work together, reviewing test cases and providing comments. It helps align understanding, define specs, and establish any missing scenarios. Edge conditions or corner cases could be known to developers but might not have been considered by the testers. Continuous integration and automation testing: Use automated testing and continuous integration practices to have code integrated and tested throughout the day(s). Shared responsibility for the testing process allows developers to be part of the building/maintaining the automated tests, resulting in more time in the feedback loop and less burden on testers. Pair programming and coupling sessions: Promote tester and developer participation in Pair Program/pairing sessions — for working together on a particular feature or task. It promotes the sharing of know-how, and cross-training helps you learn more about what your peers do, as well as their perspectives and struggles. Continuous feedback and retrospectives: Collaboration needs to be evaluated through retrospectives as well as regular follow-up sessions. Encourage both testers and developers to provide constructive and open feedback to identify where improvements can be made and what has been done well. It provides an iterative feedback cycle that optimizes collaborating processes and fosters a culture of constant iteration. Knowledge-sharing sessions: Arrange lunch-n-learn sessions/Knowledge-sharing sessions where testers and developers can come together and speak about new topics they learned, share their experiences, or do some interactive workshop. Learning and sharing our experiences will create a fertile ground for sharing experience/knowledge transfer across borders. By implementing the above mentioned points, testers, and developers can collaborate more successfully and help produce high-quality software. Now, here are some insightful lessons that each group can pick up from the other: 1.Testers can learn from developers: Code quality with performance optimization: Writing clean, performant, and easy-to-maintain code is usually something developers are good at. From Developers — Testers can learn coding best practices to write better automation scripts and create reusable test cases, which will help improve test code quality. Developers can educate testers on optimizing the application, i.e., finding slow, high-resource locations (memory), detecting and fixing bottlenecks, and using profiling tools. Performance testing info can be used by testers to create performance tests or to identify performance issues. System architecture: Developers know very well how everything works and how the pieces fit together in the system architecture. Testers can use the architectural expertise inherent in development teams to identify potential hotspots and build tests aimed at core functionality. Technical skills: Programming languages, frameworks, and design patterns are valuable knowledge a developer can pass on to a tester based on their technical expertise. It can help testing teams better understand the implementation and write tests that are much better than before. Testability: By learning how developers write testable code, they can build better test cases, which leads to more reliable and sustainable test suites. Developers should advise regarding strategies such as dependencies injection, mocking, and modular design, which aid in testing the code. 2.Developers can learn from testers: Domain knowledge: Testers know the business domain and end-user requirements very clearly. They can share their domain knowledge with programmers who help them understand how their software will run within different environments. This data can give developers a leg up on identifying what users really need from a feature and how to design it accordingly. User perspective: During testing, testers often consider how end users use the application. Developers can learn from real-world user interaction, understand their pain points, detect usability issues, and make informed design decisions catering to the user’s needs if they work closely with testers. Test design and Test automation: Testers focus on designing testing processes where fallacies come to light and the system’s functionality gets validated. Testers can train developers on test design principles like boundary value analysis, equivalence partitioning, or ad hoc/exploratory testing. Developers can use these strategies as they develop to build better unit tests, which will find problems sooner rather than later. Testers know how to generate auto-tests. Testing folks can offer developers their insights on various test automation frameworks, tools, and practices. This insight allows developers to craft Unit tests, Integration Tests, and even Auto UI tests, leading to better Test coverage during the development process. Adaptability and resilience: Testers often face evolving requirements, tight deadlines, and changing priorities. They develop resilience and adaptability to deal with these challenges. Testers demonstrate skills in dealing with uncertainty, flexibility, and the ability to deliver value in an agile or iterative context — this is something developers can learn. Tavant is actively exploring and integrating these
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Supercharging Service Contracts for Success: The Analytics Advantage
In today’s digital age, data is continuously generated from various sources, and businesses have access to vast amounts of valuable information. However, managing and extracting insights from this data can be a daunting task without the aid of advanced technology and analytics. This is particularly true for Service Contracts, where the success of these agreements depends on understanding customer behavior, equipment performance, market trends, and more. By leveraging advanced analytics, OEMs can effectively navigate through the sea of data, gaining actionable insights to make informed decisions. The true potential of advanced analytics lies in its ability to revolutionize service contract offerings, leading to improved operational efficiency and enhanced customer satisfaction. By embracing analytics-driven service contracts, OEMs can create a win-win situation, ensuring their consumers receive fair and transparent pricing, optimized contract options, and proactive support Let’s explore some of the key analytics options and understand how they drive business value for both OEMs and their customers: • Pricing Analytics Pricing Analytics empowers OEMs to understand price elasticity and set competitive contract prices that maximize profitability. By leveraging statistical modelling, machine learning algorithms, and market research, OEMs can analyze historical data, market trends, customer behavior, and contract performance. This analysis allows them to identify pricing patterns and optimize contract prices, ensuring both profitability and value for their customers. • Portfolio Optimization Portfolio Optimization involves tailoring service contract offerings to match customer needs while maximizing profitability. Through customer segmentation, contract performance analysis, and market demand evaluation, OEMs can identify the most valuable combinations of service contracts. This ensures customers get the precise coverage they require, leading to enhanced equipment performance and reduced downtime. • Profitability Analysis for Informed Decision Making By analyzing the financial performance of service contracts, OEMs can identify high-profit contracts and optimize low-profit ones, leading to overall enhanced profitability and sustainable growth. This analytics-driven approach enables OEMs to allocate resources effectively, prioritize contract management efforts, and make data-driven decisions that impact the bottom line positively. • Internet of Things (IoT) Analytics Utilizing IoT Analytics, OEMs can proactively address equipment maintenance needs, minimize downtime, and improve equipment reliability, ultimately resulting in higher customer satisfaction. IoT-connected devices provide real-time data on equipment health, usage patterns, and potential failures, enabling OEMs to take timely and informed actions. • Data Analytics for Enhanced Insights and Decision MakingBy applying machine learning, data mining, and predictive modelling, OEMs can gain deeper insights into contract performance, customer behavior, and market dynamics. This enables them to identify trends, predict service demand, anticipate customer needs, and optimize service contract offerings for greater customer value. • Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics Efficient Equipment SurveillanceRemote monitoring and diagnostics allow OEMs to keep track of equipment health, detect issues, and provide timely support without physical presence. This reduces response time, lowers service costs, and ensures efficient resource allocation, resulting in quick problem resolution and improved operational efficiency for customers. • Service Demand Forecasting for Effective Resource Planning By proactively aligning resources with anticipated service demand, OEMs can optimize service delivery, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce operational costs. Through historical data analysis, market trend evaluation, and predictive modelling, OEMs can accurately forecast service demand and plan their resources accordingly. Benefits of Service Contracts with Advanced Analytics Impact on Revenue Generation in Service Contracts: Optimized pricing, portfolio, and profitability analysis lead to increased revenue generation for OEMs, while customers benefit from fair and competitive pricing. Enhanced Equipment Performance: IoT Analytics and remote monitoring ensure better equipment reliability and performance, reducing downtime for customers and enhancing their operational efficiency. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Advanced analytics enables OEMs to make informed decisions based on data insights, resulting in better strategic planning and resource allocation. Cost Optimization: By identifying high-profit contracts and optimizing low-profit ones, OEMs can effectively manage costs and improve overall profitability. Improved Customer Satisfaction: With proactive support, personalized service contracts, and optimized offerings, customers experience higher satisfaction levels, fostering long-term relationships with OEMs. Final Thoughts Embracing advanced analytics in service contracts is the key to unlocking operational efficiency and profitability for OEMs while ensuring customers receive unparalleled value and support. By harnessing the power of data through analytics, businesses can stay ahead in today’s competitive landscape and offer their consumers a truly transformative service contract experience.
Driving Innovation in Warranty and After Sales: The Role of Generative AI in the Manufacturing Industry
Generative AI has gained significant prominence worldwide in 2023, transforming the way researchers, enthusiasts, and software developers tackle machine learning and artificial intelligence challenges. Generative AI is an artificial intelligence subfield that can create content in the form of text, images, music, and code. A massive amount of text data is used to train these models. Let us examine some use cases of these models in the manufacturing industry. Text Generation and Summarization: Large language models can generate text in a conversational and human-friendly manner. These models support several languages and aid in use cases such as producing content for marketing and sales departments, supporting developers with code documentation, and assisting developers in understanding the code written. Long-format papers can be summarized using Generative AI models to deliver precise, context-relevant information. Summarization can be tailored to the user’s preferences. Semantic Search Systems: These models can be used to build search and knowledge-based systems that can recognize the context in user queries and return relevant information, enhancing user acceptability and search experience over traditional keyword-based search systems. Question and Answering Systems: The generative models may also answer user queries by recognizing the context of the query and generating answers utilizing knowledge learned from massive amounts of data relevant to the user inquiry. Synthetic Data Generation: Generative models, with their vast knowledge base comprising massive amounts of data, may generate synthetic data for experiments and training machine learning models in situations where real-world data is unavailable. Image Generation: Generative models can create images with various artistic styles, settings, and colors. These are useful in generating synthetic images to aid users in machine learning modeling. Applications in Manufacturing – Warranty and After Sales Claim Process Optimization: Warranty dealers and claim processors can use Generative AI models to revolutionize question-answering systems by answering queries with interpretable and appropriate reasoning by understanding the context and semantics of queries using a large number of documents. The systems shorten the procedure and optimize it. Customer service and support: Using generative language models such as GPT3.5 and GPT4, personal assistants and chatbots can be constructed to aid customer support teams in addressing client inquiries and issues relating to warranty, claim procedures, and troubleshooting steps. These models can also help with faster claim processing and provide a better client experience. Warranty Claim Validation: Claims processors can use Generative models to analyze and validate dealer claims. These models use warranty information, product specifications, and claim information to identify patterns of fraudulent claims and make decisions to automate the validation process, prevent fraud, and speed up claim settlement. Recommendations: Using usage patterns and historical data, large language models can provide individualized recommendations to clients and dealers regarding warranty coverage and upgrades. Text Sentiment Analytics: Customer evaluations and feedback can assist warranty providers and dealers in improving their service, identifying and resolving reoccurring issues, and enhancing the overall customer experience. Without the need for training, generative models can assist in determining the sentiment of the text. These models extract textual patterns and provide reasoning for sentiment prediction. Intelligent Search System: Generative AI models can aid in the creation of a centralized knowledge base that dealers, technicians, claim processors, and warranty providers can use to find and obtain relevant information on claims, warranties, troubleshooting common issues, service manuals, and FAQs. It lets you quickly discover root causes, potential part replacements, SLAs, and applicable resolution actions. It can return relevant search results and citations, as well as supporting content related to the context of the query. Quality Control and Defect Detection: Generative AI algorithms can analyze a large amount of manufacturing data, including sensor readings and images, and process this information to detect defects and patterns identified in the data. Tavant is actively exploring and integrating these cutting-edge features into the highly advanced Tavant Manufacturing Analytics Platform (TMAP). This strategic initiative aims to empower customers with a distinct competitive edge by utilizing advanced Generative AI models. In our initial forays into this dynamic field, we have successfully developed compelling POCs in the domains of chatbots, personalized assistants, and smart-search systems. Leveraging warranty after-sales data, these pioneering POCs deliver unparalleled value to dealers and claim processors. Some of the modules in TMAP where we are exploring Generative AI models are: Warranty – Automate claims processing, identify suspicious information, improve dealer performance, reduce warranty spend, enhance the quality of the claim, and identify anomalies in the image. Price – Recommend optimal parts price, completive pricing analysis, evaluate the performance of pricing strategies, monitor and alert price changes, and segment customers based on their price sensitivity. Quality – Identify product quality issues, failure rates, and areas for improvement by analyzing claims, returns, and repairs. Field – Optimize services using AI Smart search, service & parts demand to forecast, and real-time insights enabling you to improve service quality and enhance customer satisfaction. Contract – Enhance contract performance, improve profitability, mitigate risks, and strengthen customer relationships through personalized contract offerings and optimized prices. Final Thoughts By utilizing the various text content available, such as installation and warranty manuals, service guides, and safety guidelines, Generative AI can transform the manufacturing industry by enabling technicians, dealers, and manufacturers with personalized assistants, chatbots, intelligent search systems, and recommendations. This can assist dealers in providing excellent customer care, as well as business users in identifying potential issues and improving the product and after-sales services.
Transforming Service Quality Management for Automotive Suppliers Driving Efficiency and Revenue Growth
Amidst the fiercely competitive automotive supplier landscape, organizations relentlessly endeavor to enhance their service quality management processes. However, tier 1 suppliers often face challenges in their current Service Quality Management practices. This blog explores the pain points faced by tier 1 suppliers and highlights the importance of adopting a specialized Service Quality Management application to overcome these challenges, revolutionize processes, reduce costs, drive revenue growth, and strengthen partnerships with automotive manufacturers. Streamlining Quality Processes and Reducing Operational Costs: Automotive suppliers face considerable challenges with manual and fragmented data collection processes. These practices lead to inefficiencies, errors, and delays in obtaining critical quality-related information. By leveraging a Quality Management application equipped with OCR capabilities, suppliers can automate data consolidation across the automotive supply chain, eliminating manual data entry and reducing errors. With seamless data integration from various sources through robust APIs, suppliers must use technology to optimize workflows, enhance data accuracy, and ultimately reduce operational costs. Robust 8D Corrective Actions Process: Lengthy and ineffective corrective action processes often lack agility and fail to respond quickly to quality issues, resulting in production disruptions, delays in problem resolution, and increased costs associated with recalls and defects. To address this pain point, suppliers must embrace a specialized Quality Management application for a robust 8D corrective actions process supported by AI/ML technology. By leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning, suppliers can become more efficient in identifying quality issues, performing root cause analysis, and implementing effective corrective actions. This leads to minimizing disruptions, recalls, defects, validating warranty claims, and associated costs, resulting in significant savings and improved product quality. AI/ML-Driven Analytics and Timely Alerts: Another disadvantage for suppliers is a lack of visibility into quality indicators and trends. This lack of predictive insights makes proactive decision-making and identifying emergent quality issues difficult, resulting in wasted improvement and revenue development opportunities. Suppliers must leverage AI/ML-driven analytics and timely notifications to overcome this challenge. Automotive suppliers must capitalize on growing possibilities and maximize their income streams by employing robust predictive analytics capabilities that provide deep insights and projections of market demands and potential obstacles. Furthermore, automated notifications based on specified criteria or quality trends ensure prompt actions, increasing customer satisfaction and revenue potential. Specialized Features for Service Campaigns: Effective management of service campaigns is critical for suppliers to maintain brand reputation, minimize customer impact, and build stronger partnerships with automotive manufacturers. However, challenges in campaign planning, resource coordination, and progress monitoring can hinder the success of these initiatives. Hence, suppliers must excel in their preparation and execution of service campaigns. Wrapping up For tier 1 automotive suppliers, embracing a specialized Service Quality Management application tailored to their unique needs is crucial for driving efficiency, reducing costs, and fueling revenue growth. Industry statistics demonstrate that technology-driven solutions can significantly enhance quality management processes. By addressing the pain points of manual data collection, ineffective corrective actions processes, limited visibility, and service campaign management challenges, suppliers can leverage the benefits of OCR capabilities, a robust 8D corrective actions process, AI/ML-driven analytics and alerts, and specialized features for service campaigns and warranty claims. These improvements enable them to optimize workflows, reduce operational costs, minimize defects, and strengthen partnerships with automotive manufacturers. What’s next? How can you revolutionize your quality management processes, reduce costs, drive revenue growth, and forge stronger partnerships? Look no further; contact us today to learn more about how Tavant’s specialized Service Quality Management application for Tier 1 automotive suppliers can empower your organization and position you for sustained success in the competitive automotive industry.
Why Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is a Game-Changer for the Industry
In today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment, manufacturing organizations are constantly searching for ways to streamline their operations and increase efficiency. One solution that has gained a lot of attention in recent years is Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud. Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is a cloud-based solution that caters specifically to the needs of manufacturers, providing them with a unified platform for account planning and forecasting. This platform offers enhanced transparency and collaboration across the manufacturer’s entire ecosystem. Here are some of the ways that Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud can help transform the manufacturing industry: Real-Time Visibility One of the biggest benefits of Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is that it provides manufacturers with real-time visibility into their operations. This means that they can monitor every stage of the production process, from raw materials to finished goods, and identify any issues or bottlenecks before they become major problems. With real-time data, manufacturers can make more informed decisions, optimize their processes, and respond quickly to changing market conditions. Increased Efficiency Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud also helps manufacturers increase efficiency by automating many of the manual processes that are involved in production planning, scheduling, and inventory management. By automating these processes, manufacturers can reduce the risk of errors, improve accuracy, and free up their teams to focus on more value-added tasks. Improved Collaboration Another key benefit of Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is that it enables manufacturers to collaborate more effectively with their teams, customers, and partners. The solution provides a centralized platform for sharing data, communicating with stakeholders, and tracking progress. This makes it easier for manufacturers to work together with their teams and partners to solve problems, make decisions, and achieve their goals. Better Customer Service Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud also helps manufacturers improve their customer service by providing them with a complete view of their customer’s needs and preferences. With this information, manufacturers can personalize their offerings, provide more accurate delivery schedules, and respond quickly to customer inquiries and issues. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction, repeat business, and referrals. Scalability Finally, Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is designed to be scalable, which means that it can grow and adapt with your business. Whether you’re a small manufacturer just getting started or a large enterprise with complex operations, Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud can be customized to meet your specific needs and requirements. The Manufacturing Cloud is also vital to Salesforce’s Customer 360 suite, empowering manufacturers to provide intelligent field services, lifecycle marketing, channel management, B2B commerce, and other capabilities in a unified view, spanning their entire business. Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud is a game-changer for the manufacturing industry. It provides manufacturers with the real-time visibility, automation, collaboration, customer service, and scalability they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced market. If you’re a manufacturer looking to streamline your operations and increase efficiency, then Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud may be the solution you’ve been looking for. If you’re looking to implement Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud and need expert guidance and support, Tavant is an implementation and consulting partner that can help you on your journey. Tavant is a trusted partner of Salesforce, with years of experience helping manufacturers implement and optimize the Salesforce platform. Their team of experts is well-versed in the nuances of the manufacturing industry, and they can help you tailor the Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud solution to your specific needs and requirements. Tavant’s approach to implementation is thorough and collaborative, with a focus on understanding your business processes and aligning the solution to your goals. We can help you with every aspect of the implementation process, from project scoping and planning to data migration, configuration, and testing. In addition to implementation, Tavant also offers ongoing consulting and support services, helping you get the most out of your Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud investment. We can provide training for your teams, help you optimize your workflows, and provide insights and recommendations for improving your operations. Partnering with Tavant for your Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud journey will ensure a smooth and successful implementation and give you the tools and support you need to transform your manufacturing operations. For more information on how Tavant can help, email us at [email protected].
Revving Up Your Product’s Lifecycle: The Importance of Aftermarket Services and Service Lifecycle Management
Product quality and longevity are crucial for customer satisfaction and the long-term success of any business. However, even the best products require maintenance, repairs, and replacement parts over their life-cycle to ensure continued functionality and customer satisfaction. Therefore, service life-cycle management and aftermarket services are critical for companies to offer.
Connected Service Life-Cycle Management – A data-driven approach to service operations
The immense potential of aftermarket services for the manufacturing industry is a no-brainer. As per industry standards. Aftermarket services comprise 25-30% of the revenues, with a profitability of up to 55% Service parts management is around 15-20% of the revenue, with profitability of up to 50% Service contracts are high margin businesses with a potential to earn anywhere between 30 to 50% According to a recent Deloitte study, the role of aftermarket services in driving customer lifetime value (CLTV) and sustainable profits has become more profound post-COVID-19. With supply chains being disrupted, the service level expectations of customers, especially for complex products, manufacturing, construction machinery, and transport vehicles, have risen manifold. Customers are willing to pay a premium for uninterrupted services and longer-term contracts that can predict support or replacement proactively before their equipment becomes inoperative. It is a new win-win for both OEMs and customers. Deciphering the aftermarket SLM ecosystem of a manufacturer The case for aftermarket services sounds promising, but does it manifest? Does the transition to SLM translate into tangible business gains? What do OEMs need to realize the true potential of their aftermarket services? Currently, a manufacturer’s aftermarket SLM tech stack can have one or many of these components, independent of each other. Service Parts Management: Covers the spectrum of aftermarket parts sales, from direct customer sales, dealer sales, and service centers to custom programs. Warranty Management: End-to-end management of product warranty processes involving product registration, claims processing, contract management, service plans, returns control, and warranty analytics. Field Service Management (FSM): Provide resources to support products in operation at the customer’s point of use. Capabilities span asset management, mobile workforce management, customer portals, service request management, and contract management to ensure the right resources are delivered at the right time. Service Knowledge Management: Manage, collect, and report on every aspect of customer interactions, including online portals, call center operations, training programs, and product health monitoring. Service Network Management: Plan, manage, and expand service operations through organic capabilities to transform service strategies across MRO operations, component repair & exchange, product modifications, and service delivery. Technical Information Management: Technical information storage about design, bill of materials (BOM), reliability data, parts information, configuration data, maintenance data, and production data to lay the foundation for the life-cycle and performance management of a product. On a standalone basis, these systems are certainly helping manufacturers transform their processes. Still, this siloed approach is incapable of value creation as it tends to ignore the complementarities and interdependencies across the ecosystem – OEMs, suppliers, dealers, customers, and service centres. Not only that, but the multiple system approach also leads to a growth slump, as it cripples OEMs’ ability to see complete and accurate data and deploy that data to build a seamless experience for their customers and gain a competitive advantage. As modern enterprises focus heavily on keeping track of their customers’ needs and aim for proactive service delivery to meet their satisfaction levels and drive customer lifetime value over the life-cycle, the need to implement connected SLM has become more pronounced than ever. From SLM to connected SLM – A case for manufacturing Using AI and analytics to create a 360-degree view of the service life-cycle processes for manufacturers, their channel partners, and customers Let’s look at an industrial equipment manufacturer that faced challenges across its service supply chain. The manufacturer wanted to eliminate inefficiencies and ensure maximum service parts availability across its global operations. This required evolution from a location-based inventory model to a centralized inventory management model, which could predict parts requirement, intelligently analyze parts availability, and automatically allocate resources per customer demand. The journey began with designing, building, and implementing SLM solutions to serve use-cases built around industry-specific challenges. The next step was integrating SLM with existing ERP and SAP systems and using analytics and AI to leverage real-time orders and feed them to SLM systems to ensure optimal inventories. This helped the manufacturer drive inventory turnover by 18-20%, increase parts availability by 3-5%, and save inventory costs by millions. Manufacturers must explore the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and analytics tools across processes. IoT devices, or connected devices, help automate data collection from operational equipment to gauge product performance and uptime and diagnose problems. AI and analytics deliver capabilities to derive insights across system uptimes, inventory, service needs, and other functional areas. Unlocking the value of the Convergent SLM Strategy A connected SLM strategy can help build end-to-end interconnected systems that drive optimization across all manufacturing operations. A transition from a pure-play SLM strategy to a connected SLM one enables manufacturers to collect data from field assets, warranty systems, parts management systems, and FSM. This data can be utilized to implement service updates, manage complex technical information, and drive a seamless service experience for end customers. Some other benefits include: Streamlined workflows: Connected SLM solutions can enable organizations to streamline workflows with smart connected products, reduce downtimes, reduce service response times, enhance first-time fix rates, optimize price and parts availability, and reduce costs. Building new service models: Connected SLM solutions can also deliver insights into how products are performing at the customer’s point of use, which can be leveraged to build new service models. Personalizing communication: The connected SLM solutions enhance communication channels by ensuring detailed information is available and curated as per stakeholder needs to perform reactive and proactive service activities. Implementing a feedback loop across the digital thread enables manufacturers to leverage data that serves as input to increase product serviceability and reliability. Manufacturers must explore new revenue streams from real-time engagements with end customers. Smart devices and connected SLM systems will provide capabilities for manufacturers to deliver value-added services, reduce service and parts costs, and adopt a data-driven approach to decision-making.
Top Blogs and Webinars from 2021-Connected Service and Warranty
As we close the year 2021 (and what an incredible year it was), here is a list of our most popular blogs and webinars from this year – the ones our customers showed the most love to, and that answered the most pressing questions. Enjoy! Blogs 1) From Cost Center to a Competitive Advantage: Warranty Management in Manufacturing Today Once considered a cost center, warranty management is taking the front seat in creating seamless aftermarket service experience. 2) Electric Vehicles and their Impact on Automotive Warranty Management The transition to smarter electric vehicles and the potential phasing out of combustion engines is likely to be a game-changer for many. 3) Futuristic Tech: Turning the Wheels of Manufacturing Learn about the advancements in the manufacturing industry with Drones, AR/VR, IoT, and much more for better processes, performance, and protection. 4) Data Analytics: A Catalyst for Change in Service Life-cycle Management Today AI and analytics is critical in addressing service life-cycle challenges, increasing transparency, and creating a rich aftermarket experience. 5) Making Warranty Management Profitable for Manufacturers Traditionally manufacturers offered warranties to buyers to assure them of the quality and longevity of products or services. The industry has progressed a long way. Webinars 6) Connected Service Life-cycle – The Flywheel Effect Opening session at WCM Experience by ‘Women in Manufacturing’ from Tavant, on how smart and simple changes in after-service processes like customer support, service request, service planning, service execution and field service, spare parts management, warranty management, and recalls can create exponential value and set the flywheel to spin faster. 7) Panel Discussion: Service Analytics – Make that Data Work for You! Smart learning models are getting more accurate and changing the way service analytics is driving decision-making. This session explores the decisions that impact machine uptime, service parts pricing, equipment failure, and maintenance demands. 8) Panel Discussion: Service and Sustainability – Reduce, Recycle, Reuse! Timely Service data and insights can impact the bottom line in three ways – fiscal, societal, and environmental. In this session, the speakers from varied Manufacturing backgrounds discuss how service data can benefit sustainability. 9) Connected Warranty and Service in Automotive Industry A discussion on the Automotive warranty trends, the impact of innovative technologies and connected data, and how the Automotive industry is redefining service through connected and optimized service platforms. 10) The Learning machine: Transforming Customer Experience Using Data, Warranty, and Service Contracts Opening keynote by Bob Roberts, Customer solutions leader, Trane Technologies at WCM Conference. Service excellence in a manufacturing and aftermarket industry dictates decisions be made using near-real-time information. To provide a rich and seamless experience to their customers, manufacturers need to improve data visibility, the backbone for delivering cutting-edge services.
Tavant Transforms Service Life-cycle Management with Enhanced Connected Service Experience
SANTA CLARA, CA (September 30, 2021) – Tavant, the global leader in Service Life-cycle Management (SLM), today announced the expansion of its solution suite to enhance service delivery experience, drive sustainability, and capture aftermarket lifetime value. The expanded solution builds a single source of information designed to help OEMs and their suppliers improve how they develop, maintain, and service their products. Powered by AI, the SLM suite will enable manufacturers to gain better insights into end-to-end aftermarket processes like warranty and claims, service parts, field management, predictive maintenance, operating conditions, wear and tear, parts failures, and support. This suite also helps in improving service processes like parts refurbishment, scrap management, parts management, waste management, and optimizing the carbon footprint in the manufacturing ecosystem. “AI and Analytics must be a strategic part of the overall service experience for the manufacturer,” says Aly Pinder, Program Director, Service Innovation at IDC. “In order to make sense of the rich data opportunity within the service life-cycle, organizations will need to rethink all aspects of service life-cycle management including the role of connected machines, devices and efficient processes and how they impact their service business.” “As systems and products become smart and connected, companies today need to emphasize data to drive business decisions. Tavant’s vision is to create a 360-degree view of the service life-cycle processes for manufacturers, their channel partners, and customers. Our future-proof SLM suite gives businesses a competitive advantage by enabling exceptional service experiences for their customers while driving high service revenues,” said Roshan Pinto, Head of Manufacturing, Tavant. “The manufacturing industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Built with a data-first approach, Tavant’s SLM suite is architected to provide a more comprehensive look to the service processes with actionable insights for a far-reaching approach to sustainability and carbon footprint analysis,” Roshan added. To learn more about Tavant’s Service Life-cycle Management Suite. Find Tavant on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact: Len Fernandes Firecracker PR [email protected] (888) 317-4687 ext. 707
Electric Vehicles and their Impact on Automotive Warranty Management
The falling costs of the lithium-ion battery pack, coupled with the rising concern of climate change, in addition to policy incentives, rising incomes, and technological advancements have pushed the adoption and sales of electric vehicles (EV) this last decade. The Growth of the EV Segment Bloomberg NEF’s Electric Vehicle Outlook study forecasts that EVs will hit 10% of global passenger vehicle sales by 2025, growing to nearly 28% in 2030 and 58% in 2040. In the US alone, the number of brands offering EV options will grow from 16 now to at least 40 in 2025, with electric vehicles offering consumers a wide range of segments and price points. In addition to climatic awareness, governments are also driving change. US President Biden began his term with an order to electrify the federal fleet of about 650,000 vehicles, investing in over 550,000 public charging points, and taking initiatives to bolster the domestic supply chain for critical technologies and raw materials. The Impact of EVs on the Automotive Industry All of this indicates that the next decade will see a major shakeup in the automotive industry. One example is an estimation by Ford, which believes that the simplification in the assembly of EVs could lead to a 50% reduction in capital investments and a 30% reduction in labor hours, as opposed to internal combustion engine (ICE) manufacturing. Similarly, as the number of electric vehicle consumers grows, other aspects of the automotive industry including automotive design, supply chains and production processes will undergo a transformation as well. As vehicles become more computer-dependent and less combustion engine related, learning gaps are expanding for technicians and even drivers, as they learn to handle what is essentially a new operational vehicle. EV Trends and Future of Warranty Management The automotive industry is already bracing for a shake-up when it comes to repair and parts management. With the surge in Electric Vehicles across the world, we can expect the OEMs to face an increase in the volume of technical warranty requests from their dealers. And because every vehicle is different, there will be a significant shift in how to handle these claims initially. The service and maintenance of an electric vehicle are likely to be highly different from a typical combustion engine, to which the industry has so far been geared. Not only do EVs have fewer mechanical parts, but some components also (such as plugs and sockets, inverters and powerpack coolers), aren’t part of the existing automotive warranty service. How Connected EVs Change the Repair Game There are also several different types of EVs, such as hybrid and connected vehicles, which could further add more complexity to the issue of long-term service and maintenance. IoT devices are also enabling vehicles to stay connected and detect vehicle failures even before they physically reach the service center. That means connected EVs will offer vehicle owners the ability to self-service and distinguish between actual car failure and driver solvable issues. This will impact automotive servicing to a greater extent as manufacturers may need to include ability to educate the driver if vehicles are brought in with no actual failure. There are also likely to be more auto repairs in the field, as the parts get smaller and more computer-like. This could have a significant cost and operational impact on manufacturer warranties as mechanics (with computerized knowledge) travel to the customer rather than the other way around. Smarter Cars, Smarter Warranty Management To manage this transition, OEMs will need to become smarter about their warranty management processes. By using technology to examine warranty claims, OEMs can bring increased efficiency and transparency into a complex process. This will, in turn, enable OEMs to offer superior customer-centric service. The next generation warranty management software solution leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities in order to identify and understand patterns in warranty claims. Additionally, software solutions such as end-to-end warranty lifecycle management can help OEMs reduce costs in warranty management, increase supplier recovery, and improve aftermarket sales support. Warranty management solutions can also be used to handle increased volumes in claims processing easily. Through machine learning and image recognition, the system can be trained to recognize parts and models automatically, or even detect fraud claims, saving manufacturers a tremendous amount of time and money. Shifting Gears to Stay Ahead The transition to smarter electric vehicles and the potential phasing out of combustion engines is likely to be a game-changer for many. Automotive manufacturers and suppliers are making key investment and technology decisions about the next generation of vehicle and components manufacturing, already. Forward-thinking OEMs will need to tackle their challenges by using technology solutions to enable transparent cooperation with partners to offer sourcing, supply, and maintenance benefits and future proof their business. SOURCES: The future of cars is electric – but how soon is this future? The Auto Industry and EVs: Where We Are and What’s Coming Next, After Years of Crying Wolf? Plugging Into The Future: The Electric Vehicle Market Outlook
Making Warranty Management Profitable for Manufacturers
Traditionally, manufacturers offered warranties to buyers to assure buyers of the quality and longevity of products or services. The manufacturer (or the seller) would typically cover the repair or replacement of the products within a period of time. The industry has progressed a long way from there. With the increasing complexity of production and the supply chain, warranties today include everything from product coverage to customer support and logistics. But today, with distribution and supply chains spanning continents, how do manufacturers stay on top of their warranty information and claims management? What is Warranty Management? IDC Manufacturing Insights defines warranty management as the stages of the warranty process, including registration, claim capture, claims validation, early failure detection, recalls, parts returns, adjudication, extended warranty service, supplier recovery, and reserve optimization. Professional claims management for manufacturers often comprises the paperwork for warranties, checking validity in case of fraudulent claims, and ensuring fast, efficient and cost-effective processing while fulfilling warranty claims. Managing warranties often includes the stakeholders (and their roles) in ensuring customer satisfaction with a product or service. If you are looking for a Warranty Management system that can help you reduce backlog, and minimize claims processing time and paperwork, check out Tavant’s solutions. The Impact of Digitization on Warranty Management With increased digitization, more manufacturers are turning to technology solutions to optimize the warranty management process. While manufacturers have traditionally viewed warranty management as a necessary evil, studies now prove that the right technology can help manage warranty information and claims processes more effectively, which can positively impact revenue. What is Warranty Management Software? Warranty Management software allows manufacturers to optimize their warranty management process by helping them create, monitor, process, and track warranties. Warranty management software enables users to stay on top of claims, coverage, and customer requests across the entire service life-cycle. Today’s warranty software products are also AI-enabled, allowing manufacturers to use machine learning capabilities to automate time-consuming functions. This helps improve the warranty process and ensures a superior level of customer service while delivering profitability. Benefits of a Warranty Management Software In general, warranty management software helps ensure uniform standards in warranty processes while providing increased transparency and communication between manufacturers, suppliers manufacturers. Let’s look at some of the additional specific benefits: Reduce warranty costs Technology can help manufacturers streamline processes in a way that can save time and shorten the service life-cycle, and as a result, reduce costs. APCQ (American Productivity & Quality Center) found that the more digitally mature an organization’s supply chain, the lower the warranty costs. Costs are found to drop from 3.5 % of sales when decisions are made based on analyzing past actions. Improve aftermarket excellence Reduced errors, faster resolutions, and accuracy in troubleshooting are the benefits of a warranty software solution, which improves customer satisfaction and builds a reputation for aftermarket excellence. Gain real-time intelligence Due to the digitization of many aspects of the manufacturing process, proper warranty management can offer manufacturers the ability to view in almost real-time the service experience and product usage across the entire service life-cycle. As data starts getting captured by more connected devices such as IoTs and automated warranty systems, manufacturers can analyze and avail near real-time insights into product performance and service status. Reduce fraudulent activity AI-based systems are using image recognition to identify fraudulent claims in a faster and more cost-efficient way. Machine learning algorithms are trained using thousands of images and can detect real issues against digitally manipulated images or past claims. Improve processes Warranty management software offers a closed-loop approach that can help optimize the claims procedure. By reducing operational discrepancies, warranty management can help manufacturers improve the process incrementally. Increase visibility between teams Often, teams across the service life-cycle don’t have visibility into warranty information, products, assets, and customer information. Access to service data can help all stakeholders have clear communication and visibility, improving collaboration. Optimize revenue Warranty management systems can help reduce losses incurred due to logistic delays or fraudulent claims. Time spent analyzing claims can also be minimized, saving resources and enhancing productivity, which can make warranty management a more cost-effective process. Tavant offers manufacturers an AI-driven, next-generation warranty management solution, which has helped organizations reduce warranty costs, increase supplier recovery, and improve aftermarket excellence. Talk to us for more information. SOURCES: https://tavant.com/products/warranty-management/ https://www.sdcexec.com/sourcing-procurement/article/21196030/apqc-metric-of-the-month-reducing-warranty-costs-as-a-percentage-of-sales https://www.idc.com/
Data Analytics: A Catalyst for Change in Service Life-cycle Management
The past few years have seen manufacturers look at their aftermarket services management in a completely new way. While technology and digitization have largely driven this change, the recent global pandemic has rocketed the drive for remote yet effective service support to ensure that customer requirement are still seamlessly met. Tech Innovations and the Flood Called Data The inadvertent result of this upsurge in digitization has been the data. Data, which is often collected from disparate sources, is now becoming a big challenge and an opportunity for manufacturers. With the adaptation of technology, many manufacturers can capture and utilize data but fail to do so. Why Measurement Matters Data-driven manufacturing is in the realm of being seen as a strategic necessity that can help manufacturers compete effectively. And with the application of analytics, manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors can achieve significant value in speed and operational efficiency. The ability to measure and use data is also leading manufacturers to offer services based on usage, uptime/downtime, and create value for customers through personalization. Let’s look at some of the key uses of data analytics and how it will impact manufacturers. Manage Demand and Supply Chains Data analytics is helping manufacturers understand the cost and efficiency of every aspect of the product lifecycle, from suppliers to customer usage. By analyzing the parameters and conditions that impact the supply chain from all angles, businesses can uncover problems such as hidden bottlenecks or unprofitable production lines. As a result, they gain insight into the conditions that affect the complete profitability of an integrated supply chain and learn how best to capitalize on given conditions. Forecast Demand for Products & Services Manufacturers can combine data with predictive analytical tools to create an accurate projection of purchasing trends. Insights driven by analytics can even help manufacturers understand how well lines are operating, enabling smarter risk management decisions. The ability to analyze when warranties are expiring can also result in additional service revenue channels for manufacturers. IoT solutions for asset management offer real-time alerts, enabling manufacturers to act quickly, and minimize losses from delayed, damaged, or lost goods. Proactive System Maintenance Predictive maintenance is helping manufacturers increase their product lifetimes while preventing downtimes. It analyzes the historical performance data to forecast potential failure and further identify the cause of the problem. This is particularly effective in field service management, where predictive maintenance can result in tremendous savings. According to McKinsey, manufacturers using predictive maintenance typically reduce machine downtime by 30 to 50 percent and increase machine life by 20 to 40 percent. Optimize Machine Efficiencies and Utilization Data analytics can significantly improve assembly-line efficiency by identifying bottlenecks and defects. With advanced analytics, manufacturers can ensure that machines operate at high efficiency, resulting in improved quality and increased productivity. Optimize Inventory and Warehouse Costs Efficiently Advanced analytics can be applied to improve product flow management, which positively impacts inventory operations while reducing unnecessary expenditure. For example, manufacturers can assess fill rates which can reduce stock-outs. Improved insights can help manufacturers know which locations/equipment are operating at an optimized level and improve other production centers and address warehousing deficiencies if any. Final Thoughts Enhancements Across the Service Life-cycle Analytics is enabling manufacturers to scale cloud-based operational intelligence, AI-enabled monitoring, diagnostics, and asset lifecycle management. AI-enabled digital technologies are seamlessly addressing service life-cycle challenges, increasing transparency across the process and functions, and creating a seamless and rich experience for the customers. SOURCES: http://www.wonderware.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/WhitePaper_InvensysandMicrosoft.pdf https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/manufacturing-analytics-unleashes-productivity-and-profitability
Tavant Enables Kubota to Leverage AI to Accelerate Digital Transformation
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan 7, 2021 Tavant, a leading digital products and solutions company, today announced the implementation of AI-powered Tavant Manufacturing Analytics Platform (TMAP) at Kubota Tractor Corporation, a leading manufacturer of machinery equipment. The platform powers the Kubota Quality System (K-QA) to track equipment field defects. The new K-QA system predicts QA codes using AI, ensuring better data quality and greater accuracy in identifying the issues so that they can be resolved faster. The systems are now delivering an accuracy of over 93%. TMAP uses advanced artificial intelligence to generate actionable insights and exposes them with APIs for direct consumption in other systems. TMAP enables manufacturers to achieve cost leadership by improving their aftermarket operational efficiency and to increase revenue by leveraging the latest innovations in data analytics. TMAP KPIs leverage machine learning algorithms to adapt to environmental and process changes. In addition, this solution leverages Tavant’s comprehensive MLOps methodology for the end-to-end automation of the machine learning pipeline. “We are delighted to expand our partnership with Tavant, reflecting our confidence in the company’s strong artificial intelligence capabilities. K-QA now brings a whole new level of accuracy and allows Kubota to find and fix issues faster than ever. The solution also provides warranty analysts and QA engineers insights and powerful tools to look inside the data for emerging trends, root cause analysis, and validation of countermeasures. Overall, the solution is a monumental achievement and provides a lot of value to Kubota, its dealers, and customers,” said Cristoph Nathan, Senior Director, Kubota. “AI-Powered TMAP helps manufacturers unleash the latent information in their data and deliver actionable business insights and predictions. The expansion of our collaboration with an industry leader such as Kubota is a testament to our unwavering commitment, data-driven mindset, and digital capabilities,” said Atul Varshneya, VP of Artificial Intelligence, Tavant. About Kubota Tractor Corporation Kubota Tractor Corporation, Grapevine, Texas, is the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota-engineered and manufactured machinery and equipment, including a complete line of tractors of up to 170 Gross hp, performance-matched implements, compact and utility-class construction equipment, consumer lawn and garden equipment, hay tools and spreaders, commercial turf products and utility vehicles. For product literature or dealer locations, contact: Kubota Tractor Corporation, 1000 Kubota Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051, (888) 4-KUBOTA [(888) 458-2682], Ext. 900, or visit https://www.kubota.com/. Find Tavant on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contacts Vibhor Mishra Tavant 866-9-TAVANT [email protected]
Tavant KK Joins the MuleSoft Partner Program to Enhance Integration Connectivity for Digital Transformation in Japan
TOKYO, Japan, September 24, 2020 Tavant, a leading digital products and solutions company, today announced its partnership with MuleSoft Japan to provide consulting services for MuleSoft’s Anypoint Platform™, provider of the world’s #1 integration and API platform. Anypoint Platform unlocks the power of API-led connectivity, enabling organizations to connect data from any system – no matter where it resides – to deliver truly connected customer experiences. Tavant’s in-depth implementation expertise and industry knowledge, coupled with MuleSoft’s technology, gives clients the support and tools they need to unlock and unify data from the rapidly growing number of apps and systems. With Anypoint Platform, organizations can realize the speed, agility, and innovation at scale. “The average enterprise has data in nearly 900 applications, and only one-third are integrated, leading to disconnected customer experiences across channels. Through its partnership with MuleSoft, Tavant KK is allowing its customers to unlock business capabilities and build application networks that accelerate the speed of IT delivery, increase organizational agility and enable innovation at scale,” said Brent Hayward, senior vice president of global channels and alliances, MuleSoft. “We’re pleased to welcome Tavant KK into MuleSoft’s partner ecosystem and look forward to working together to help our mutual customers deliver connected customer experiences.” As a MuleSoft Partner, Tavant KK helps clients address on-premises, cloud and hybrid integration use cases with scale and ease of use. “We are committed to providing our customers with the best user experience. MuleSoft’s API-led connectivity approach will help us increase efficiency and reduce complexity to integrate our solutions into customers’ application networks and will result in significant cost savings, greater organizational agility, and faster time-to-market. This partnership will add new value to our customers, making it much easier to access, transform, and reuse data from SaaS and legacy applications through well-governed APIs,” said Samya Ghosh, Vice President, Digital Practice, Tavant. Find Tavant on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Anypoint Platform MuleSoft’s Anypoint Platform™ is the world’s #1 integration and API platform. It uniquely allows organizations to use API-led connectivity to unlock their data, empower their business with productized APIs, and create connected experiences, faster. Anypoint Platform is the only solution that offers a single, unified platform for iPaaS and full lifecycle API management, both on-premises and in the cloud. MuleSoft is a registered trademark of MuleSoft, Inc., a Salesforce company. All other marks are those of respective owners. Contacts: Rohit T.R. +81 70 4320 3966 [email protected]
Tavant Manufacturing Analytics Platform Achieves Microsoft Co-Sell Ready Status; Available on Microsoft Azure Platform
SANTA CLARA, Calif., November 7, 2019 Tavant, a leading digital products and solutions company for the manufacturing industry, has announced that its Tavant Manufacturing Analytics Platform (TMAP) is co-sell ready now. Tavant’s “Co-Sell” status will enable Tavant to collaborate closely with Microsoft field sales teams worldwide on targeted enterprise-level customer opportunities and related account planning activities. TMAP uses the latest artificial intelligence techniques to generate actionable insights and exposes them with APIs for direct consumption in other systems. TMAP provides a map for manufacturing companies to achieve cost leadership by improving their aftermarket operational efficiency and to increase manufacturing revenue by leveraging the latest innovations in data analytics. TMAP comes pre-loaded with industry-standard KPIs and insights and allows business users to customize and perform ad-hoc data analysis using various approaches. TMAP KPIs leverage machine learning algorithms to adapt to environmental and process changes. “Customers and partners continue to capitalize on the opportunity and accelerate their digital transformation with our program portfolio and resources. Tavant and Microsoft will jointly work to drive revenue and customer success through our collaborative co-selling initiative and a shared passion for innovative products and services. We are confident that this development will expand Tavant’s reach and connect with a larger customer base in the industry and empower everyone to achieve more,” said Rajiv Sodhi, General Manager – Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft India. “We’re thrilled to co-sell with Microsoft. We believe that the co-selling initiative with Microsoft will enable us to meet the collective needs of our customers and help us grow our businesses by reaching new customers and offering new solutions. Receiving the Microsoft Co-Sell ready status is a testament to Tavant’s ability to distill businesses’ needs and deliver tailored solutions that enable processes to run seamlessly, connect business to technology, and improve efficiency. We look forward to helping organizations compete effectively by leveraging TMAP, which enables organizations to achieve cost leadership, with a focus on operational efficiency and revenue growth. Leveraging Machine learning algorithms, TMAP allows businesses to predict fraud scoring and reserve analysis better,” said Roshan Pinto, Head of Manufacturing Practice, Tavant. “TAVANT has been a truly valuable partner for my organization. Tavant worked with Thermo King to develop a claim analytics module that is fully configured to meet our business needs. The claim analytics module gives us tremendous insights to claim filing patterns, trends, and potential suspect activity. This module has been so successful that it has been fully integrated into our claims processing, auditing, and review selection standard work. Overall, TMAP has been pivotal in making our warranty processes more efficient by lowering the cost of transaction processing and increasing the value of the resulting warranty data. Tavant is not only an industry leader in innovation and system functionality, but they take a personal approach to partnering and collaborating which ensures that our needs as a customer are met,” said Bob Roberts, Customer Solutions Leader, Thermo King. About Microsoft Azure Co-Sell Ready program The Microsoft Azure Co-Sell Ready program is a recent Microsoft initiative that provides comprehensive sales and marketing support for select partners. The program aligns Microsoft’s global salesforce behind select partners to help drive new revenues. Businesses must submit customer references that exhibit successful projects, meet a performance commitment, and pass technology plus sales assessments to be eligible for this. Find Tavant on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Kubota Invests in Enhanced Warranty System with Tavant
GRAPEVINE, Texas August 14, 2018 Kubota Tractor Corporation today announced a significant investment in its procedure for processing warranty claims, including a new partnership with Tavant, a leading provider of aftermarket solutions. Going into effect in early 2019, Kubota will deploy the Tavant Warranty platform as its sole application for handling warranty claims and related aftermarket business processes. The platform will help Kubota enhance its service quality and operational efficiency when processing and tracking warranty claims. Kubota is investing in this improved warranty system to benefit its network of 1,100 dealers nationwide. Tavant’s warranty platform is built to help automate and self-check claims during processing. Upon deployment, the system immediately reduces lead times and accelerates throughput rates. It enables an integrated workflow in which all stakeholders can work toward a common objective to eliminate errors, reduce warranty spend, improve product quality, and enhance end-customer satisfaction. “We chose to reinvent Kubota’s internal warranty process to realize greater transparency and higher efficiency for our dealer network,” said Todd Stucke, senior vice president of marketing, product support, and strategic projects for Kubota Tractor Corporation. “Business processes around warranty claims are part of the services we offer to our stakeholders, and we always want to offer the best products and experiences. This new offering will help Kubota maintain the high level of service and customer satisfaction that is expected from all aspects of our company.” “Because warranty is a complicated process, with hundreds of system components to track and many IT interdependencies, we chose to work with Tavant because of their knowledge of the manufacturing sector and their in-depth experience in the development and deployment of complex enterprise systems,” continued Stucke. Commenting on Tavant’s growing warranty management business, Sarvesh Mahesh, CEO of Tavant, said, “The TWOD platform grew from our extensive work with several manufacturers across the globe. The warranty process was one of the greatest pain points for our clients, so we developed a sophisticated platform to solve challenges in claims processing, supplier recovery, and customer satisfaction. Working with an industry leader such as Kubota is a rewarding validation of our software and of its clear value-add to aftermarket operations.” About Kubota Tractor Corporation Kubota Tractor Corporation, Grapevine, Texas, is the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota-engineered and manufactured machinery and equipment, including a complete line of tractors of up to 170 Gross hp, performance-matched implements, compact and utility-class construction equipment, consumer lawn and garden equipment, hay tools and spreaders, commercial turf products and utility vehicles. For product literature or dealer locations, contact: Kubota Tractor Corporation, 1000 Kubota Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051, (888) 4-KUBOTA [(888) 458-2682], Ext. 900, or visit KubotaUSA.com. Find Tavant on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Tavant Warranty On-Demand Tavant Warranty On-Demand is an AI-powered enterprise warranty platform offered on the Salesforce cloud. The on-demand platform offers end-to-end warranty lifecycle management and is the only solution of its kind on the force.com platform. It provides cross-functional integrations with legacy and ERP systems for data consistency and integrity and enables organizations to reduce warranty costs, increase supplier recovery, and improve aftermarket efficiency. Media Contacts: Kubota Newsroom 877.582.6826 [email protected] Vibhor Mishra Tavant 408.519.5400 | [email protected]
Tavant to Showcase its AI-Powered Warranty Solution at the Warranty Chain Management Conference
Tavant Warranty experts to speak on Parts Return and Minimizing Warranty Costs
Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. Deploys Tavant Warranty System
Santa Clara, Calif. – July 26, 2017 – Tavant, a leading provider of aftermarket solutions for manufacturing industries, announced today that Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA) has deployed Tavant Warranty solution as the company’s sole application for handling warranty claims and related aftermarket business processes. Tavant’s warranty chain management solution is designed to help MCFA enhance its service quality and operational efficiency in the processing and tracking of warranty claims. Tavant Warranty is built on a dynamic business rules engine that helps automate and self-check claims during processing. Upon deployment, the system immediately begins to reduce lead times and accelerate throughput rates. The system enables an integrated workflow in which all the stakeholders can collaborate toward a common objective to eliminate errors, reduce warranty spend, improve product quality, and enhance end-customer satisfaction. “Quality of our products is of the highest priority at MCFA. How well we handle the warranty claim process and how quickly we identify quality concerns, amongst other aftermarket services, has a substantial impact to our business. In today’s technology-driven business environment, efficiency in the back office can be a competitive advantage – and a requirement for ensuring the highest level of customer satisfaction. We chose to reinvent our internal warranty process to realize greater transparency and higher efficiency,” said David Christian, Sr. Manager of Dealer Support for MCFA. “And because warranty is an extremely complicated process, with hundreds of system components to track, and many IT interdependencies, we chose to work with Tavant because of their knowledge of the manufacturing sector and their in-depth experience in the development and deployment of complex enterprise systems,” continued Christian. Commenting on the company’s growing warranty management practice, Sarvesh Mahesh, CEO of Tavant, said, “Our warranty management product grew out of our extensive work with many manufacturers across the globe. The warranty process was one of the greatest pain points across all our clients, so we began to develop a standalone system around this issue based on solving core universal roadblocks in claims processing. The result is that Tavant is now the only company in the world offering a warranty-focused system that is available both on premise and on the cloud. Working with an industry-leader such as Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America for handling the aftermarket business is a rewarding validation of the robustness of our newest manufacturing product—and of its clear value-add to manufacturing operations.” About Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA) Manufacturer of High-Quality Material Handling Equipment Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA) is a leading manufacturer of high-quality forklifts and warehouse products in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Based in Houston, Texas, the company distributes three distinct brands – Mitsubishi forklift trucks, Cat® lift trucks and Jungheinrich® warehouse products – through its extensive dealer network. All products are backed by industry-leading customer service and superior product support. For more information about MCFA or any of its brands, visit Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America, Cat Lift Trucks, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks or Jungheinrich Forklifts. About Tavant Warranty Tavant Warranty is a flexible, user-friendly, and effective one-stop warranty management solution for the complete warranty lifecycle of original equipment manufacturers. Its unique cross-functional integrations structure connects business departments and leads to a rapid reduction in warranty costs and reserves, increased supplier recovery, and enhanced reserves forecasting accuracy. The system results in better work flows for manufacturers, which in turn improves cash flow, thereby improving financial health and profitability for the organization. Learn more about Tavant on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Tavant to speak on Warranty Analytics and Fraud Detection at Warranty Chain Management Conference 2017
Santa Clara, Calif., March 2, 2017: Tavant, a leading global provider of Service Lifecycle Management software, announced it has been invited to speak at the 13th Annual Warranty Chain Management (WCM) conference in Tucson, Arizona, March 7-9, 2017. Tavant will be co-presenting two key papers at the conference on March 8 and 9: Warranty Analytics – Dos and Don’ts Fraudulent Warranty Claims Detection These presentations, in line with Tavant’s commitment to share warranty management best practices, address the rapidly growing demand for effective warranty analytics and management. Tavant will also be launching an analytics platform for the manufacturing industry called TMAP, which uses machine learning techniques to generate actionable insights. “WCM provides a great opportunity for warranty professionals and top manufacturers to learn more about reducing warranty expense through a robust warranty management solution,” said Vibhor Mishra, Global Head of Marketing, Tavant. “We are excited to showcase new products at the event, including a new version of Tavant Warranty.” Meet our experts at Booth #2 at the Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort, Tucson, AZ. Schedule a meeting with our experts: Call us on (866) 9-TAVANT or eMail us at [email protected]. Find Tavant on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact: Vibhor Mishra Tavant. +1 (408) 519-5400 [email protected] tavant.com
Tavant Launches Next Version of its Advanced Warranty Management Solution on Salesforce AppExchange
Santa Clara, Calif., February 15, 2017 – Tavant, a leading global provider of Warranty Management Software, today announced the launch of the latest version of its warranty management application – The ‘Tavant Warranty On-Demand 1.5’ on Salesforce AppExchange. Tavant Warranty On-Demand (TWOD) is the only native warranty management app on Force.com platform. It enables complete warranty lifecycle management and helps reduce warranty costs & reserves, increase supplier recovery, and enhance warranty forecasting accuracy. The all-new version of TWOD is Salesforce lightning compatible and extremely user-friendly. It offers an improved outlook to setting up and automatically enforcing warranty coverage exclusions resulting in increased automatic claims processing. The new release also comes equipped with fully-automated returns management including out-of-the-box integrations with freight carriers and an automated supplier recovery workflow, enabling the customers to recover up to 40% of warranty expenses from component suppliers. “We strive for 100% automation of warranty processes, which empowers warranty teams to focus on improving customer value and satisfaction. The latest version of TWOD allows warranty crews to drastically cut down on claim cycle times by achieving a higher level of process automation,” said Vikas Khosla, Vice-President at Tavant. The release also focusses on service campaigns management – permitting flexibility to setup, manage and recall campaigns and, integrates features like ‘notification to the customer till payment from supplier supporting campaign’. For more information mail us at [email protected]. Find Tavant on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact: Vibhor Mishra Tavant +1 (408) 519-5400 [email protected] tavant.com
Tavant Sponsors the Global Warranty and Service Contracts Association Conference
Santa Clara, Calif., September 20, 2016: Tavant, a leading global provider of warranty management and warranty on-demand software, today announced that it will be the platinum sponsor and exhibitor at the Third Annual GWSCA Conference 2016, to be held at the Palmer House Hotel, Chicago from September 21 to 23. Rohit Lohan and Ashu Kohli, from the Tavant Warranty team, will deliver presentations to address key industry issues. Apart from its cloud and custom application development capabilities, Tavant Technologies will also showcase Tavant Manufacturing Analytics Platform (TMAP) – helping customers with real-time decisions on fraudulent claims, statistical approach for pricing extended warranties, automating claim decision making and leveraging IOT data to improve operational efficiency, such as auto-scheduling of preventive maintenance. “Tavant has leveraged its industry knowledge and expertise to arrive at solutions that help reduce warranty costs, speed up recovery, enhance forecasting and predict fraud claims,” said Vibhor Mishra, head of marketing for Tavant Technologies. “This conference gives us a great opportunity to interact with warranty management and service contracts professionals from leading organizations and showcase our innovative solutions.” Get an opportunity to meet and learn from Tavant Warranty experts at exhibit #9, The Palmer House Hilton Hotel, 17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL. Find Tavant Technologies on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact: Vibhor Mishra Tavant Technologies Inc. +1 (408) 519-5400 [email protected] www.tavant.com
Global Manufacturers to Gather in Chicago for Inaugural Manufacturing ISV Cloud Summit 2016
Santa Clara, Calif., March 14, 2016 – Registration is now open for Manufacturing ISV Cloud Summit 2016, the first event dedicated to helping global manufacturers run their businesses in the cloud. The free event will take place on March 23, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, where manufacturing customers and executives will share how cloud solutions enable them to increase customer responsiveness, lower costs and improve product agility. As part of this event, attendees will hear from the Salesforce manufacturing leadership team on the growing need for front- and back-office transformation through development partners. Salesforce manufacturing-focused partners Propel, Rootstock, ICIX, and Tavant Technologies are joint sponsors of the event. Discussions and demonstrations are expected to focus on mission-critical business processes, including product development, order fulfillment, product compliance, warranty management and field service. Attendees will learn how a cloud platform can support Product Lifecycle Management, ERP, field service and other enterprise business processes. Scheduled speakers include: Achyut Jajoo, Global Industry Lead, Manufacturing Industry Solutions, Salesforce Bruce Richardson, SVP and Chief Strategist, Salesforce Stephen Simons, EVP and CIO, Direct Energy Solar, part of the Direct Energy family with almost $20B in revenue “Manufacturers have spent decades managing the lifecycle of building products, but their foundational business model is transforming with blinding speed. There’s more value being added after the product ships than ever before, and manufacturers have to learn quickly how to manage beyond the product,” explained Cindy Bolt, the Senior Vice President for Manufacturing at Salesforce. “Brands like GE, Honeywell, and Schneider Electric rely on Salesforce and our partners to reengineer their entire operation and unlock new value across the production and distribution cycle. Our Chicago event brings to life the Salesforce partner ecosystem. We’ll highlight how manufacturers leverage our solutions to unlock their siloed legacy data and bring new value to customers and new opportunities to their brands.” “Modern manufacturers need to look at the big picture of developing, manufacturing, selling, servicing and retaining customers,” said Ray Hein, CEO of Propel. “Because Propel is built on the Salesforce App Cloud, we easily integrate with solutions like Tavant to help everyone in a manufacturing company and all their partners see all the customer, product and service information needed for product innovation and business success.” “Manufacturing companies are always looking for ways to streamline their supply chain, improve quality and lower product costs,” said Pat Garrehy, CEO of Rootstock. “Rootstock and other Salesforce partners like ICIX now allow global manufacturers to continue to lower costs and improve business agility by easily sharing product, customer and business information across people, companies and systems.” Find Tavant Technologies on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Propel At Propel, we make PLM that’s made for everyone. Created by Product Lifecycle Management and cloud veterans, Propel helps everyone connect with your customers, products and services, so you can propel innovation and propel your business. With Propel, you can easily manage all the hardware, software, services, and customer information that help customers embrace your products. Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, Propel is a modern PLM solution built 100% on the Salesforce App Cloud. For more information, visit www.propelPLM.com. About Rootstock Rootstock Software® is a proven provider of powerful and nimble manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions built and deployed on the Salesforce App Cloud(the world’s #1 cloud computing platform). The Rootstock solutions enable real-time management of manufacturing, distribution and supply chain operations from front to back, anytime and anywhere. The company’s manufacturing, distribution and supply chain apps integrate “out of the box” with Salesforce Sales Cloudand other ERP-centric applications written on the Salesforce App Cloud. With unparalleled executive experience in manufacturing and distribution software and an established base of installed and implemented cloud customers, Rootstock offers a better and more reliable way to plan and execute required activities, deliver essential information to all parts of the organization, and improve timely and informed business decision making. The Rootstock apps also provide the control and visibility required to elevate the total performance of manufacturing, distribution and supply chain operations. Rootstock is available on the Salesforce AppExchange, the world’s leading marketplace for business apps. To learn more, visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/RootstockSoftware or visit http://www.rootstock.com. About ICIX ICIX helps the retail industry’s leading companies collaborate across trading partner networks to achieve Active TransparencyTM. ICIX solutions enable companies to safeguard consumers, protect their brand, and build trust – all while improving margins. Its cloud-based SaaS platform brings unparalleled visibility and efficiency to the extended supply chain for product safety, compliance and corporate social responsibility. Over 20,000 businesses are active members of the ICIX network, including leading retailers and manufacturers, their trading partners and over 50 testing, inspection and certification companies. For more information about the company and its portfolio of products, visit icix.com. Media Contact: Vibhor Mishra Tavant Technologies [email protected] +1 (408) 519 5400
Tavant selected to Exhibit in the Customer Showcase Pavilion at Dreamforce 2015
SANTA CLARA, Calif., September 9, 2015— Tavant, a leading global provider of specialized software solutions, today announced that it has been chosen to exhibit in the customer success showcase area at Dreamforce 2015, September 15 – 18. As a key Salesforce.com Cloud Alliance and AppExchange partner, Tavant Technologies enables its customers to get the maximum out of their cloud investments. You can meet Tavant at Kiosk 57, Level One, Moscone West or in meeting room WMR 20 during the duration of the show. “For years, we have delivered great value to Salesforce.com customers in media, manufacturing, financial services and consumer lending industries, combining customer satisfaction and domain experience with technical expertise to increase efficiency and improve ROI,” said Vibhor Mishra, Director of Marketing at Tavant Technologies. “We’re looking forward to sharing our customer success stories and inspiring others with new ideas for growth at Dreamforce ‘15.” With its custom software solutions, Tavant Technologies is a one-stop shop for Salesforce.com customers, offering a range of services and products. At the event, Tavant will showcase its consulting services, including Cloud advisory services Sales, service and marketing cloud implementation services Custom application development Tavant will also demonstrate Warranty On-Demand, the first end-to-end warranty management solution developed on the Salesforce.com platform. The solution provides a quick and easy solution for manufacturers to keep track of their assets and corresponding warranties, and automate their warranty claim lifecycle. If you’re attending Dreamforce, please stop by Kiosk 57, Level One, Moscone West, or visit Tavant in meeting room WMR 20. You can also email [email protected] to schedule a meeting. Find Tavant Technologies on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media contact: Vibhor Mishra Director of Marketing, Tavant Technologies T: +1 408-519-5400 E: [email protected]
Remanufacturing – Reasons that Make a Rebirth for Old Parts Valuable to Businesses
“Remanufacturing is a standardized industrial process by which a previously sold, worn or non-functional product is returned to the equivalent, or better, condition and function of the new original product. The remanufacturing process incorporates technical specifications and yields a fully warranted product.”– ISO. The remanufactured automotive parts industry is estimated to be an approximate $85-100 billion industry worldwide, as per the reports from the Office of Transportation and Machinery, U.S. Department of Commerce (2011). Let us analyze the reasons that make remanufacturing valuable to businesses. Low-priced: Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA) suggests that about 88% of the original parts are reused in remanufactured machines. Remanufactured products are priced 20-40% lower than equivalent new products and come with an equivalent version of warranty terms. New product warranties cost 1-4% of its sales revenues, and if you do the math, an equivalent remanufactured warranty cost is lesser for the OEMs. The remanufacturing process usually begins with the OEM’s exchange policy to push new product sales and product returns from warranty programs. Lack of new parts, retention of old technology or up-gradation of technology into old parts and environmental consciousness are other incidents that trigger remanufacturing. As Good As New: A remanufactured part goes through the same level of processing and testing as a new product and often turns out to be better than the original. Remanufacturing a part created ten years ago will always give us the advantages of the technology & engineering improvements, giving us apart with improved specifications. While new parts like transmission come with a year’s warranty, a remanufactured equivalent comes with a 3-year warranty. The remanufacturing process comprises of rigorous testing and sorting where broken/worn parts that do not match industry standards is discarded. The selected parts are cleansed/inspected and fabricated where new components are installed and reassembled. The final product undergoes an even more strenuous testing process including visual inspection and mechanical tests such as decay testing, gauging and crack detection. Collecting, inspecting, disassembling and replacement/reprocessing worn-out parts are some basic steps to be followed as per ISO standards (ISO/TS/P 239 is the quality standard followed for remanufacturing). This process is backed with robust documentation and appropriate warranty issuance. Such an established process ensures a certain level of quality. Compensates for new part demand: OEMs tend to stock spare parts that are fast-moving. These fast-moving parts are manufactured after a lot of planning –planning involves identifying market demand, accounting for buffer stock and plan for setups at the shop floor to manufacture parts in huge quantities. Slow-moving parts fit into fewer machines and are not produced in small quantities as the costs associated are higher. This demand gap is met by remanufactured parts. Meeting the demand on time translates into reduced machine time and improved customer satisfaction for the OEMs. Sustainable Manufacturing Methods: In remanufacturing, the parts are closely inspected for reuse and undergo multiple steps of cleaning, segregation and reprocessing before it is fitted into the main machine. This way, the chances of parts directly reaching landfills are reduced. Since remanufacturing encourages reuse and reprocess of existing parts, this saves the energy and water consumption required to produce new parts. It also reduces the impact of emissions and effluents as a by-product of manufacturing. Remanufacturing extends the life of existing parts and ensures that sustainable manufacturing methods are followed. Benefitting from an economical, qualitative and sustainability perspective, Remanufacturing is making new inroads in the industry and is here to stay.
Tavant Hosts Salesforce Lightning Developer Meet
Bangalore, India, March 14, 2015– Tavant, a leading global provider of specialized software solutions, announced today, that over 300 Salesforce developers rallied to get hands-on with Salesforce Lightning tools in the ‘Lightning Developer Meet’ hosted at Tavant’s Bangalore office on Saturday, March 14. Tavant’s developers created an exclusive registration app to automate the registration process. The Meet was part of the ‘Lightning Developer Week’ tour – organized by Salesforce, to introduce developers to Salesforce1 Lightning – a platform that enables build apps, fast and easy. The Meet included a packed agenda of Salesforce1 Lightning overview, demo, and tutorials. It also provided an opportunity for networking and socializing. Tavant’s involvement in the Lightning Developer Week is a reiteration of its focus on developing cutting-edge solutions on Salesforce platform. In mid-2014, the company launched ‘Tavant Warranty On-Demand’ on Salesforce1 Platform. The product brought together Force.com’s proven technology with Tavant’s domain and industry expertise in the aftermarket space. About Salesforce Lightning Salesforce Lightning provides a component framework and a new set of tools for developers and users to build apps, integrate data, and automate business processes faster. It enables seamless access to data from external sources, side-by-side with Salesforce data.
Tavant Co-Sponsors Warranty Chain Management Conference 2015
Santa Clara, Calif., March 2, 2015: Tavant, a leading global provider of specialized software solutions & services, announced that it is co-sponsoring the Warranty Chain Management Conference (WCM) in Miami, Florida, from March 10 to March 12, 2015. Tavant will co-present two key papers at the conference on March 11: 1. ‘Self-Diagnostics’ by Rohit Lohan from Tavant Technologies along with James Dooty from NACCO Material Handling Group 2. ‘A Warranty System Upgrade for a Robust Solution’ by Moshe Devarapalli from Tavant Technologies along with Steve Chong from Ingersoll Rand These presentations, in line with Tavant’s commitment to share warranty management best practices, address the rapidly growing demand for effective warranty management. Tavant will be showcasing its flexible enterprise Warranty Management System – Tavant Warranty along with Fraud Analytics Solution, and Tavant Warranty On-Demand – its cloud based offering on Force.com platform. Tavant Warranty is a web-based, full-lifecycle warranty solution that brings together OEMs, suppliers and service channel partners in a real-time environment. The solution has proven benefits enabling reduction in warranty spends, elimination of fraudulent claims, reduction in claim processing time, increase in supplier recovery and the capability to make informed decisions based on dynamic warranty intelligence reports. “WCM provides a great opportunity for warranty professionals to learn more about improving customer satisfaction and reducing warranty expense through better warranty management,” said Vibhor Mishra, Director Marketing, Tavant Technologies. “We will presenting key success stories along with our customers at our booth. Delegates can also see a demo of our new on demand version of the solution.” Meet our experts at Booth #8, Hilton Miami Downtown or call us on 415-692-0346 to schedule a meeting.
GEOSYS, Tavant Announce Preferred Partner Agreement
PLYMOUTH, Minn. & SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 9, 2014: GEOSYS Inc., the global leader in remote sensing for agriculture and Tavant Technologies, a global technology solutions company involved in some of the latest GEOSYS innovations, announced today a preferred partner agreement. The agreement recognizes the success both businesses have experienced working together on GEOSYS products; the award-winning R7® Tool iPad app developed for WinField Solutions is the most recent example. R7® has received the 2013 FINovation award from Farm Industry News and the Agricultural Retailers Association Technology Award presented in partnership with AgGateway. “The collaboration with Tavant is a prime example of GEOSYS working with best in class experts to help increase our ability to deliver innovations for customers. Getting the power of the tools we have developed into the hands of the users is critical to our success. Tavant helps us deliver”, said Norm Davy, vice president of GEOSYS. GEOSYS will continue to leverage Tavant expertise to develop new innovative applications for advancing its decision support tools for agriculture. “Our leading edge technology expertise, particularly in Mobility and Big Data, and deep understanding of the agricultural technology industry has enabled us to turn complex data and processes into actionable tools for our customers,” said Manish Arya, CTO of Tavant Technologies. “We are excited about this strategic partnership. It formalizes our working relationship and recognizes that each company benefits from this dynamic collaboration.” Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. About GEOSYS Inc.: GEOSYS is a worldwide leader with precision agriculture decision support tools that make use of the latest research results in agronomics, and information technologies that include GIS and remote sensing. These tools range from worldwide risk management and supply monitoring of ag commodities for agribusiness with GEOSYS AgriQuest Solutions™ to GEOSYS FarmSat Solutions™ that help farmers make decisions inside the field with precision farming and variable rate input application maps. GEOSYS has offices in Europe (Toulouse, France), North America (Minneapolis, Minn.), Australia (Melbourne, Victoria) and, most, recently South America (Sao Paulo, Brazil).
Tavant Co-Sponsors of Warranty Chain Management Conference
Santa Clara, CA March 7, 2014: Tavant, a leading global provider of specialized software solutions & services, is a co-sponsor of The Warranty Chain Management Conference (WCM) which is being held in San Diego, California, from March 11 to March 13, 2014. At the event, Tavant subject matter experts will be presenting papers on important areas of Warranty Management. The company will be showcasing its flexible Tavant Warranty Solution along with Warranty BI, Warranty on Mobile and Cloud offerings. They will be co-presenting papers with their select customers on some of the key areas of service operations management such as Building Material Warranties and Rules Based Warranty Systems. Tavant Warranty is a web-based, full-lifecycle warranty solution which brings together OEMs, suppliers and service channel partners in a real-time environment. The result – streamlined processes, improved profitability through reduced warranty costs and reserves, positive customer experience, and enhanced brand value. The annual event provides a forum for Warranty Professionals and Executives to meet and discuss warranty related issues and develop warranty management as a recognized discipline. Tavant is among the key participants & sponsors of the conference since 2006. About Tavant Technologies Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Tavant Technologies was Founded in 2000and is a specialized software solutions & services provider that leverages its expertise to provide impactful results to its customers across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Having leveraged its unrivalled capabilities and domain insights to create game changing results for leading businesses across chosen industry micro-verticals, Tavant Technologies is known for long-lasting customer relationships, engineering excellence and passionate employees. The Company employs over 1000 people and has been recognized as Top 25 Best Companies to Work For 2007, 2009 & 2012, and is ISO 27001, CMMI Level 4, SAS 70 Type II & Microsoft Certified Partner.
Tavant to Attend the Casual Connect 2013, San Francisco.
Santa Clara, CA, July 16, 2013 : Tavant, a leading Software solutions provider to the Interactive Entertainment Industry, today announced that it will be present at the 2013 Casual Connect to be held during July 30 – August 1, at the Hilton San Francisco Union Sq. in San Francisco, California. At the event, Tavant subject matter experts will be sharing best practices and the technology know-how on developing advanced online, social, and mobile games. The team will also be having in-depth discussions with the delegates and industry peers on technology areas such as developing gaming platforms, community websites, online stores, and analytics systems for casual game development. The experts will be sharing success stories on how Tavant is helping top gaming companies develop solutions for monetizing content, providing detailed analytics and simplifying transactions. As a development partner for companies building social and mobile games using leading-edge technologies, Tavant handles both cross-platform UI and backend services. Tavant manages all technical aspects of game development while the studio retains full control over the game design and art style. To schedule a meeting with us, send an email us at [email protected] About Casual Connect Casual Connect USA is produced by the Casual Games Association and is the premiere event for the casual games industry with over 5,500 professionals attending each year. Casual Connect brings the most talented and knowledgeable experts in the casual gaming field together to further the casual games industry with the best networking and learning opportunities. About Tavant Technologies Tavant Technologies is a specialized software solutions & services provider that leverages its expertise to provide impactful results to its customers. We have leveraged our unrivaled capabilities and domain insights to create game changing results for leading businesses across chosen industry verticals. We are known for our long-lasting customer relationships, engineering excellence and passionate employees. Founded in 2000, we are headquartered in Santa Clara, California and service customers across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
Tavant Invited to Speak at the Warranty Chain Management Conference in San Diego.
Santa Clara, CA, March 11, 2013: Tavant, a leading software solutions and services provider, today announced that it has been invited to speak at the Warranty Chain Management Conference March 12-14, San Diego, California. The 9th Annual Warranty Chain Management Conference is the largest international warranty and service contract conference and provides a forum for warranty professionals and executives to meet and discuss warranty related issues and develop warranty management as a recognized discipline. Tavant experts will be presenting papers jointly with customers on important areas of service management such as: Identifying a Value Driven Warranty Solution, Supplier Cost Recovery and Integrating Service Contracts, Fleet Management & Warranty. Tavant will also be showcasing its web-based, real-time, full-lifecycle and flexible pricing model-based warranty solution that helps reduce spends, eliminate fraudulent claims and reduce claim processing time substantially. About Tavant Technologies Tavant Technologies is a specialized IT solutions & services provider that leverages its expertise to provide impactful results to its customers. We have leveraged our unrivaled capabilities and domain insights to create game changing results for leading businesses across chosen industry micro-verticals. We are known for our long-lasting customer relationships, engineering excellence and passionate employees. Founded in 2000, we are headquartered in Santa Clara, California and service customers across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.