HESS GROUP Concrete Block Machines Get 360-Degree Service View with EquipmentCloud®
Delivering digital and smart services to customers
Every homeowner knows them from the DIY store: paving stones and terrace tiles. They are manufactured by highly complex machines. In order to support end customers during the manufacturing process and to bridge the gap between physical and digital products, the HESS GROUP has introduced SmartCloud based on Kontron AIS EquipmentCloud®. The digital transformation solution provides a full 360-degree view of the machines via a single platform. At the push of a button, machine operators, shift supervisors, purchasers and managing directors receive the information they need right now
„With its end-to-end digital transformation solution, EquipmentCloud® enables a full 360-degree view of the machine. Our customers don‘t need to switch between three or four applications to find information. Here they can find everything with just one click on the dashboard.”
Sandra Oerter, Commercial Head of Service, HESS GROUP
Challenge
- Develop services to stand out from the competition
- Loss of information when handing over a shift
- Machines with a wide range of ages and interface structures
- Reactivating inactive customers
Solution
- 360-degree service view of clients‘ machines
- KPIs and production data in real time for in-depth data analysis
- Customer portal with tutorials, spare parts catalog and maintenance calendar
Result
- Increase machine availability by up to 8% with efficient and plannable maintenance and servicing
- Up to 10% less downtime depending on the service package
- Centralized and bundled provision of knowledge
The challenge of digitalizing old machines
The HESS GROUP has concrete block manufacturing machines of various ages. Long-term customers in particular have machines in operation that are up to twenty years old. The aim and challenge is to be able to digitally connect every customer, regardless of the age of their machines. While machines that are less than two years old can be connected directly, the technical feasibility of the connectivity of older machines is first tested to evaluate the implementation of any additional IoT hardware that may be required.
The path to SmartCloud: Overcoming skills shortages and loss of knowledge
The fluctuation in employees, shortage of skilled workers and the imminent retirement of experienced staff required a solution for retaining knowledge and self-retrieval. The service and after-sales teams were often confronted with questions about the product quality produced and the replacement of wear parts. In addition to the technological advancement of the machines, such challenges in the industry are often experienced by new employees with little or no experience of the industry.
The solution: digital transformation with EquipmentCloud®
The decision to go for Kontron AIS EquipmentCloud®, which is based on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure as a Softwareas-a-Service, was based on the ease of simple data integration without complex programming. The digital transformation team at Kontron AIS supported the HESS GROUP in the area of preventive maintenance with their sound nowledge of the industry and accompanied the entire process. The ability to individually customize the SmartCloud customer portal was an additional winning factor. Kontron AIS prepared the way for the HESS GROUP to implement its digital business model in the quickly and with measurable results that focus on the various services related to their machines.
The cloud-based digital transformation solution gives the HESS GROUP a 360-degree view of its concrete block and mixing machines. From production data and dynamic maintenance calendars to 3D spare parts catalogues, EquipmentCloud® offers everything in one tool. Data analysis gives machine users a powerful tool to immediately and directly identify cause-effect relationships using evaluation tools and key performance indicators (KPIs). The mobile app enables direct recording of service requests and easy processing of checklists. In addition, tutorials and an integrated knowledge database have been built up to provide an academy. The customer portal offers a wealth of useful information, from basic machine master data and documents to machine-specific news. Nearly all relevant KPIs can be accessed through a customized dashboard.
Digitalization in special machine construction: Endless possibilities with EquipmentCloud®
Implementing SmartCloud resulted in a significant increase in machine availability through optimized maintenance and servicing of the machines. Transparency and understanding of complex processes have improved not only within the department, but also across divisions. Thanks to EquipmentCloud®, HESS GROUP has been able to offer its customers tailor-made service packages. Depending on requirements, users benefited from a reduction in downtime of up to 10% and up to 3% less scrap material.
The SmartCloud customer portal offers users a comprehensive range of self-service tutorials and provides access to a 3D catalog which makes all spare and wear parts available as SmartParts. This makes it easier for users to retrieve information, and their order history can be viewed at any time, which speeds up the entire ordering process. Overall, HESS GROUP has taken a big step towards modern, efficient and service-oriented life cycle management with Kontron AIS EquipmentCloud®, further strengthening its position as a leading manufacturer of concrete block machines.
