Steven Caldwell is the Vice President of Business Development at PTC. Steven is a service parts optimization thought leader with over 15 years of best practice knowledge. He is a key contributor to the design, development and delivery of Servigistics – the industry leading service parts optimization solution. Steven and his team provide dedicated support for PTC’s Servigistics Business Unit helping service organizations orchestrate world-class service parts optimization (including service parts management and service parts pricing). Steven holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University.
In the fast-paced world of durable goods manufacturing, the race to meet customer demands often comes at a high cost – both financially and environmentally. However, astute operators and forward-thinking OEMs now have the chance to redefine the service supply chain, capitalize on return material flows, and create a more sustainable business model that reduces costs and contributes to global stewardship of resources.
The true cost of urgency
When critical service parts are needed urgently, OEMs go to great lengths to ensure customer satisfaction. However, the traditional model of quickly getting products and parts out to customers has significant environmental implications. The costs associated with transportation, warehousing, and fuel consumption can be staggering. As the world turns its attention to environmental impact, the need for a sustainable approach to service supply chains becomes increasingly apparent. But how do you balance service level agreement compliance, sustainability goals, and service effectiveness?
The solution lies in reimagining the service supply chain, shifting the focus from mere efficiency to considering sustainability in the equation. OEMs can meet customer commitments and minimize environmental impact by optimizing planning, delivery, and recovery processes. Advanced data science and technology are pivotal in automating and streamlining these processes, ensuring products and materials remain within the supply chain for as long as possible.
The complexities of optimization
The service supply chain is inherently complex, with numerous interconnected decision points. From first-time-fix rates to end-of-life scenarios, each decision holds the potential for significant financial and environmental impact. At the core of this transformation is data. OEMs must invest in gathering, cleaning, and consolidating data to make informed decisions. Platforms like OnProcess' Agora can assist in defining and structuring this data, with a focus on enhancing the customer's service experience. The end goal is to align logistics, planning, delivery, and recovery processes to meet sustainability goals without compromising service levels. Successful service parts optimization is key, and investments in purpose-built solutions like Servigistics have proven themselves time and time again to deliver quick ROI and immense impact across the organization.
A leap forward with "The Connector"
PTC and OnProcess, part of Accenture, introduced "The Connector" – a groundbreaking integration between PTC's Servigistics and OnProcess’ Agora. This AI-powered solution brings advanced artificial intelligence into play, optimizing service supply chains intelligently, providing real-time returns data, offering daily critical stock information, and promoting a procurement-averse service supply chain model. The benefits of "The Connector" are well-documented and quantifiable. The integration offers a range of benefits, including significant cost savings, timely inventory availability, smarter decision-making, enhanced after-sales agility, and the promotion of parts circularity. "The Connector" sets the stage for a next-generation service supply chain that remains agile, responsive, and adaptable to future challenges.
In the pursuit of meeting customer commitments, OEMs now have a golden opportunity to not only optimize their service supply chains but also contribute significantly to global sustainability goals. The shift from a traditional, efficiency-focused model to a sustainable one is not only good business but also a testament to responsible stewardship of our planet's resources. Embracing advanced technologies and purpose-built solutions positions durable goods manufacturers at the forefront of a new era where profitability and sustainability go hand in hand.
Continue the discussion as Leslie Paulson, General Manager, Servigistics Business Unit, PTC, moderates a panel of experts including Steven Caldwell, Vice President of Servigistics Technical Solutions, Mike Kerstein, Chief Product Officer, OnProcess, part of Accenture, and Oliver Lemanski, CEO, OnProcess, part of Accenture.
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Servigistics' innovations in artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, and IoT will optimize your service supply chain and unleash the full potential of your service business.
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