Upgrading Service Request Operations using a Custom ERP at Lakshmi Card Clothing (LCC)

Client Introduction

Lakshmi Card Clothing (LCC) has established itself as a significant supplier of card clothing products, both in India and globally, due to its consistent introduction of innovative products to the industry. As a leading manufacturer of card clothing, card service machines, stationary flats, flat tops, fillets, and other key accessories, LCC has solidified its position as a top player in the card clothing industry.

Problem Statement

LCC faced several operational challenges in managing the service requests from their service engineers spread across India, including:

• Fragmented Communication: Miscommunication between service heads and engineers leads to delays.
• Manual Task Assignment: Inefficient assignment of tasks causing resource misallocation.
• Delayed Updates: Lack of real-time updates hampering timely decision-making.
• Inconsistent Documentation: Disorganized records such as photos of the machine, copies of receipts for parts purchased, or documentation of the work performed affecting service quality.
• Parts Ordering Complications: Cumbersome process for ordering replacement parts, leading to extended machine downtimes.
• Reporting Challenges: Difficulty in generating accurate and in-depth reports for decision-making.

The above challenges posed a decrease in efficiency and customer satisfaction, necessitating a streamlined solution to optimize their service operations.

Solution

We developed a custom-built Service Order Management application designed to integrate seamlessly with their Oracle Fusion ERP.

The application was developed focusing on three key roles:

• Service Head
• Service Engineer
• Admin

Key Features

• Service Request Creation: Service Heads can create detailed service requests, assign tasks to engineers, and track progress.
• Task Commitment and Updates: Service Engineers can commit to tasks, update their status in real-time, and attach relevant documents or images on progress.
• Sales Order Integration: Engineers can place orders for replacement parts directly through the application and link them to the customer's account.
• Detailed Reporting: Admins have access to various reports such as Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) for strategic decision-making and future growth.
• Preventive Maintenance: The Service Head creates a preventive service request, and the Service Engineer completes the required preventive maintenance tasks.

Results and Benefits

The introduction of the custom Service Management ERP with intuitive UI/UX led to significant improvements: 

• Better Team building: Real-time task updates and detailed reporting increase accountability and cohesion.
• Cost Savings: Automation of parts ordering and optimized resource allocation reduced operational costs.
• Efficiency Gains: Significant reduction in time spent on administrative tasks.
• Customer Loyalty: Enhanced service quality leading to increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.
• Cost Reduction: Optimization of travel routes and automated parts ordering contribute to cost savings.

Conclusion

"The custom ERP Addon has revolutionized our service management operations. The efficiency and reliability improvements are remarkable, and our customers have noticed the difference," says LCC.

LCC recommends such custom ERP addons to any service-oriented business looking to enhance its operational efficiency and increase the ERP adoption within the organization.