{"id":6196,"date":"2013-11-14T09:35:54","date_gmt":"2013-11-14T14:35:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theweekinimaging.com\/?p=6196"},"modified":"2013-11-14T09:35:54","modified_gmt":"2013-11-14T14:35:54","slug":"bei-services-brings-nauticon-into-the-information-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2013\/11\/bei-services-brings-nauticon-into-the-information-age\/","title":{"rendered":"BEI Services Brings Nauticon into the Information Age"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jeff<\/a>

Jeff Silver<\/p><\/div>\n

Last November Jeff Silver took over as vice president of service for Nauticon Imaging Systems in Gaithersburg, MD. For someone with a background in finance and only about a year in the office technology industry that might not have seemed like the best fit for a financial guy, but Silver begs to differ.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a nice mix of management, running numbers, customer service, and technical stuff,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s different every day, which keeps things exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the moment he started in his new position, Silver knew the best way to improve Nauticon\u2019s service department, which was pretty good to begin with, was by identifying areas of improvement.\u00a0 To do that he needed data, more data than the dealership\u2019s existing reporting software was able to provide. That\u2019s where BEI Services with its Advanced Comparative Reporting, Technician Compensation, Territory Mapping, and Advanced Inventory Management solutions comes in.<\/p>\n

Silver\u2019s predecessor had originally done some research on BEI Services and the general feeling among management was that this solution was a good way to track techs and keep their accountability high. Unfortunately, making any final decisions about implementing the program was put on the back burner\u2026until Silver arrived on the scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I stepped into the service manager role, implementing BEI Services\u2019 software seemed like a good way to give techs an opportunity to earn some extra money while giving our customers that over the top customer service we\u2019re known for,\u201d recalls Silver.<\/p>\n

For a guy who thrives on numbers and data, Silver has found the reports generated through BEI Services\u2019 software right up his alley. The information culled from those reports has helped Nauticon ratchet up its service operation by reducing its parts expense, improving first call effectiveness (FCE), and boosting profitability while improving overall customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Nauticon has reduced its field techs by two and decreased payroll by approximately $100,000 a year (including monthly bonus payments) while reaping greater efficiencies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"nauticon<\/a>It wasn\u2019t as if Nauticon had a dissatisfied customer base before switching to BEI Services, but now that it can\u00a0 track what\u2019s happening in the field with greater accuracy and detail, technician productivity and customer satisfaction have reached new heights. Three months after implementation, Silver was seeing a big decrease in call backs and hold for parts, and those numbers continue to improve.<\/p>\n

Going by the numbers, in September 2012 Nauticon\u2019s FCE was 37 percent. By this September it had improved to 57 percent.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s significant\u201d, says Silver.<\/p>\n

Hold for parts had a similar improvement, going from the mid thirties to around 15 percent. Add to that a nearly a six-figure drop in parts usage the last five months compared to last year and little wonder why Silver has found a friend in BEI Services.<\/p>\n

\"BEI\"<\/a>A common complaint of Nauticon\u2019s customers prior to implementing BEI Services various solutions was there was no consistency in the technicians coming out to fix their devices. That\u2019s also improved. \u201cThe BEI \u2018s territory management software has been helpful for locking down territories and making our techs conscious of their call backs,\u201d says Silver.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot Silver likes about BEI\u2019s products, but when pressed, Silver hones in on the ability to recognize techs\u2019 performance.\u00a0 \u201cWe can reward a job well done and give the techs who are struggling something to shoot for.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unusual for techs to receive bonuses of $500 a month for being more efficient. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to build an excellent technical force, states Silver. \u201cOverall, the improvement we\u2019ve seen is dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also likes the ability to pull lists to see which machines are costing the dealership the most so he can make decisions on how to drive those costs down whether it\u2019s encouraging Nauticon\u2019s sales reps to upgrade devices, swapping a machine out and replacing it with a permanent loaner, or going back to the manufacturer and asking for a replacement.\u00a0 The ability to identify the machines that are no longer serving his customers is another valuable report.<\/p>\n

The comprehensive reports about what\u2019s happening in the field that Silver now has at his fingertips has made it easier to manage techs and keep them appraised of their performance in the field. He often shares this information with individual techs each month over breakfast.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for me to meet our techs in the field and let them know that what they\u2019re doing is important; and it\u2019s important for me to show them the areas where they\u2019re doing well and the areas where they can improve as well as where we\u2019re going as a company.\u00a0 I think they like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any time an organization changes its internal processes there\u2019s going to be some pushback. \u201cThere\u2019s a saying that people don\u2019t like change, but it\u2019s more accurate to say people don\u2019t like change they don\u2019t understand,\u201d says Silver. \u201cWhen our techs saw that I wasn\u2019t blowing smoke and that they had an opportunity to earn money, then it clicked for a lot of them.”<\/p>\n

The program has exceeded Silver\u2019s expectations although he\u2019d like to see Nauticon\u2019s FCE reach 70 percent, which would position the dealership at the top of the national rankings. He sees that happening within the next 12-18 months.<\/p>\n

Silver commends BEI Services for its support. \u201cI bother those guys a fair bit and they\u2019re always responsive whether it\u2019s a technical question or sharing best practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

What would Silver say to another dealership if asked whether or not it should go with BEI Services over some other option?<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you really want to affect change in your organization, BEI is a fantastic tool, but you have to be willing to work with it,\u201d says Silver. \u201cYou can have all the facts and figures you want delivered to you, but if the company\u2019s ownership, service leadership, and on down the chain to the technicians, if they\u2019re not in line with those numbers and you\u2019re not willing to work towards specific goals, having all the data in the world won\u2019t change a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately, for Silver, Nauticon\u2019s ownership, and the service team, BEI Services is indeed a fantastic tool and one that\u2019s paying dividends every day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last November Jeff Silver took over as vice president of service for Nauticon Imaging Systems in Gaithersburg, MD. For someone with a background in finance and only about a year in the office technology industry that might not have seemed like the best fit for a financial guy, but Silver begs to differ. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice mix of management, running numbers, customer service, and technical stuff,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s different every day, which keeps things exciting.\u201d From the moment he started in his new position, Silver knew the best way to improve Nauticon\u2019s service department, which was pretty good to begin with, was by identifying areas of improvement.\u00a0 To do that he needed data, more data than the dealership\u2019s existing reporting software was able to provide. That\u2019s where BEI Services with its Advanced Comparative Reporting, Technician Compensation, Territory Mapping, and Advanced Inventory Management solutions comes in. Silver\u2019s predecessor had originally done some research on BEI Services and the general feeling among management was that this solution was a good way to track techs and keep their accountability high. Unfortunately, making any final decisions about implementing the program was put on the back burner\u2026until Silver arrived on the scene. \u201cWhen I stepped into the service manager role, implementing BEI Services\u2019 software seemed like a good way to give techs an opportunity to earn some extra money while giving our customers that over the top customer service we\u2019re known for,\u201d recalls Silver. For a guy who thrives on numbers and data, Silver has found the reports generated through BEI Services\u2019 software right up his alley. The information culled from those reports has helped Nauticon ratchet up its service operation by reducing its parts expense, improving first call effectiveness (FCE), and boosting profitability while improving overall customer satisfaction. Additionally, Nauticon has reduced its field techs by two and decreased payroll by approximately $100,000 a year (including monthly bonus payments) while reaping greater efficiencies. It wasn\u2019t as if Nauticon had a dissatisfied customer base before switching to BEI Services, but now that it can\u00a0 track what\u2019s happening in the field with greater accuracy and detail, technician productivity and customer satisfaction have reached new heights. Three months after implementation, Silver was seeing a big decrease in call backs and hold for parts, and those numbers continue to improve. Going by the numbers, in September 2012 Nauticon\u2019s FCE was 37 percent. By this September it had improved to 57 percent.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s significant\u201d, says Silver. Hold for parts had a similar improvement, going from the mid thirties to around 15 percent. Add to that a nearly a six-figure drop in parts usage the last five months compared to last year and little wonder why Silver has found a friend in BEI Services. A common complaint of Nauticon\u2019s customers prior to implementing BEI Services various solutions was there was no consistency in the technicians coming out to fix their devices. That\u2019s also improved. \u201cThe BEI \u2018s territory management software has been helpful for locking down territories and making our techs conscious of their call backs,\u201d says Silver. There\u2019s a lot Silver likes about BEI\u2019s products, but when pressed, Silver hones in on the ability to recognize techs\u2019 performance.\u00a0 \u201cWe can reward a job well done and give the techs who are struggling something to shoot for.\u201d It\u2019s not unusual for techs to receive bonuses of $500 a month for being more efficient. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to build an excellent technical force, states Silver. \u201cOverall, the improvement we\u2019ve seen is dramatic.\u201d He also likes the ability to pull lists to see which machines are costing the dealership the most so he can make decisions on how to drive those costs down whether it\u2019s encouraging Nauticon\u2019s sales reps to upgrade devices, swapping a machine out and replacing it with a permanent loaner, or going back to the manufacturer and asking for a replacement.\u00a0 The ability to identify the machines that are no longer serving his customers is another valuable report. The comprehensive reports about what\u2019s happening in the field that Silver now has at his fingertips has made it easier to manage techs and keep them appraised of their performance in the field. He often shares this information with individual techs each month over breakfast. \u201cIt\u2019s important for me to meet our techs in the field and let them know that what they\u2019re doing is important; and it\u2019s important for me to show them the areas where they\u2019re doing well and the areas where they can improve as well as where we\u2019re going as a company.\u00a0 I think they like that.\u201d Any time an organization changes its internal processes there\u2019s going to be some pushback. \u201cThere\u2019s a saying that people don\u2019t like change, but it\u2019s more accurate to say people don\u2019t like change they don\u2019t understand,\u201d says Silver. \u201cWhen our techs saw that I wasn\u2019t blowing smoke and that they had an opportunity to earn money, then it clicked for a lot of them.” The program has exceeded Silver\u2019s expectations although he\u2019d like to see Nauticon\u2019s FCE reach 70 percent, which would position the dealership at the top of the national rankings. He sees that happening within the next 12-18 months. Silver commends BEI Services for its support. \u201cI bother those guys a fair bit and they\u2019re always responsive whether it\u2019s a technical question or sharing best practices.\u201d What would Silver say to another dealership if asked whether or not it should go with BEI Services over some other option? \u201cIf you really want to affect change in your organization, BEI is a fantastic tool, but you have to be willing to work with it,\u201d says Silver. \u201cYou can have all the facts and figures you want delivered to you, but if the company\u2019s ownership, service leadership, and on down the chain to the technicians, if they\u2019re not in line with those numbers and you\u2019re not willing to work towards specific goals, having all the data in the world won\u2019t change a thing.\u201d Fortunately, for Silver, Nauticon\u2019s ownership, and the service […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[82],"tags":[968,567,115,967,966,969,970],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6196"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6196"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6234,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6196\/revisions\/6234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}