Warranty submission and reporting web site
We developed a web site using Coldfusion and MySQL to submit warranty claims and produce warranty reports for each dealer. The warranty claims submitted on the website are imported into a Warranty. The claims are processed in the Warranty database, the data is then exported back to the website to create a report for the dealer to action. This has been very successful in reducing the turn around time of each claim. The time taken on initial processing and progress reporting of claims has been cut by an estimated 75%. This has proved very popular with the dealers, as they can check for daily updates to processing their claims.
Warranty database
We analysed the warranty process and reported to the board, recommending the adoption of new procedures. These included reviewing the warranty terms and making sure the procedures were consistent with the legal warranty terms. We developed a warranty database to track over 2,000 claims per year (ranging from hundreds of pounds to thousands per claim) from an 100+ worldwide dealer network in MS Access. Reports were created to highlight fault types for the design department or suppliers to rectify. Whole histories of part or plant problems can now be tracked, thus making for more proactive corrective action.
Plant details database
A Plant details database was created to import data from their MRP system and the contract department spreadsheets. This data was then combined with the final plant inspection records and the warranty claims to create a history of the original specification and later modification of each plant.
Time recording and service records
This consisted of creating a database module to record service jobs and recharge them to warranty or the dealer. Further reports produced data for the payroll department to calculate the engineer's pay. The accounts department use the database to monitor the performance of each engineer and the department as a whole. Internal recharge reports were produced so the dept could act as a profit centre to service other departments.
Online Time recording and Work in Progress reporting
LeenTech has developed a full time recording system on the Internet with Client and job codes. The system can record time, expense and disbursements for reporting by client, job or employee, whether in office, at home or at a customer's site. Long term we are developing an automatic invoicing module to charge and write off time, expense and disbursements.
Reject Note and back charge system
Developed a component Reject Note tracking system, produced to a detailed specification provided by the Quality and Reliability dept. Faulty parts are back charged to the supplier, based on their cost or any rework costs. As there can be several suppliers for a single part this required identifying the batch the part came from using data extracted from the MRP system. This system also tracks the progress of the reject notes through the Quality meetings ensuring preventative actions are followed up by the manufacturing and the component suppliers.
Dealer training and assessment database
We are in the process of developing a dealer database to track the training and experience of engineering and sales staff of their product range. The aim is to identify training requirement and predict where the companies own technical support engineers are required to support new products. The long-term aim is to develop a system of dealer assessment to improve the dealer network.
Competitor product analysis database
Allows sales and product design staff to match and report competitor products against their companies products. Use by sales staff to find their companies competitive advantage over the competition and design staff to develop new products to gain completive edge over the competition in the future.
