Case Study: Enkotec

When service technician Bjørn Christensen heads out into the world to service the nail machines from Enkotec in Skanderborg, he brings along two constant 'companions': the rolling suitcase with tools and spare parts, and the Microsoft Field Service system on his phone.

The suitcase has been with him for years, but the Field Service system is new. It is the result of Enkotec’s decision to digitalize Field Service as part of a strategic process that raises the bar:

"We want to be the world’s leading brand in nail solutions" – the vision goes.

Investment in Field Service aims to fulfill the ambition of a service concept Hanne Krog-Meyer, After Sales, Marketing & Support Manager, explains that the company is working intensely on a strategy that will transform Enkotec from a supplier of machines to a supplier of entire concepts. In this context, service is a key element.

"We especially stand out from others because of our service. Now we’re developing the service concept even further. Customer service is a strategic focus. That’s why we’ve chosen to invest in Microsoft’s Field Service solution, which helps us with a structured database, efficient management of cases, tasks, and activities, and provides our traveling service technicians with better tools," says Hanne Krog-Meyer.

As Bjørn prepares to leave the factory hall in Skanderborg, heading for Spain, we quickly ask him about his use of the solution when working with customers.

"It has become easy to complete the service report on-site and get the customer’s signature. If I see something that needs replacing during the visit, I enter it into 'Customer Assets' and attach a picture. It’s easy to take when you’re already working on the phone. I log my hours in the solution, and I have all my travel documents stored here," says Bjørn, before he heads out to the parking lot with his rolling suitcase."

Before implementing Microsoft Field Service, Enkotec had a "very strong" solution based on Excel and Word. "Strong" in the sense that it solved the primary tasks well. However, it has now become very apparent how much of an advantage the new solution provides in terms of overview and, most importantly, searchability.

"Especially when it comes to cases and complaints, it is a great help that we can easily access all relevant information," says Hanne Krog-Meyer.

She continues by saying that the solution has already added value to the company in the short term by streamlining the daily operations.

"In the longer term, we plan to connect our sales department to the CRM solution as well, so we can start working with leads, sales pipeline, and forecasts within the system," says Hanne Krog-Meyer.

In other words, Enkotec has laid out a plan that will utilize data all the way from the individual machine into the sales department, where data on customers and machines is invaluable – particularly in a company that generates a significant portion of its revenue from the aftermarket.

The "chemistry" was right between us

The collaboration between Enkotec and 9altitudes (formerly Bredana Solutions) began after a seminar where the service manager from Odin Engineering shared how the Microsoft Field Service solution worked for them.

"It was crucial for the decision to invite 9altitudes to us," says Hanne Krog-Meyer. "Both at the seminar and at the subsequent meeting, the 'chemistry' between us was right. The consultant understood all the issues and always had solution proposals."

The design of the solution was based on a vision and value workshop, which resulted in a report that documented the value of the solution and defined the implementation process.