Home News Article Spare parts lift installed for client: ‘This saves loads of work’

Spare parts lift installed for client: ‘This saves loads of work’

Spare parts lift installed for client: ‘This saves loads of work’

Today is International Project Management Day, a day focused on special projects, collaborations and results. At H.Essers, we are not short of examples. Two weeks ago, Senior Project Manager Frank Moons and his team delivered a spare parts machine that provides our client Agfa with the right parts in no time. Frank explains how we translated Agfa’s needs into a concrete solution.

Projects come in all shapes and sizes, also at H.Essers. However, our mission is always the same: to provide optimal assistance to our clients and optimise supply chains. Such was the case at Agfa, which was looking for an efficient way to sort stock and streamline the order picking of individual parts. This was the ideal job for Senior Project Manager Frank Moons and his colleagues. ‘We had previously developed a spare parts installation for this client, so we decided to add a second spare parts lift for the storage of some 6,000 product locations for 12,000 product types,’ says Frank. ‘Without these lifts, Agfa would need an additional 800 m² of warehousing space. Now everything is stored in high stock towers and the robot controls a flawless picking process.’ The project is proving successful for both H.Essers and the client. ‘It took us six months to install everything, from start to finish,’ says Frank proudly. ‘That’s quite fast for a large-scale project like this. And we’re happy with the results, because next year we’ll probably be installing lifts like this again for two other clients.’

Several departments involved

It certainly is impressive, but a project like this doesn’t build itself. ‘After the initial request from the client, you go through an initiation period where you put together a team of specialists,’ explains Frank. ‘At H.Essers, we have eighteen departments that can be involved, depending on the specific project needs and the complexity of the project. It all starts with talking to the people in charge of each department. Then comes the design and preparation phase in consultation with the client, where we sit down at the drawing table with workshops and blueprints. Then we take a close look at the concept. The subsequent building, testing and go-live of a project like this takes the longest, because the test phase is a very extensive transition period and we leave nothing to chance.’

Aftersales

Our people weren’t ready after the go-live. ‘That’s the phase we’re currently in at Agfa,’ says Frank. ‘The lifts are operational, but even now there are daily discussions about how things are going and how to troubleshoot problems that arise. We think it’s extremely important to continue to contribute ideas during this period, so the aftersales period is crucial.’ Even after countless successful projects, Frank still finds his job interesting. ‘Each project is new and provides different experiences. And because the team is always different, I get to know lots of colleagues. That’s a real added value. It feels good to put our backs into it as a team.’

Want to learn more about the custom solutions the H.Essers project teams can realise for your company? We would be happy to help. Feel free to contact Frank Moons by e-mail at frank.moons@essers.com.

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