Customer care visits introduce new service partner and enhance local in the Philippines

Bruks Siwertell has recently undertaken a series of customer-focused visits to several port facilities in the Philippines, strengthening the company’s customer support commitment, and further cultivating its local installation and service capabilities. 

In collaboration with a new local service partner, Portmizer, Bruks Siwertell’s Örjan Westerberg and Graham Christie visited several port terminal installations, which have had Siwertell screw-type ship unloaders serving them since as early as 1997, and as recently as 2022. During the site visits, the installations were discussed including a review of operational performance and ongoing maintenance and service strategies, along with providing customers with the opportunity to offer feedback about the technology.

“Booking visits with our customers has been common for us in the past, as we like to build relationships and keep close ties with operators. This has always served us well in terms of developing our systems and technology, and importantly, ensuring that an installation meets customer needs,” explains Örjan Westerberg, Service Contract Engineer, Bruks Siwertell. “While visiting our customers, our engineers took the opportunity to introduce our new local service partner and follow-up discussions about their equipment’s performance and its condition, along with giving advice for further action such as inspection, maintenance or a complete service program.

“During our tour, we also had some excellent discussions about preventative and planned maintenance, including sharing details about our newly introduced next-generation service agreements, which allow customers and partners to tailor their desired levels of service support,” Westerberg continues. “As well, our customers gave us invaluable feedback on how our Siwertell ship unloading systems are being used on a day-to-day basis, and the particular aspects of operating in this region and climate. 

“By touring a number of facilities, seven in all, we were able to attend to each unique installation, listen to our customers and then initiate strategies where we can help, if necessary. By combining all the visits within one trip, we were also able to minimize our carbon footprint from travel,” says Westerberg.

Building local competence

Bruks Siwertell offers market-leading dry bulk handling systems, including ship unloaders, ship loaders and conveyors. This equipment operates under demanding schedules for long periods of time, enjoying lifespans in excess of 30 years. Their operational success is coupled with good maintenance regimes, and a local service capability is a critical factor for customer support. This is often a consideration when making purchasing decisions, assuring rapid and reliable support. For this reason, Bruks Siwertell cultivates a local network of highly trained service personnel, who can quickly respond should the need arise.

To achieve this, Bruks Siwertell has partnered with Portmizer, who will be able to provide rapid on-site support in the region, with Bruks Siwertell supervision and remote support. Not only will this lead to the quicker resolution of issues, but will offer peace of mind to customers, who are committed to meeting demanding dry bulk handling schedules, where unplanned downtime could prove problematic.

Furthermore, Bruks Siwertell has been able to offer new service support initiatives and technologies, such as the introduction of augmented reality (AR) glasses, which enable access to remote experts for an enhanced, real-time capacity for in-situ maintenance. Their use is also in line with Bruks Siwertell’s sustainability commitments to minimize the environmental impact of its business operations. This includes reducing the carbon emissions associated with engineer callouts, which have traditionally required personnel to fly across the world to attend on-demand or emergency service support tasks.

A strategy of collaboration

“Bruks Siwertell may be headquartered in Sweden, but its machines are operated all over the world, from inside the Arctic circle to the equator. The range of dry bulk cargoes handled, and the specificity of our customers’ needs, too, are just as varied,” says Daniel Frostberg, Service Director, Bruks Siwertell.

“As Bruks Siwertell continues to build and strengthen its local presence, customers in the Philippines can look forward to improved service and support, reaffirming our commitment to excellence and innovation in dry bulk handling solutions,” adds Frostberg. “This is just one of the ways we maintain close contact with the industries we serve. Our annual Bruks Siwertell Bulk Days serve as another great platform for sharing operator experience and networking.”

By strengthening Bruks Siwertell’s local service capacity throughout the Philippines, the company’s strategic advantage in the region has grown, reinforcing long-term loyalty and trust with existing customers, as well as giving potential new ones the assurances they need that Siwertell ship unloaders can serve them well in one of the world’s most exciting and fastest growing economies.