New approach to service calls connects printers to a team of technical experts Westmont, Illinois -- MAN Roland has developed a new approach to emergency press repairs that will decrease downtime by empowering pressmen to fix most mechanical, electrical and procedural problems by themselves. Called TeleTech, the new offering connects printers to an expert group of technicians, called the Rapid Response Team (RRT), which MAN Roland has assembled in recent months from the top graphic arts technicians in the nation. TeleTech service begins with a phone call from the facility with a printing problem to a response team member. The trouble-shooting expert discusses the problem with the press operator and narrows down the possible range of solutions. Once the problem is pinpointed, the on-phone technician usually can walk the press operator through the necessary repair steps without the need for a service call. If new parts are required, the RRT member makes sure that the proper components are ordered. He then reconnects with the press operator once the parts arrive to supervise repairs over the phone. In cases where an on-site repair is required, the RRT member coordinates the dispatch of a technician. "We’ve been evaluating how well this procedure works, in beta testing, since 1994," says Matt Braun, a member of MAN Roland’s Rapid Response Team. "We found, for instance, that 80% of all electrical problems can be repaired over the phone. So we know how much time and money TeleTech will save our customers. And now we have a dedicated team of professionals in place to offer it to virtually any facility that’s running our presses." Braun sees three major benefits to TeleTech. "It speeds up trouble shooting and analysis on every call, often eliminating the need for an on-site visit," he says. "If parts are required, it makes ordering replacements much more accurate. And if one of our technicians does have to make an on-site call, we can brief him about the problem. That way he knows what to do before he gets there, and he arrives with the proper parts. So the length of the call is reduced." There is an hourly charge of $140 for the TeleTech connection, but Braun says that cost is more than offset by significantly reduced service costs overall. There is no charge for TeleTech calls that last less than five minutes. And facilities with presses under warranty receive TeleTech service for free, with the costs applied against allocated time on their service contracts. "Anything we can do to eliminate downtime improves our customers’ profitability enormously, especially in these competitive times," Braun declares. "TeleTech will be the fastest way to get a press with a problem back into production." One of the reasons for Braun’s assessment is the expertise of the Rapid Response Team. Each member has a least 10 years experience as a field technician, and some have been solving press problems for as many as 25 years. Another factor is that most PECOM-driven MAN Roland presses are optionally equipped with Remote Service Diagnostics (RSD). That innovation gives the TeleTech team a way to analyze, monitor and fix the electronic components of a press over a dial-up modem line. The service specialist also can monitor all of the press’ vital signs, thanks to RSD. TeleTech also complements the recent development of ServiceVision by MAN Roland. That diagnostic tool utilizes a wireless digital camera that sends the images it captures, via the Internet, to the TeleTech team. When a press requires service, an operator simply points the ServiceVision module at what he believes to be the trouble spot. Result: The TeleTech technician can actually see what is causing the glitch so he can better guide the press operator in applying a solution. "TeleTech is ideally suited to printers who are running presses equipped with PECOM and ServiceVision," Braun notes. "But TeleTech is not just reserved for our newest or most advanced press lines. If you are running a MAN Roland press, even if the nameplate says Miehle or Miller, you can benefit from the cost effectiveness of TeleTech." For more information about TeleTech, RSD, ServiceVision and PECOM, contact MAN Roland at 630.920.2000 or manroland.com.