How Weir Minerals Transformed Customer Service with Digital Solutions

With a commitment to sustainability, Weir Minerals, part of The Weir Group plc, operates with over 11,000 employees across 60 countries, providing engineering solutions for the mineral and mining technology markets. The company supports a regionally distributed clientele and relies on a synchronized network of data processing systems to manage customer data efficiently.

Challenges with Traditional Methods

Despite its advancements, Weir Minerals faced significant challenges due to the use of isolated, offline data sources like spreadsheets. According to Karun Naidoo, global process owner service at Weir Minerals, these paper-based methods led to inefficiencies that hampered customer service. Technicians often traveled to collect audit data, which became outdated by the time it was processed, thus delaying supply chain decisions and impacting service levels.

Revitalizing Data Processing Environments to Enhance Agility

To address these challenges, Weir Minerals sought solutions within the SAP portfolio. They found that SAP Field Service Management was ideal for their remote workforce, offering centralized digital hubs to reduce manual errors and improve transparency. The integration of SAP Field Service Management with SAP ERP enabled the creation of digital customer service history reports, enhancing communication between field technicians and back-office staff.

Creating Agile Analysis Environments to Forecast Supply and Demand

Since implementing SAP Field Service Management, Weir Minerals has seen improvements in data collection and analysis. Technicians can now upload digital reports, resulting in faster data processing and better communication. The availability of digital insights allows the company to predict customer spare part demand and maintain proper inventory levels.

Broadening SAP Portfolio to Further Optimize Planning Processes

Following the success of their initial implementation, Weir Minerals plans to expand its use of SAP solutions for better inventory planning and logistics. The focus remains on enhancing sustainability efforts through improved technological infrastructure.

Key Achievements:

• 40% greater customer satisfaction due to better data and service quality.
• 70% time saved in generating customer service reports.
• 50% more timely reports with real-time updates on timesheets and parts records.

Through these advancements, Weir Minerals aims to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, ultimately contributing to their sustainability mission.