Ty Milliken, SCMH shop supervisor and 27-year veteran in
the material handling industry, lends insights on how integral the type of
parts used in lift trucks that come into his shop.
“When jobs come in, we insist on OEM parts.” Ty, stickler
for perfection says. In his professional experience, Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) parts:
·
Fit better
·
Last longer
·
Has warranty coverage advantage*
Yes original parts may be a few bucks more but think
about the extra time you spend trying to make an after-market part fit into a
function properly. According to Ty, “Time is more costly. Especially if the
equipment comes to the shop for repair because it has been damaged by a
remanufactured part.”
Many times, Ty has seen unnecessary repairs that could
have been avoided if proper parts have been used the first time. “Some
customers shop for the cheaper deals in terms of parts and service, only to end
up in my shop because eventually they
realize that ‘you get what you pay for.’
And that they would have saved more money had they spent that extra dollars on
an OEM.”
In the end, it’s the customer’s choice to either use an
OEM, an after-market, or a remanufactured part. But not without fair
recommendation from Ty on SCMH’s preference to stick with OEM parts. “I explain
that OEM and after-market parts may look the same, but they are not the same. Patrticularly
for operations with minimal fleet, it is crucial that repairs are done
correctly, promptly, and with the use of OEM parts because breakdown risk is
lower. Imagine if you had a limited number of trucks, what happens if they keep
coming back for repairs due to unreliable parts? Doesn’t that cripple
production enormously?”
Ty says that he has many customers keen on
cost-efficiency and they trust SCMH’s expertise when it comes to parts, repair,
and service. “They are the experienced ones who know no shortcuts and understand
that saving money is beyond the initial dollar amount.”
Ty has extensive experience in managing the SCMH shop as
well as structuring repair estimates inclusive of parts and labor.
*Not all OEM parts are covered under warranty. Consult
your PSSR for details.
