Downtime Due to Delivery?

It’s common to experience additional downtime if you’re waiting on parts to get stuff fixed. Especially if you’re operating a specialized equipment parts can sometimes be hard to find. Southern California Material Handling is shortening your downtime with their Uptime Guarantee. Under the Parts Fast Parts Free (PFPF) program, we promise that we will get your parts to you the next day or you get it free! You don’t pay for the part and you don’t pay for shipping.

There are thousands of stocked parts in SCMH’s inventory that we’re confident we can get you the right item the next day or, it’s completely free. Getting SCMH Uptime Guaranteed on parts is simple. Just call our parts department at 562-654-3614 or your parts and service sales representative and let them know you want to order parts under the Uptime Guarantee PFPF. They will check if it’s a qualifying part under the PFPF program and voila! If it is, you get the part next day or it’s free!

We figured you’re already stressing about a broken equipment, and we should be able to help by shipping your part fast. If not, we’re eliminating additional costs by shipping it to you free, at the very least. This is SCMH’s commitment to performance. This is the SCMH Uptime Guarantee.

So next time you find yourself experiencing downtime due to delivery, don’t forget: SCMH’s parts fast or parts free. Your Uptime Guaranteed!

For more details on SCMH’s Uptime Guaranteed click on https://www.scmh.com/uptime-guaranteed/

Parts can Make or Break You

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.

http://www.scmh.com/parts-make-or-break-you/                                  

*Not all OEM parts are covered under warranty. Consult your PSSR for details.

For more features on the SCMH Tech, please click http://www.scmh.com/the-scmh-tech/

New to Warehousing Operations? 3 Things to Consider in Sourcing the Right Material Handling Company

New to Warehousing Operations?

3 Things to Consider in Sourcing the Right Material Handling Company

Yippee! You just landed a job as a warehouse manager. Maybe it was a well-deserved promotion and you already know the warehouse workflow by heart. Maybe you just earned your certificate in Logistics and Warehouse Management (click here for other courses http://education-portal.com/articles/Warehouse_Management_Classes_Courses_and_Training_Programs.html). But for whatever reason you are in this path, by choice or by fate, your first step in ensuring that your operations flow as smoothly as it can go, is to know who and what your available resources are.

GATHER INFORMATION   Are you taking someone else’s post? Make it a point to get a hold of all the contact information of the vendors, suppliers, technicians, etc. whom he has worked with. Make sure it is readily available and accessible because more likely than not, you will need that list. Without these information, you’ll be flying blind. Here’s a sample of a quick reference list http://www.scmh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Directory-for-SCMH-Key-Contacts.pdf

Are you a business owner establishing a new warehouse? Solicit at least three proposals from reputable material handling companies and compare them against:

a.      Expertise & Experience How long has the company been around? Are they local? Can other customers attest to their quality of work? Would you choose a company who has been around five years over one that has been around 70 years? Check what their customers say about them. Do they have a BBB rating? Check even their social media pages. Do they have bad reviews? You’ll be surprised what you can dig up with customer reviews—good or bad, little things count. Here’s an example of a company with customer reviews and has been around for over 75 years http://www.scmh.com/testimonials/ 

b.      Responsiveness and professionalism     Consider this: How many times have you had to call a company before they provided you a quote? Did you have to follow-up? Imagine it’s only the beginning of a probable deal and you’ve already been made to wait. Suppliers who are not prompt may reflect probabilities of not meeting deadlines. So be observant about these little things. Get a referral too. See if you know anyone who has worked with and can vouch for material handling suppliers—be it a storage racking job, or warehouse products and supplies. Check out this Southern California local http://www.scmh.com/warehouse-systems/ they have an online catalogue where you can find most warehouse supplies. Their WPG manager Jim Neidhart is known for his responsiveness and expertise.

c.       Pricing  Why did we not put price on top of the list? Because cheaper does not always mean better. Especially when your entire warehouse operations depend on a reliable equipment and a well-flowing lay-out. While it is good to compare pricing, what is cost-effective must always be your first consideration. Would it be worth buying electric forklifts for a little bit more $ if your productivity is driven higher and if you save more on LP/Gas in the long run? You can contact news@scmh.com to help you determine what is the best forklift for your warehouse. They can come to you and they can advise you on the best truck capacity, make, model, type that is best suited for your warehouse. 

If you’re in Orange County, call Jim Nolan. He is always ready to drop by your office early in the morning 562.244.2076. If you’re in San Fernando Valley, Chris Key is your guy. He runs a satellite office in that area dedicated to customers in the Valley. They have their own technicians, parts, and inventory of trucks. Chris can be reached at 818-612-1916. You can also browse their brand new inventory here http://www.scmh.com/category/new/. 

Budgetary concerns? Have you considered renting? Maybe you have not decided yet what to buy. Maybe you want to try what works best. Since you’re new on the job, we recommend you go with a company that rents out brand new or newer trucks. Well-maintained and feature-packed means less things for you to worry about. Here’s a rental solutions company that rents out newer trucks in Southern California 1-877-752-3425. Yes, new, but the price is the same as the old trucks John Doe rents out next door. So don’t worry about the price. It’s NOT more expensive. Here's a sample of rental rates http://www.scmh.com/rental/forklift-rentals-los-angeles/pneumatic-tires/

So remember, gather information on experience and expertise. Gauge the responsiveness and professionalism of the material handling company. Solicit at least three quotes, do your research, and seek referrals. Cheaper is not always better.

Want more? Visit http://www.scmh.com/blog/

Stock Up On Parts and Avoid Getting Stuck

If you’ve been running your warehouse operations for a time now, you’d know that an inoperable forklift gets you stuck. Downtime and wasted man hours are certainly not the way to start the year right. SCMH makes it easy for you to stock up on routine parts that you know would be needed changed at certain times in the year—these include batteries, tires, and filters, to name a few. With its New Year promotion of 10% off your total $1,000 (or more) purchase, you'd get huge savings on parts that you would end up needing anyway. Plus, it spares you the time sourcing and waiting for delivery which causes more downtime.

Call SCMH now at 562-654-3614 and order the forklift parts you need! Don’t forget to mention code NEW2015.

Visit www.scmh.com for more details.