Denis McGrath, sales director at Metso’s UK and Ireland distributor McHale Plant Sales, explains the benefits of close customer collaboration
KNOWLEDGE (they say) is no weight to carry. Indeed, as every school teacher knows, one of the most satisfying aspects must be the process of transferring knowledge into the minds of those who thirst to receive it, and for whom it will become a material benefit throughout their later lives.
Aware of the wisdom that says: ‘life is a learning experience’, Finnish crushers and screening equipment manufacturer Metso is a globally-admired organisation, one of whose priorities is the importance it attaches to knowledge sharing and the goal of facilitating its customers by providing them with access to information and support, wherever and whenever possible.
Viewing knowledge of its equipment, a customer’s expectation of it, the task it is set to perform, and the environment and conditions in which it will operate as essential adjuncts to its product development, sales and marketing strategies, Metso and its UK and Ireland distributor, McHale Plant Sales share a belief in, and a commitment towards, the goal of involving its user base In what they term ‘the Metso experience’.
Customers who buy into the Metso brand also buy into the fund of knowledge employed, not just in the development of each new generation machine, but in their day-to-day operation also.
Specifically, there is the cumulative research and development that goes into the process of ensuring every new machine embodies the strong points of its predecessor units, coupled with the new features and enhancements that the product development process generates.
This method of continuous development is one which guarantees that features found useful in operation are retained or modified while those that come from innovation, research and development are incorporated and brought into service as each new generation machine is developed.
Given Finland’s acknowledged reputation as a country of excellence and a premier league player in manufacturing terms, a customer’s decision to buy Metso is one best described as an investment whose significance and reach extends well beyond the limits of the job every Lokotrack or fixed position crusher is purchased to do.
The Metso message dwells at some length on measures and supports they have in place to maximise the return one can expect to get from them and their crushers by way of a ‘womb-to-tomb’ customer service mentality that embraces every conceivable dimension to what could be more commonly termed their ‘user experience’.
Because of the pride that Finland and the Finnish people have in the timeless qualities of their manufactured products – well-known examples being their telecommunications, electronics, furniture, glassware, paper products and more – Metso puts great faith in the concept of ‘learning and sharing’.
“In real terms, those who buy Metso become members of a global community of Metso owners whose feedback and experiences can be captured, stored, analysed, and called-upon to assist fellow owners whose circumstances and expected outcomes may closely mirror others whose characteristics are already known and could be compared for guidance purpose.
“An excellent example of this is their ‘Bruno’ software package to which all Metso owners have access. Using Bruno, aggregates producers can run computer-based programmes to ‘trial’ rock composition, real-life crushing conditions, and expected outcomes in terms of productivity, finished quality, and other parameters whilst deciding on a choice of crusher best suited to their application. By that method, operators can ‘bench test’ a process and evaluated probable outcomes guided by the knowledge of others and the pointers it provides when evaluating what any future performance might deliver, in profit and productivity.
