‘Customer Service 4.0’ at Rolls-Royce Power Systems

Since January, MTU experts working across three locations – Singapore, Novi and Friedrichshafen – have been providing round the clock support and ensuring that customers get the optimum levels of availability from their MTU propulsion and energy systems. The new Customer Care Centers are part of a drive by Rolls-Royce Power Systems to transform its global customer service, with digitisation playing a key role.

“With our service and digital strategy, we intend to deliver an exceptionally high customer-focused improvement in both our services and products,” Andreas Schell explained. “The aim of our transformation is to support our customers as a complete solutions provider.”

In-house digital solutions team is driving the transformation process

Rolls-Royce Power Systems has geared itself up for digitisation. An in-house team of more than 40 has been joined by employees from across the business, external experts, service providers from the start-up field and app developers; all driving ahead with the digital transformation process.

“We are developing digital products and services that will generate substantial customer benefits and we are doing it in the style of a start-up company – fast, agile and with close proximity to the customer,” said J?rgen Winterholler, in charge of the Digital Solutions department. “With the methods we are using, such as design thinking, we ensure that we do not simply assume we understand what the customer needs, but ensure that we know precisely what the customer needs.”

With the aid of digitisation, Rolls-Royce Power Systems is linked more closely to customers and, by analysing additional information obtained from field engineers, generates added value for customer support, product development and quality, as well as for the international network. The first digital products – MTU-Go!Act and MTU Go!Manage – were designed specifically for individual applications and to meet customer needs, regardless of whether they are used for ships, trains, dump trucks or power generation. Connecting up the customer’s system to a ‘data logger’ enables MTU experts and the customer to remotely monitor the performance of engines; schedule maintenance work and ensure the availability of required spare parts needed; analyse operational data; and determine what actions to recommend.

“These new products are far more than just a remote monitoring and error reporting system,” Winterholler explained. “They provide the communications between the operator, service personnel and experts, collect the information at one location and help the customer and our organisation to optimise the use and operation of our products.”

In addition, the Digital Solutions team, together with colleagues in IT, ensure that all the technical requirements, such as cloud infrastructure, data management and digital links are in place. “In all these considerations, cyber security and data protection have been assigned the highest priority. This is an area where we also benefit from the experience gained in the course of the last 20 years by Rolls-Royce in the aerospace industry,” Winterholler added.

MTU Value Care Agreements secure availability

“As a result of the interplay between our new service agreements, new digital tools and the Customer Care Centers, the customer is provided with a complete peace-of-mind package,” said Matthias Vogel, Executive Vice President Service, Network and Business Development at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “The customers benefit in terms of reliability, operational efficiency and maximum service life for their propulsion or energy system. We assume the risks, so that the customer can concentrate on their own core business.”

The processing of service agreements is also integrated into the new Customer Care Center in Friedrichshafen, where experts work side-by-side with the digital team. Preventative maintenance work is scheduled to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Maintenance intervals are coordinated and an optimized, transparent cost structure is in place, guaranteeing the reliability and availability of engines and systems. Customers receive full service support, which is organised by both the new Customer Care Center and the proven Customer Assistance Center.

Hitachi relies on digital customer support from MTU

For the UK‘s Intercity Express Programme, Rolls-Royce Power Systems is currently delivering a total of 360 MTU PowerPacks for 122 Hitachi trainsets. Under the Value Care Agreement, MTU guarantees the availability of these drive systems for the coming 27.5 years. The PowerPacks are equipped with data loggers to enable both MTU and the manufacturer of the trainsets, Hitachi, to jointly monitor the performance of the drive systems. Personnel from MTU UK will carry out the maintenance of the PowerPacks, supported by up-to-date sensor data, in Hitachi depots to ensure reliability.