Doing business in the COVID era has required a great deal of creativity and flexibility. With evolving protocols and safety requirements, businesses have had to adapt quickly and with prudence to ensure success. To support customers, Davis-Standard’s teams have rallied to provide an exemplary aftermarket response in regard to parts, rebuilds, equipment upgrades and emergency breakdown services. Anagram International of Minneapolis, Minn., and Synovos of Radnor, Penn., are two examples of customers who have experienced this top-tier service.
The Anagram (www.anagramballoons.com) project was two-fold with an extruder rebuild and controls upgrade. The extruder rebuild occurred first to complement the company’s recently reconditioned feedscrew and extrusion die. Typically, Davis-Standard holds pre-installation meetings on-site at the factory, but due to COVID, held a detailed pre-install meeting virtually. Davis-Standard shipped the parts to Anagram and a regional service engineer (within driving distance) did the installation in-person. The extruder was back in full production faster than expected, which decreased downtime. This was important for Anagram as the world’s leading foil balloon manufacturer.
Anagram’s second phase required upgrading an Integrator-C controller to a faster PC system. As with the extruder rebuild, a virtual pre-installation meeting outlined specifics. It was decided Davis-Standard could do the upgrade remotely via the DS5 secure network access system. The remote upgrade went well with the only in-person contact being from a gauge technician who installed new gauge application software and provided operator training. Within 24 hours, the line was back up and running. In both cases, in-person contact was minimized and timelines were met.
“I was most impressed with how quickly Davis-Standard’s team developed a plan to mitigate COVID exposure while performing the work,” said Bob Hajlo, maintenance and facilities manager at Anagram. “Both projects were successfully completed on time and on budget. It also proved to be a great technology enrichment course for our operators.”
Synovos (www.synovos.com) benefitted from Davis-Standard expediting parts on a regular basis. This has been critical during COVID as Synovos provides comprehensive MRO supply chain management services for customers in a range of industries, including medical and health. Davis-Standard has supplied all types of extrusion parts this year including spare parts, rupture discs and band heaters. When needed, Davis-Standard has been able to overnight parts for early morning delivery to mitigate downtime. In cases where parts were not in stock, Davis-Standard has been successful in getting them to Synovos within a week. The ability to serve customers with speed and efficiency is a reflection of Davis-Standard’s planning strategy early on in the pandemic. This included keeping parts well-stocked, maintaining a healthy network of suppliers, establishing multiple production shifts, and prioritizing employee safety. All without sacrificing 24/7 customer accessibility on a global scale.
“I am always impressed with Davis-Standard because they go above and beyond to do what it takes to get me the parts I need,” said Renee Evans, a buyer at Synovos. “They haven’t missed a beat during COVID, which has been instrumental in helping us serve customers.”
Davis-Standard’s customer service extends to all heritage brands under the Davis-Standard umbrella. Customers can call (+1 844 MYDAVIS) for assistance or visit the aftermarket webpage for more info.