Service as the driving force of the business
Kits offer Yerseke Engine Services continuity and flexibility
At Yerseke Engine Services, or YES, providing excellent service is at the heart of everything they do. And in a world where downtime means decline, that’s just how it should be, since every day that a ship is not in operation is incredibly costly. Working effectively and efficiently then become key concepts. YES purchases the components for their electrical control cabinets in the form of kits – packages specifically tailored to the customer – from itsme. For a company that is on standby for the shipping industry 24/7, this working method is a perfect fit.
How important is being able to act quickly for YES? Andries van Belzen, [position], compares it to road transport. ‘If a truck breaks down, then another truck can be sent out to transport the trailer. For a ship, that's a lot trickier. A ship has to keep running 24/7, and our service provision is geared to that as well.’ For this reason, YES mechanics often have no idea where they will be deployed the next day: they may be working on board an inland shipping vessel, but they may just as easily be sent to a cargo ship in the Panama Canal.
And that’s only talking about repairs: when it comes to marine engines, the Zeeland-based company applies the knowledge and experience they've built up over 30 years to a much broader field. Their expertise lies in the overhaul of engines, reversing gear and generators for the shipping industry. They also build ship’s engines according to their customers' control engineering requirements and specifications. A new build project, a complete refit where the engine is preventively replaced, or an overhaul so that an engine can keep running for another 60,000 hours? YES doesn’t shy away from anything, whether it involves inland navigation or maritime shipping.
‘The good thing about our collaboration? The specific materials you need are immediately available.’
Andries goes on to explain that the company has developed its own system through which an engine can be controlled and monitored, the Marine Control & Monitoring Device (MCMD). ‘With this system, we can start and stop the engine as well as accelerate and shift gears. If something goes wrong, we can read the alarm message.’ Ship's engines really are right at the heart of the work. Within that lies a range of possibilities that, however diverse they may be, all have one thing in common: everything depends upon rock-solid service. At YES, service provision means swift responses and short lines of communication that aren’t affected by weekends or office hours, something that requires tight inventory management and efficient production. ‘That’s how it has to be. A ship being stranded only because we don’t have a part in stock that would only costs a few euros is absolutely unthinkable.’
Kits provide efficiency
Since there was still a strong wish to further enhance the business processes, itsme was invited to explore the possibilities.
Kits turned out to be the answer. Paul Mullenders, Connected Business consultant at itsme, explains that all the components needed to build the special electrical control cabinets for a ship's engine are supplied by itsme as a single pre-assembled package. On request, the cabinet can even be spray-painted in a certain colour. ‘Each kit has its own item number. A single kit contains up to forty different components, mainly from Schneider Electric and Phoenix Contact, in a variety of quantities. Whether YES orders two or five kits, everything is clearly grouped together per kit in order to give good oversight. Everything is assembled at our Value Added Service Centre (VAC), which is exclusively focused on the supply of kits and assemblies. Everything is done on a customer-specific basis, even if we agree with the customer to keep separate components in stock in addition to the kits. We also monitor the stock. If we see that the stock is moving fast, then we will adjust our stock in consultation with YES.’
Continuity comes first
Arno Capelle, Account Manager at itsme, adds that fast delivery is paramount. ‘After all, we are also dependent on the delivery times of our suppliers. That's why we assess whether it’s necessary to purchase an additional quantity on a case-by-case basis. Doing this allows us to secure the delivery reliability for YES and other customers.’
Andries nods in agreement. ‘Absolutely, continuity is key for our company. It’s convenient that there are also spare parts in stock specifically for us. Should we ever run out of something, I just give Arno a call and we can still get our hands on parts quickly. The great thing about our collaboration is that these very specific materials are always available. In that sense, itsme is an extension of our warehouse.’
‘Specific materials are always available. In that sense, itsme is an extension of our warehouse’
Back to the kits. Building an electrical control cabinet takes around twelve to fourteen hours. The mechanics no longer have to lose any of that time looking for parts. ‘For us, this working method is amazing because we only have to order one item number. One single kit is a complete construction kit and that is just perfect. It provides efficiency and oversight, because you can see what you have in stock right away. In addition, the person assembling the control box no longer has to find out where to get components or sort them out.’ YES also had another requirement: that the administration was set up just as efficiently. For this purpose, itsme linked their item numbers to those of YES, adding a clear description alongside each item, so that YES can now place orders by using their own item numbers. And when information is requested, the itsme employee knows from a description which item is being referred to.
Around fifty kits were delivered to YES in the previous year, and Andries is very happy with how everything is going. ‘We are now in the process of assembling kits for other composite parts, such as control levers and reversing gear wiring closets, so that when it comes to smaller projects, we only need to grab one box from the warehouse and we can get started right away. We are definitely seeing the benefit of this.’
More than an engine
The YES team consists of fifty people. They have a well-equipped workshop at their disposal, as well as a special fuel unit for the overhaul of fuel pumps, injectors and regulators, and a fully equipped test stand where all relevant parts of an engine are tested under the same conditions as on board. YES also thinks about the future, Andries van Belzen tells us. Here he is referring to the tougher emission requirements for inland navigation, 2021 being the transition year for this. ‘An engine is as such no longer just an engine. An exhaust after-treatment will soon be added. We are working hard to improve on that, so we can continue to offer our service in the future.’