When choosing a service provider for your packaging equipment you will want to be sure that you choose a certified professional with certain qualities. Understanding what to look for in a packaging machinery service technician is an important part of your initial research into choosing a quality professional. Here at Industrial Packaging, we have performed service on packaging machinery for generations. In the article below, we will take a look at the top five qualities to look for when choosing a service and repair technician for your packaging machinery.
1. Experience On Servicing Packaging Machinery
While this may seem like an obvious item of consideration, technical experience in servicing and repair of packaging machinery is still a very important dynamic to consider when choosing a service and repair provider. When it comes to this profession, years of experience are important.
Any willing and able person can ultimately get the appropriate certifications through the right training modules, but does that make them qualified? Or would you rather trust someone who has multiple years of hands on experience? As impressive as a certification may look on paper, when it comes down to your packaging line, you will want someone who can back up a certification with years of experience as well.
When you go source a technician, reach out to local companies who are close to your location and pick their brains on their technicians. Ask them which brands, makes and models their techs are certified and trained on. Be sure to also find out how many years of experience they have under their belt. Ideally, you will want someone who has been doing this kind of work for an extended period of time.
2. Experience In The Field Of Packaging Machinery
While this topic may seem redundant to the one above, the distinction here is experience throughout multiple company's packaging lines. Some technicians may have spent a decade in servicing machinery but as a dedicated technician for a single company.
When sourcing a technician to work on your packaging machinery, you will want to find someone who has experience working on multiple different lines from multiple different companies. As every company and packaging line is unique, finding a certified technician who has worked on various different packaging lines is important. You will also want a to choose a professional with experience on various different packaging machinery makes, models and brands. This will ensure that they have the best experience set to tackle unique challenges.
A technician's skills increase as they work on many types of equipment across various packaging line configurations. They'll be well-equipped for anything and find solutions to complicated issues based on experience.
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3. A Good Personality Is Paramount For A Packaging Machinery Technician
You could find the most highly-skilled packaging machinery technician from a purely technical standpoint and still be disappointed. If you are not personable, easy to get along with or have a bad attitude, much of that skill set could be soured. Truth be told a good packaging machinery technician needs to be able to interact with different types of people and personalities and be skilled in understanding the frustrations of others.
To say that empathy plays a big part in being a technician would be an understatement. In this respect, it truly is important to be a people person in the context of this profession. When dealing with clients who are suffering from unexpected downtime or complicated and costly repairs, working with a technician who is not only skilled in their craft but also easy to talk to, friendly, and of good nature goes a long way. When it comes to hiring a 3rd party technician to keep your line running, you will want to choose someone who meets this criteria.
When shopping around for a service technician, meet with a few potential candidates from different vendors. This will give you an idea about the personality of each potential technician. Choose someone who not only has a great technical ability, but also the right attitude and personal dynamics to meet your needs.
4. Timely Follow Up On Sourcing Parts For Packaging Machinery
As mentioned earlier, downtime is the bane of productivity. In this respect, having a dedicated and certified packaging machinery technician is very important. When you place service calls and a tech is dispatched, sometimes, they will not have all of the required parts to complete the job.
When a part must be sourced from a manufacturer or other sources, having a technician who takes action is a key component ensuring that the part is sourced as quickly as possible. You will want a technician who works closely with the other members of their company and team and takes initiative to make sure that the part is delivered quickly as possible.
When you’re experiencing downtime, a lackadaisical attitude of "not my job, not my problem" is unacceptable. Certain aspects of the process (notifying the appropriate people of the need for the part and subsequent follow up in certain areas) usually aren't part of their job description. Having a technician who makes it their problem and chooses to be an integral part of the process is ideal.
5. Possesses Specialty Tools For Packaging Machinery
When it comes to packaging machinery, there are plenty of standard types of equipment that are found on most packaging lines across the globe. On the other hand, some lines have unique and custom made machinery which demand specialized tools and skill sets to wield them. If your chosen technician does not have the tools or the skills necessary to fix or service these machines, you will have a problem.
It would be smart to ask your potential vendors about any specialized knowledge, tools and skills that their technicians have in relation to specialty equipment. This is especially important if you currently have or plan to implement custom made or specialty machinery on your packaging line.
If you're planning to use unique machinery, you will want to have properly trained technicians who are currently trained on your custom machinery or who have proven they can easily learn and adapt to custom machinery needs in the future. Again, this is another area where sourcing a technician with many years in the field who has worked on many different lines will pay off.
Sourcing A Packaging Machinery Technician
When choosing a 3rd party packaging machinery technician, we recommended reaching out to at least three different vendors and requesting information and/or a value proposition on their service offerings. Be sure to confirm that any technicians who may work on your packaging line are certified for the makes and models of equipment you have.
Find out how many years of experience each vendor's technicians have and consider this to be one of the most important variables in your choice. Once you have identified the vendor you would like to work with, schedule a time to meet with your new technician and introduce them to your packaging line employees.
Once you have began a relationship with your packaging machinery technician, work with them to develop a preventative maintenance program or a break/fix approach to your needs based upon your packaging lines budget and related elements.
If you need help choosing the right packaging machinery technician for your line, feel free to reach out to Industrial Packaging and request feedback from one of our packaging professionals. Even if we are not the right fit for your specific packaging line, we may be able to help you source the appropriate person for your requirements.
