Case Study
Die Muggergittermacher are Designing a Completely New Service Experience
Spengler & Meyer GmbH, better known as “Die Muggergittermacher”, is a premium provider of custom-made insect screens. With Solvares Field Service and its partner EWU IT, the company has undergone a radical transformation into a service champion.
The Company: Premium Custom-made Fly Screens
Die Muggergittermacher are a Bavarian-based provider specialising in custom-made insect screens. The company develops and produces high-quality fly screen solutions for windows, doors and light wells, targeting both private households and commercial customers.
The focus is always on precisely fitting, long-lasting protection against insects – from classic clamping frames to pleated blinds and special solutions. With decades of experience, in-house production and personal on-site advice, Die Muggergittermacher are now considered one of the leading providers of individual insect screens in southern Germany.
The Project: Organisational Shift towards Full Customer Orientation
Through the introduction of a new IT system landscape and the Scheduling of Solvares Field Service the Muggergittermacher have succeeded in making a paradigm shift, from a production oriented company to a service champion in the skilled trades, with impressive figures and enthusiastic customers:
The shift in customer reviews appear on Google and Proven Expert:
The solution: A complete system change
For Christian Mehringer, project manager at Muggergittermacher, there can be no better confirmation that it was right to completely reorganise the IT stack and introduce a dynamic scheduling solution. Since then, a lot has changed.
Mehringer explains. “Everything was not integrated, with massive data silos and media breaks.” As the processes became more and more complex and at the same time the business continued to grow, it was time for an innovative digitisation project, which ultimately led to “a paradigm shift in our company.” But one thing at a time.
Reduction of the lead time from 31 to 0.5 days
At the end of 2020, Die Muggergittermacher engaged EWU IT GmbH from Langenfeld (NRW). The system consultancy, which is well-known in the industry, is a consulting and implementation partner of Solvares Field Service and works particularly closely with Solvares Field Service as an Advanced Competency Partner.
The decision to go with EWU and Solvares Field Service should pay off for Die Muggergittermacher. To anticipate just one of the many impressive results: The time it takes from the customer order to the naming of the installation date has been reduced from 31 days to a few hours, a maximum of the following working day. The customer orders and knows immediately when they can expect their insect screen.
The fact that the processes and IT systems have not been able to keep up with the quality of the products is due not least to the changes that the company has undergone.
Spengler & Meyer GmbH emerged from a joinery in Ansbach in 1990. Over time, the company has specialised in the production of high-quality insect screens and light well covers.
Today, the company produces and sells the insect screen systems of the market leader Neher under the name “Die Muggergittermacher”. The now more than 60 employees serve both specialist dealers and craft businesses as well as end customers. They plan around 70 customer appointments per day for measurement, delivery or installation.
Goal: Relief and Digitisation along the Customer Journey
Back to the project. Ansgar Schmitz, Managing Director of EWU IT, recalls:
Extremely ambitious goals. In order to achieve these, it was necessary to create a uniform systemlandscape and completely redesign the route planning.
Replace CRM and Field Scheduling
Towards the end of 2021, the previous CRM system was replaced, Excel, Google Maps and various databases were banished from appointment and route planning, and the server structure was outsourced to the cloud as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
As a new planning tool for appointments and routes, EWU IT and Solvares Field Service jointly implemented the real-time software VISITOUR. The field service was connected via the app MOBILE FLOW.
All Systems Integrated
As middleware or workflow management system, the specially developed EWU Connector now ensures that all systems are integrated. The CRM, route planning, the Neher app for measurement and quotation, and the ERP for grid production interact smoothly with each other. The go-live for the new system landscape took place in December 2021.
The result: A holistic solution consisting of CRM, ERP and appointment and route planning, which extends into production, involves the field service and the fitters and simplifies subsequent processes such as accounting. The effects were quickly apparent, both internally and externally.
Drastic Reduction in Scheduling Effort
Previously, scheduling was distributed among five employees, who coordinated the scattered information for route planning on six screens.
The scheduling effort was approximately ten person-days per week at the two locations. After the changeover, a single employee now manages the installation planning for both locations in just a few hours a week, i.e. while the colleague sends out the order confirmations. The effort in the end customer area has decreased from six to approx. two working days per week.
“Of course, we still have employees who look at escalated appointments,” explains Managing Director Dr. Hans Mehringer. “But that’s basically just one.” The colleagues, who previously regularly buried themselves in route planning using Excel, Google Maps and Access databases, can now focus much more on service and order processing.
Extensive Relief Throughout the Company
The relief is noticeable everywhere in the company. Many employees had a three-digit overtime quota in the past. Now overtime has been significantly reduced and everyone comes home on time much more often.
The field service and the fitters were also relieved. They now work paperless with the app for measurement and quotation and with MOBILE FLOW for appointment and route planning.
They receive their orders and pre-filled customer documents including an appointment overview on their smartphone or tablet. When an employee completes the order at the customer’s site, all relevant data such as dimensions, quotation items, production dimensions, colors or photos for installation are automatically saved in the cloud solution on the process.
Customers Praise New Transparency and Reliability
Another key outcome: Much more transparency about the order process for everyone involved, especially for the customers.
Christian Mehringer from Muggergittermacher, “Many are not used to this speed and transparency from a craft business.” Therefore, it does not surprise him that “many customers are enthusiastic about the smooth processes and our reliability”.
Acceleration of the Customer Journey
The holistic system and the new route planning have accelerated the customer journey and really aligned it with the customer. And basically, the project has provided even more: A veritable “paradigm shift in the company”, as Mehringer describes it.
Change from a Production to a Customer Perspective
“In the past, we had a completely production-oriented view. We initially loaded all incoming orders into production. Only when an order was eventually finished, did we deal with the fact that it had to be delivered. Now we first inform the customer and load the production depending on the time window for delivery and installation.”
This also saves Muggergittermacher storage space for parts that have already been produced but cannot yet be delivered or installed.
The planning logic of VISITOUR defines the operatives key for the orders. That is, the smart POWEROPT algorithm behind it brings all factors such as the availabilities of the employees, the required skills, the appointment duration per order type, the capacities in the delivery vehicle and the appointment requests of the customers into harmony.
Tools for Field Service Champions
Ansgar Schmitz, Managing Director of EWU IT, also draws a positive conclusion: “The project shows what is possible with a consistent system and integrated special solutions when good partners such as Solvares Field Service and EWU work together with an open-minded customer. The Muggergittermacher have developed into a true service champion in a very short time, as the many enthusiastic customer reviews show.”
With the new solutions, Muggergittermacher have transformed their end customer business. The number of customer calls regarding appointment scheduling has been significantly reduced and customer satisfaction has increased significantly.
The next goal, which Muggergittermacher are already working on, is to optimise the processes for specialist dealers and craft businesses as well. They are to be integrated into the system and ultimately be able to offer their customers the same high-quality end-to-end service processes via the new solutions.
In this way, the dealers or craftsmen receive a delivery date for the finished elements during a measurement and consultation on site thanks to the newly networked systems and can immediately coordinate an installation date with their customers – custom-made insect screens at the desired date.
Real-time technology brings a new shopping experience
Christian Mehringer gets to the point:
“Real-time technology is a decisive competitive advantage and game changer in the service business. Through this new transparency for all process participants, we are delivering manufacturing information directly to the end customers of our specialist dealers for the first time, completely reshaping the insect screen purchasing experience between customer and craftsman.”
His conclusion on the project:
What You Can Take away from this for your Service
- An integrated system landscape consisting of CRM, ERP, Route Planning, and apps eliminates data silos – and makes your processes consistently digital.
- Specialised, automated scheduling significantly reduces planning effort and lowers overtime across the entire operation.
- Fast appointment confirmation and transparent status information along the customer journey reduce inquiries and ensure enthusiastic customer reviews.
- Those who switch from a production to a customer perspective consistently plan from the desired appointment – while simultaneously reducing inventory and waiting times.
- Real-time technology and intelligent algorithms reconcile skills, capacities, travel times, and customer requests, creating a “Champions League” service experience.
- The close collaboration with specialised IT partners accelerates the transformation into a service champion – professionally, technically, and culturally.
Results
- 80% less effort for route planning (2 instead of 10 person-days per week)
- Reduction of the period from customer order to appointment confirmation for assembly from 31 to 0.5 days
- Massive reduction of overtime in various parts of the company
- Excellent customer reviews as a result of a digitised, service-oriented, and fast customer journey
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