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by Steven Titch, Contributing Editor   | Abstract: | Manufacturers are finally innovating the service chain, using new analytical software tools to cut warranty costs and identify product failures faster. |
John Kerr wants to eliminate the service call. The general manager for global quality systems at $14 billion appliance manufacturing giant Whirlpool Corp. (Benton Harbor, MI), Kerr is in charge of the company's sweeping effort to organize the data contained in thousands of warranty reports, field service repair notes, and dealer and retailer feedback forms in a database that can be mined and analyzed. The knowledge gained from such systems, Whirlpool believes, can then be used to pinpoint component problems, identify patterns in quality problems, and set off early warnings of possible product failure. And that can allow Whirlpool and Kerr to reduce -- if not eliminate -- service calls. [Click to continue] |