It’s what you would call a normal morning in the Tyler office as the sun peeks through slender pine trees and technicians head off to the first site visit. The new normal, at least.

Technician Steve Tate, on his way out, pops into the window leading to the parts room needing a waste toner bottle, to which Jerry Ford retreats to his computer to assist him. In a matter of minutes, he’ll be on his way.

The last year and a half have been anything but normal — for our service teams as well. Roy Martin, who actually places the parts/toner orders for Service Manager Justin Harper, can attest to that. Though he’s optimistic to see more parts rolling into the warehouse recently.

Our service teams practice proactive service all the time. But given today’s supply chain environment, they have had to get proactive about parts and toner usage, forecasting further ahead what key needs will be, and communicating intentionally with coworkers and customers.

The Little Blue Book reminds us to “Communicate complains or concerns to only those who are involved with minimum delay.” Our services teams, in the midst of supply chain issues that continue to linger, have relied on “communicating with minimal delay.”

“I think our best strategy is we just have to be open and honest with our customers and jump through any and every hoop that we need to to get them what they want and need,” Harper said. “But I think communication with the customer is the most valuable part of all this.”

5 Ways Our East Texas Service Teams are Curbing the Supply Chain Challenges:

1. They visit the boneyard more often.

The boneyard, of course, is the space where old devices sit upstairs in the warehouse. Warehouse teams will use parts or elements of these machines to fill in the gaps when parts are unavailable. It's happened a lot more recently.

"The increase in turnover in the boneyard, since we've had these supply chain issues, I'd say is 50 to 60 percent," Harper said. "The guys are tearing stuff apart left and right up there to make ends meet."

2. They buy strategically. Very strategically.

Strategic forecasting is necessary to ensure what parts, what toners, and what equipment will be turned around and used. Wasted parts during a supply chain crisis are bad news. Every purchase matters. The service team essentially try to look at the last 90 days to see what's been used frequently.

"It's challenging. If you order the wrong thing, you've wasted money in inventory. If I'm about to buy 10 fusers for this model, or this many drums, I better be able to use them all in the next six months... if and when they come in," Harper said.

3. They furnish a loaner.

Imagine an FTA account. Let's say this customer had a Xerox device on a Xerox lease. When that lease term is over, Xerox wants their equipment back immediately.

"If we don't have that new equipment in stock, we better have something to offer them," Justin said. "We need to fulfill that order with a loaner so that customer isn't down for weeks or more."

4. They communicate with the customer.

If equipment or a certain part is on backorder, Justin finds it essential to keep a full line of communication going.

"I take it personally. Any time we've got something back ordered for more than three or four days, I touch base with the customer myself. The message is, hey, if you need something, we'll bring you a piece of equipment. I'd rather them have a loaner than have them down," Justin said.

5. They communicate with each other.

Justin credits the communication he and Roy have during the workday and beyond.

"Roy is vital in what he does. He keeps a close eye on (toner) minimums and maximums," Justin said. "He's helping set up machines that come through, so he knows how many are coming through the shop. Any time he places an order, he makes sure I know the ETA, and I get a confirmation so I can have the tracking number. Our communication is constant. Even after hours, he's replying to my emails and text messages."

A normal day for 2022 moves on in East Texas. Customer needs are fulfilled, as teams stand in the gap of the supply chain challenges — careful forecasting and a full line of open communication.