IHC Merwede and Bakker Sliedrecht entered into an agreement this week to provide local support for clients throughout the world, starting in China.
The existing regional IHC Merwede service centre in Tanggu (P.R. of China) will provide Chinese clients, in addition to the usual operational activities, with support from service experts specialised in electrical systems. These experts have acquired their expertise at both IHC Merwede and Bakker Sliedrecht, and they will be backed up by the knowledge present in both organisations.
This collaboration will result in faster assistance for clients with electrical problems. Expertise will be present in the regions and time zones of the clients. The Chinese ships’ crews can explain encountered problems in their own language so that the knowledge of both expert companies is even more accessible. For the time being, the service will mainly target the dredging market but, in the future, other market segments such as offshore will certainly be given this sort of support.
Pool of Engineers
The new arrangement includes the establishment of a joint pool of Chinese engineers who specialise in electrical systems and who will receive training and support from both companies. As a result, optimal support will be available for Chinese clients both during and after the guarantee period.
Preventing Downtime
Both IHC Merwede and Bakker Sliedrecht expect to extend this arrangement further to other regions and other types of service such as Condition Monitoring. This service makes it possible to prevent unexpected operational downtime by carrying out maintenance or repair work in good time.
Picture: J.M. Verhoeven, Bakker Sliedrecht (l) and J.H. Hylkema, IHC Merwede (r)
