For most distributors, the majority of their sales don't require much consideration after an item has shipped. But occasionally everyone has to deal with those items that require attention—long after they've left the warehouse.

Tracked by a unique serial number, these items are often sold along with service contracts that include preventive maintenance schedules, warranties, etc. Keeping track of these factors can make for complicated transactions, especially if you also are monitoring service technicians' schedules and open service orders.

An integrated enterprise software solution that pulls all of these pieces together can streamline transactions of serialized items, and help monitor the items post-shipment, ensuring that customers get the service they deserve for the life of their purchase.

The best way to understand the benefits of having service and maintenance functionality integrated in your enterprise software solution is to track the life cycle of a serialized item as it passes through the system.

For example, a customer places an order with you for a hydraulic pump. That transaction will not be as easy as entering an order and sending a pick ticket to the warehouse. You have to know if a warranty or service contract is normally attached to that item, or if the item would benefit from being scheduled for preventive maintenance. You also will have to track the item's serial number, so all future service performed on the item will be accurately recorded.

A service and maintenance module integrated to your enterprise software solution can automatically track all of this information for you. (Many distributors already have a solution that suggests accessory items when certain items are entered on an order.) Utilizing similar functionality, you can attach service contracts to particular items, and every time that item is ordered, your employees will be prompted to offer the suggested contract.

If a customer purchases a service contract to go along with the hydraulic pump, a service contract record, which includes expiration dates, parts and labor covered, billing effects, etc., will be linked to the pump's specific serial number.

Warranty information and preventive maintenance schedules also can be set up at the item level. For example, your supplier offers a one-year warranty on hydraulic pumps. You can set up a warranty ID for that item, and all related serial numbers will have the warranty information attached to them at the point of sale. That way, if a customer brings the pump in while it is under warranty, you can send a claim to your supplier right from your solution, and be reimbursed for what the warranty covers.

Similarly, if the manufacturer recommends preventive maintenance, your technology solution can automate the reminder process. And, if there is a certain labor process or technician associated with the service, you can set them as defaults, so whenever a service order is processed from your preventive maintenance schedule, the solution will automatically suggest them for the job.

Once your customer has purchased a serviceable item, along with the necessary warranty, contract, and preventive maintenance programs, you must then efficiently provide the expected service. Technology exists to track labor, technician, warranty, and service information and allows you to set up everything from labor rates (i.e., regular, overtime, and premium) to the technicians' schedules. When the serial number of an item to be serviced gets entered into the system, pertinent information will be available for display.

Another example: a customer brings in a hydraulic pump for service and one of your employees enters its serial number into the solution. If a warranty or service contract exists for the item, it will be displayed so the employee can determine whether it applies to the service order. If the serial number does not exist in the solution, the employee has the option of entering customer, item, and serial number information on the fly.

Once the service order is entered, the employee can schedule the service by viewing a graphical display of technicians' availabilities, and dragging and dropping specific labor tasks into an open time slot, which will automatically create start and end times for the technicians to complete the associated labor. In addition, any parts associated with the service will be immediately allocated in your inventory for the job. Distributors who do not perform service in-house have the option of outsourcing service work to a third party by creating a service purchase order and sending to an external vendor.

Offering service and maintenance options to your customers can be a complicated, time-consuming process. However, an enterprise software solution with integrated functionality that automates and streamlines everything from tracking serial numbers to processing warranty claims, can simplify every step, helping you serve your customers' needs from point of sale to time of service and beyond.