Hitting the Ground Running
JDLink™ delivered a low pressure fuel alert to Brian Truitt, SE Region Machine Monitoring Specialist. Brian determined that the new Orlando branch Product Support Technology Representative, Patrick Duffy, should be engaged.
Brian completed a detailed MMS event form with his recommendation for replacing the fuel filters and sent this over to Patrick, who has been in the new PSTR position for only a few weeks. Patrick immediately reached out to the customer and explained the issue with their shop manager. Since Patrick was slated to be in the area he arranged to bring the customer fuel filters for the machine to the job site.
While onsite, Patrick met with the operator and checked over the machine, where he determined that there was also an important software payload pending on the machine. While this software payload was NOT part of a Product Improvement Program, it had been sent by Deere to eliminate potential software “bugs”. These types of updates can improve the machines performance and eliminate potential downtime.
Patrick, who has not yet attended any formalize training at Nortrax, utilized a handbook developed by Brian, installed the payload on the machine and returned the machine to operation.
Working as a team, Brian and Patrick were able to resolve one potential downtime event while at the same time reducing the likelihood of a future performance complaint on the machine.
Our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Remote Diagnostics and Programming
Jim amazes customer by utilizing
remote diagnostics and programming.
Jim Bell, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) for Nortrax operations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin, recently had an opportunity to demonstrate the power of an industry exclusive technology feature available on many John Deere machines.
Jim received a call late one night from a customer who runs two production class loaders, operating 20 hours a day, seven days a week. The company’s superintendent reported that one machine was generating miscellaneous fault codes and he was concerned about potential downtime.
The superintendent said his mechanics believed the problems were related to an issue with the machine’s electrical system, but they were unsure on how to proceed. The superintendent hoped Jim could assist in scheduling an “emergency” service call, since Christmas was fast approaching.
While on the phone, Jim pulled up the machine in JDLink™ (John Deere’s telematics platform) and observed that there were multiple fault codes for various electrical components on the machine. It became apparent to Jim that these issues all seemed to be related to one of the main electrical controllers on the machine.
While they continued to discuss the problem, Jim utilized his laptop and determined that there was a new software package available from Deere that could potentially remove the “bugs” the machines electrical system was experiencing. Jim immediately utilized John Deere’s industry exclusive feature, Remote Diagnostics and Programming, to send a software update to the machine via the onboard JDLink’s unit cellular connection.
Jim explained to the superintendent the process that would have to be followed onboard the machine to download and install the software updates. He also emailed a detailed stepby- step procedure which had been developed by one of the Nortrax Machine Monitoring Specialists (MMS).
Jim followed up with the customer the next morning. They reported that the remote programming had worked and removed the software “bugs” and the machine was now operating normally. The customer was amazed that John Deere had technology in their machines to allow this problem to be fi xed without downtime or an expensive service call.
Shortly thereafter, Jim received a call from the company’s training coordinator asking Jim to schedule a live demo of JDLink to their management team and emphasize its ability to allow Nortrax to employ Remote Diagnostics and Programming to reduce or eliminate unscheduled downtime.
Our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfi lling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the fi rst place. We Stand Ready.
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No Matter the Distance
NO MATTER THE DISTANCE,
COMMUNICATION AND TEAMWORK PAYS DIVIDENDS.
Brian Truitt, Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) for the SE Region recently received a call from Jim Bell, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) for Nortrax operations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin. Jim had called Brian with several technical questions and some “best practice” advise. While they were discussing issues over the phone, Jim casually mentioned a machine in his area that had recently begun generating some alert codes that he hadn’t seen before.
His curiosity aroused, Brian asked Jim to provide him the machine’s serial number. Brian proceeded to establish a connection to the machine utilizing John Deere’s industry exclusive feature, Remote Diagnostics and Programming. After reviewing the diagnostic trouble codes Brian quickly provided Jim with a Dealer Technical Assistance Center(DTAC) solution. It spelled out in detail, several of the reasons this code may be generated. The machine, a rubber tired harvester, had active codes for both low coolant level and engine derating as well as a “nuisance” (false alert) code. If the machine is being operated on sloping conditions, it can cause a “sloshing” effect in the coolant tank, resulting in a JDLink™ alert.
Jim reached out to the operator, who identified a slow coolant leak on the machine. The coolant level was topped off with a gallon of coolant and the machine was operated to ensure the problem had been resolved.
Jim commented, “It amazed our customer that a Machine Monitoring Specialist, over a thousand miles away, could remotely determine what was wrong with his machine.”
Working together, Brian and Jim demonstrated the value of John Deere WorkSight and the power of teamwork and communication to resolve a customer’s problems.
Our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customer’s problem is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Partnering Together
PARTNERING TOGETHER TO ADD VALUE AND HELP BUILD OUR CUSTOMER’S BUSINESS, IS WHAT WE DO.
Jim Bell, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) for Nortrax operations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin recently partnered with Ryan Castellion, Territory Manager from the Monico, Wisconsin branch, to review John Deere WorkSight™ products with a customer who had recently purchased a new John Deere machine.
After completing the setup of the customers JDLink™ account, Jim and Ryan began covering some of the features and benefits available with John Deere WorkSight. The customer quickly began to suggest a number of different scenarios where this type of information would help his business. He was amazed when Jim used Remote Diagnostics and Programming to send several updates right to his dozer. The three of them then walked through the simple steps involved in downloading an installing the updates.
Jim described how using things like JDLink and Remote Diagnostics and Programming, they were able to offer a comprehensive package of Nortrax Ultimate Uptime solutions. Nortrax Ultimate Uptime off ers three different levels of options for our customers to choose from:
- Level One — includes tools such as JDLink, Remote Diagnostics and Programming, FleetCare, scheduled telematics reporting, as well as, other reports, and is supported by our PSTR and MMS roles.
- Level Two — adds a comprehensive Preventative Maintenance program and Oil Analysis.
- Level Three — features the addition of a Total Repair and Maintenance contract which offers customers a fixed Owning and Operating (O&O) component to their machine ownership experience.
Ryan explained that Level One was already included in the price of the machine, as one of the many value added services that Nortrax provides. Jim then covered the advantages of moving up to a Level Two Ultimate Uptime Plan, to which the customer said “You guys are the real experts on this stuff. Just tell me what it’s going to cost to have you service my machine.”
Jim quickly provided the customer a price on the Nortrax Ultimate Uptime Level Two and they reviewed the customer’s O&O hourly costs, and the benefits it offered his operation. The customer decided to purchase the Nortrax Ultimate Uptime Level Two contract for his machine.
Partnering with customers to maximize their Productivity & Uptime, and lowering their Daily Operating Costs, are just some of the tasks our Nortrax PSTRs are performing each day here at Nortrax. We Stand Ready.
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The Power of JDLink
BEHOLD THE POWER OF JDLINK™
In late December 2015, a customer purchased a new John Deere250GLC excavator from Nortrax. Tom Alborn, Product Support Technology Representative(PSTR) from the Ft. Myers branch reached out to the customer on several occasions to sit down and set up his JDLink™ account, as well as provide training on the JDLink Web Portal. Unfortunately, the customer was working on the other side of the state, and with an incredibly heavy work load, was unable to meet with Tom to complete these important steps.
However, that didn’t stop Tom from adding the customer’s machine to the SE Region’s Machine Monitoring Alert Group, which is carefully watched over by Brian Truitt, SE Region Machine Monitoring Specialist. So when Brian began to receive multiple JDLink alerts for engine de-rate and fuel filter restrictions on this excavator, he immediately reached out to the Ft. Myers Service Team. They promptly contacted the customer and advised him to replace the fuel filter, as soon as possible.
When the customer arrived at the branch to pick up the filters, he mentioned to the Certified Parts Adviser (CPA) how impressed he was that Nortrax Service had called him, because he had no idea there was even an issue with the machine. He then asked the CPA if they could speak to the PSTR who had been calling him.
Tom introduced himself and explained it would only take a short time to get the customer’s account set up. The customer used his smartphone to quickly create the account and then Tom had the opportunity to demonstrate many of the features available. The customer was especially interested in how he could use JDLink to track his maintenance schedule, as well as provide him near real time text or email alerts should his machine experience any more fuel related issues.
Since this customer sometimes works in areas that can be prone to machine theft, the JDLink features, like geo-fence and curfew, were a big hit. The customer left Nortrax that day, sold on the benefits of JDLink!
Tom reports that it can be challenging to get customers to take the time out of their busy schedules to do the necessary account set up. But once they start the process, they are immediately asking questions, and wanting to see all the information JDLink can tell them about their machines.
Training customers on how to utilize JDLink is just one of the tasks our Nortrax PSTRs are performing each day here at Nortrax. We Stand Ready.
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Watching Your Fleet
DON’T WORRY... I’M WATCHING YOUR FLEET.
Nortrax Canada recently hosted a meeting with a large customer whose fleet comprises over 200 machines, including a 944K Hybrid Wheel Loader. This customer is a large quarry and aggregate producer, in addition to being involved in many unique civil projects in Eastern Ontario. The meeting was held with the customer’s Equipment Manager, an individual with a high level of industry experience, including time in product support with a large competitor of Nortrax.
The meeting detailed a large project that is anticipated to take up to 3 years to complete and will involve over 60 John Deere machines on site. Nortrax was able to call upon experiences with large projects such as Ontario’s Detour Lake Gold Mine and Orlando’s I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project. Nortrax explained how we could offer product support with the highest level of uptime on the job site. In addition, our newly implemented Machine Monitoring initiative would be able to compliment the local Nortrax branches through the use of JDLink™ and Remote Diagnostics and Programming.
The Equipment Manager was given an opportunity to meet with Daniel Gove, Nortrax Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) who monitors this customer’s fleet of JDLink equipped machines. Daniel showed the customer how an MMS takes the JDLink data and transforms it into a proactive product support solution. Since this Equipment Superintendent had spent many years with another dealership’s product support operations, both he and Daniel were able to engage in a very technical discussion on the importance of machine monitoring.
Daniel took the opportunity to demonstrate some of the industry exclusive features available with John Deere’s Remote Diagnostics and Programming which can reduce or eliminate machine downtime events. The ability to remotely monitor customer machines from hundreds (or thousands) of kilometers away was something that Daniel was able to demonstrate using some of the customer’s own pieces of equipment. This customer appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Nortrax product support capabilities and was able to experience our Machine Monitoring initiative in action.
Daniel’s last comment, as the customer left his office really drove the message home… ”I’m watching your fleet, don’t worry!”
Our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Teamwork and Technology Pay Off
TEAMWORK AND TECHNOLOGY PAY OFF
Recently an Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) in the SE Region began generating JDLink Alerts for both high coolant and charge air temperatures. Brian Truitt, Machine Monitoring Specialist immediately began to perform Remote Diagnostics to see if he could isolate the issue. Brian also reached out to Patrick Duffy, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) and suggested that he contact the customer to ensure they were aware of the situation.
Patrick reached out to the customer who had just made the decision to remove the machine from its regular operations tasks and assign it to a job that was less demanding in the hopes of stopping the issues impacting the machine. Brian utilized Remote Diagnostics to set a series of recording triggers on the ADT so that if the machine should experience additional issues a series of automated diagnostic tests would be performed to narrow down the potential issues.
In the meantime the customer moved a second ADT to the site which immediately began experiencing similar issues as the first truck. Brian quickly established a Remote Diagnostic connection with the second ADT and set a series of recording triggers.
Brian and Patrick reviewed the data from both trucks and quickly realized that a lack of sufficient operator training was creating a scenario that allowed the trucks to experience overheating issues caused by improper operating techniques. Patrick reviewed the findings with the customer and they agreed to have Patrick come to the site to review proper operation and maintenance procedures with the operators.
The customer was ecstatic that Nortrax was able to isolate the issues utilizing advanced technologies and make informed recommendations which reduced downtime and unnecessary service calls.
Our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the first place.We Stand Ready.
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Rapid Fire Response Team
Rapid Fire Response Team
Imagine you’re a Products Support Technology Representative (PSTR), specifically Jim Bell, from the Escanaba, Michigan branch, and you’re hundreds of miles away from your customers while attending a meeting. Suddenly your phone begins to vibrate as multiple JDLink™ alert emails begin streaming into your device. It’s not good news either, one of your largest customers has a John Deer703JH tracked forestry machines generating critical alert emails for low engine coolant AND extremely high engine temperatures. You quickly forward one of the emails to the Fleet Manager. The Fleet Manager needs to know more information, and he’s relaying on you to provide it to him.
Within a short time your phone begins vibrating again, this time it’s an Intelligence Alert Triage Center (IATC) email from your Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) Dave Noel. He’s located well over 1000 miles away from the machine, and almost 1500 miles from where you’re sitting. Dave has already used JDLink and Remote Diagnostics to connect to the machine and determine what needs to happen. He puts all this information into IATC and emails it to you including the warning to “shut the machine down immediately.” Dave also includes all the other relevant information so you’ve got everything you need to engage with your customer Armed with this information you call the Fleet Manager and give him an update, again recommending that they shut the machine down immediately.
While all this rapid fire information is flowing back and forth over email and phone, it just so happens that the owner of this machine has his Nortrax Territory Manager, Scott Lippens, sitting in his office. Scott and the owner were seeing and hearing all this communication in “real time” and had the opportunity to witness the quick reaction of the Nortrax PSTR, MMS and the Fleet Manager. They also soon learned that the operator had been contacted, and quickly located and corrected a coolant leak.
Highly skilled specialists like Jim, our PSTR, and Dave our MMS, combine their expertise with cutting edge technologies to reduce, or in some instances, eliminate downtime events. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Start to Finish Product Support
Start to Finish Product Support
Denis Forget, Product support technology representative (PSTR) based out of the Ottawa branch, received an Intelligence Alert Triage Center (IATC) ticket from Michel Belanger, Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) explaining that a local township was experiencing a severe JDLink™ alert on their 870G Motor Grader. The IATC Ticket that was created detailed that there was severe restrictions with the engine air filters, which if left uncorrected could potentially result in an expensive engine failure.
As soon as Denis received the IATC ticket, he immediately followed up with the customer at the municipal garage to provide his support. He was extremely willing to provide any answers in which they may have had regarding the issue and instructed them to immediately change the air filters. He made sure to convey professional customer service by making sure all bases were covered from parts to service, and made sure to ask if Nortrax needed to send out a field technician to their location for assistance.
The garage’s stock unfortunately did not have all parts required to fix the code, so Denis immediately arranged a same day order for the parts required and a courier was sent to pick up the parts. The approach Denis and Michel took to resolve the issue with the customer not only significantly shortened their machine down-time, but made sure the customer was accurately and effectively taken care of from start to finish.
When Denis returned to the Township to confirm their machine was back in working condition the Township representative started off immediately by saying how satisfied they were with Nortrax product support services. He explained that they were extremely appreciative that Nortrax Machine Monitoring was watching over their machine. He also mentioned that the situation with their 870G grader and how Nortrax handled it, as compared to the other dealerships they work with, would be discussed at their next municipal meeting.
At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customer’s problem is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready. We Stand Ready.
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Late Night Investigative Work
Late Night Investigative Work
When the owner of a Florida construction company received a curfew alert from JDLink™ late one evening he immediately became concerned about possible machine theft. JDLink offers customers the ability to not only set up an electronic “fence” (geofence) around their machines, but even allows for the machine to notify them if it’s started outside normal working hours. After calling several employees who had been working on that jobsite during the day, he called the police to report a possible theft. While the police were responding, the owner drove to the site to find that the machine was still there BUT the engine was warm to the touch. The machine is normally parked directly in front of the jobsite trailer, which holds many of the tools they utilize, and while it was still parked in its “normal” location he was worried it may have been moved to gain access to the trailer. The customer moved the machine and entered the trailer, and quickly discovered that a number of expensive tools were missing.
At approximately 10:00 p.m. the customer then called Patrick Duffy, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Orlando FL, and asked if he might be able to utilize JDLink to add any additional information. As police canvassed the area, Patrick quickly called Brian Truitt, Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS), to assist in using JDLink to determine what may have happened. As Brian and Patrick reviewed the data they were able to determine when the machine was started, and most importantly, who’s user code had been entered into the machine’s security system to start it.
Patrick provided these key pieces of information to the customer who quickly recognized the code as belonging to an employee who had been working on a totally different jobsite. When he called the employee he learned that he had driven to the jobsite, started the machine and moved it, removed the tools, and then repositioned it back in front of the trailer. And the best news of all…all of the tools were safely locked up in the job trailer on the other jobsite, where the employee had needed to use them. No “real” crime was committed.
The customer and the local police were impressed with the ability of JDLink to capture such detailed information and thanked Patrick and Brian for their late night investigative work. The owner commented to Patrick how this incident clearly demonstrated the need to be connected to his machines 24/7/365 using JDLink.
At Nortrax, our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. We Stand Ready.
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Sugar Sweet Success
Sugar Sweet Success
Tracey Scott, Territory Manager for the Fort Myers, FL location, knows a thing or two about the importance of hard work and persistence. After a 20 year dry spell of no John Deere equipment purchases from one large customer, US Sugar Corporation, Tracy and the Nortrax team secured the sale of a package of six machines. This package included a 250G long front excavator, (2) 644K wheel loaders and (3) 470G excavators for use at their sugar manufacturing plant in Clewiston, FL. John Deere’s telematics platform, JDLink™, was one of the major selling features that helped secure this deal. Through the effective use of JDLink they have been relying on Nortrax maintaining the equipment thru the customers two-year lease period.
Tracy partnered with Tom Alborn, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) to ensure that their entire organization was tied into JDLink. Tom spent time training employees and setting up all the specific requirements for US Sugar.
Another group in US Sugar, the Operation Support Division, is tasked with cleaning over 3,000 miles of ditch in their sugar cane fields each year. To perform this task, US Sugar relies on a fleet of excavators. This year Nortrax had an opportunity to quote six (6) JD 130G excavators equipped with 8 foot ditching buckets against their usual vendor…Caterpillar. US Sugar owns/leases about 60 Caterpillar machines. A dozen or more of their Caterpillars have the Product Link telematics system, however, in a recent spot-check, only six of these machines were reporting (with data that was marginally effective as a management tool).
Since both brands of excavators had similar prices and features, Nortrax suggested showing them the full power of our telematics suite by enabling their operations manager to view their current Deere machines working in the other divisions. Tracy and Tom set up a training session and showed them everything Nortrax had been doing though JDLink with their other division in the past year and let him have some handson time with the system.
Nortrax recently won the deal and last month delivered six new JD 130G excavators to US Sugar. The combination of the power of JDLink telematics and the TM’s and PSTR’s working closely together, clearly made for another win for US Sugar, Nortrax and John Deere!
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A Network of Teamwork
When Brian Truitt, Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) from Tampa FL began seeing JDLink™ machine alerts for a Motor Grader in central Wisconsin, he knew he’d need to reach out to Jim Bell, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Escanaba, Michigan. Yes, that’s right…Florida, Michigan, Wisconisn, and we haven’t’ even got to the part about New York!
Our MMS cover large swaths of territory in their roles supporting our customers all across North America. Thru a workflow tool, Intelligence Alert Triage Center (IATC) they are able to centrally receive and respond to alerts from JDLink equipped machines. Since April of 2016 our MMS have had over 250,000 machine alerts flow thru the IATC system. So when Dave Noel, the NY based MMS normally assigned to cover the MW & NE Regions headed to a recent Capstone Training Course, he reached out to Brian to cover the MW Region in his absence.
When JDLink alerts began coming thru IATC, Brian immediately began to diagnose the potential problem. Through the use of Remote Diagnostics, Brian was able to connect to the machine located well over 1000 miles away and determine there was an issue with the engine system. Due to government regulations, off-road engines now have to meet very strict exhaust emissions standards. These regulations have added both significant cost and complexity to the engines that John Deere and other manufacturers use in the construction and forestry industry. The problem that this machine was experiencing was directly related to the engines emissions system.
Brian contacted PSTR Jim Bell, who is responsible for this part of Nortrax territory in WI and relayed the information to him along with potential solutions to resolve the issue. Jim noted that when looking at the machines location, it was working well outside of the Nortrax area of responsibility. Jim contacted the neighboring John Deere dealership about the issue and provided the Nortrax remote diagnostics summary to the technician who would be responding to the jobsite.
Once onsite, the John Deere dealer technician ran through a series of prescribed tests but was unable to resolve the issue. The technician then called Jim Bell to ask if the Nortrax MMS (Brian Truitt) might be able to give him some additional potential solutions. Brian was able to determine the other dealer technician was unaware of a specific filter within the after treatment system, and recommend that it be removed and replaced. Once the onsite technician performed this repair, he was then able to successfully resolve the issue which had impacted the engines ability to operate normally.
By working effectively as a team both inside Nortrax as well as with a neighboring John Deere dealership, we were able to minimize a customer’s downtime and positively impact their productivity.
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It's All About the Details
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS
Sometimes it’s paying attention to the details that counts…
Zachary Roy, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Thunder Bay, Ontario makes a habit of putting his customers’ machines into a JDLink™ alert escalation group that notifies him via email of potential machine issues. Recently, Zach noticed several minor alert codes that often occur when there is severe (cold!) weather, but one code stood out on a 210G excavator; low coolant. This low coolant alert had reoccurred several times over a few days with no known weather temperature spikes. Zach was aware that the current site for the 210G was a mine site and he knew the job site well.
Zach reached out to the mechanic onsite and informed him about a possible issue on the machine and asked if he could perform a quick inspection next time he was near the unit. The next day the mechanic called back to say that, unknown to him, the operators had been periodically adding two - three liters of coolant to the machine. Upon further investigation, a small coolant leak was discovered on the machine. The leak was very minimal but could have led to unscheduled downtime and possible internal damage to the engine — if left unrepaired. Additionally, given the nature of the job at hand, the leak could have potentially been a safety hazard to the laborers on the ground.
After this incident, Zach was able to show the value that JDLink offers in allowing both machine alerts and remote diagnostics. Now convinced on the benefits of JDLink, the mechanic onsite agreed to have future alerts and reports sent directly to his email. He recognized that someone at Nortrax was keeping an eye out for issues in his fleet. More importantly, it proved to him that JDLink was a key tool that he needed to start using in order to manage fleet maintenance and maximize his uptime.
Our PSTR and MMS (Machine Monitoring Specialist) technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customer’s problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Forwarder Thinking
FORWARDER THINKING
Randy Kwapick, Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) based out of Duluth MN, recently related a WorkSight success story that actually began during his tenure as a Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR).
Randy was on a forestry customer’s jobsite, talking to the operator of a John Deere forwarder. A forwarder is a machine designed to load and carry timber from where it is harvested in the forest to a roadside landing, where an over-the-road logging truck can then transport it to the mill. While they were conversing, the operator said “watch this” as he proceeded to rotate the machine’s seat and lower one of the two armrests. According to Randy the machines display monitor lit up like a “Christmas tree” with warning lights, but then returned to normal as the operator reversed the process.
Like many of John Deere’s machines today, this machine has hundreds of electrical wires running through it to control the hydraulic functions; which allow the machine to work and travel. Randy reviewed several error codes that had appeared on the display, and then utilized JDLink™ to verify that the problem had been occurring infrequently for several weeks. The operator was amazed as Randy showed him the JDLink information, and reviewed how an apparent break in a portion of the machines electrical harness was causing the issue. Randy provided his branch’s service department the part number of the harness which needed to be replaced, as they were already scheduled to make a trip to the machine.
Now an MMS, Randy has used his experience to create a Machine Health Prescription (MHP) that he can deploy to the PSTR teams, whenever these exact symptoms are captured by JDLink. “I’ve been able to use this MHP on multiple occasions to minimize our customers’ downtime,” reported Kwapick. Our PSTR and MMS technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customer’s problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Problems Become Opportunities
PROBLEMS BECOME OPPORTUNITIES
Kurtis Graham, Product Support Representative (PSTR) based out of Barrie, Ontario, recently shared a WorkSight success story which involved a municipality he supports. This customer operates several pieces of John Deere equipment including a 544K loader, 772G Grader, and 410K Backhoe. Along with their John Deere machines, they also operate trucks of varying sizes and many smaller pieces of machinery, totaling over 100 units. With only two technicians on staff, it can be very challenging for this municipality to monitor and service such a large fleet.
During operation of their low-hour 410K Backhoe, the customer noted several Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC’s) related to potential problems with the engines Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system. The EGR system works to reduce harmful engine emissions in concert with other technologies designed into John Deere engines. Upon investigation, it was found that a part of the main electrical harness had rubbed through in several places, causing the EGR system to fail to work properly. A service call was scheduled and the wiring harness was replaced under warranty by Nortrax.
The machine operated normally for some time but then began to again trigger additional EGR DTC’s. Using JDLink ™, Kurtis was able to determine that a portion of the engines emissions control system appeared to have been manually disabled. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the operator had disabled this critical system, not understanding its importance. The systems functionality was restored and the operator retrained on its proper use.
Kurtis shared how appreciative the customer was that Nortrax was able to utilize remote technology to prevent costly downtime by eliminating something as “simple” as an incorrect operator input. “When it came time to renew the JDLink subscription on the 410K, that was one of the easiest sales I’ve made,” Kurtis chuckled.
What began as a problem, changed into an opportunity to demonstrate the value that Nortrax offers thru talented PSTR’s like Kurtis who routinely use industry leading technology tools to drive productivity, uptime, and lower daily operating expenses for our customers. We Stand Ready.
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Machine Health Prescriptions
MACHINE HEALTH PRESCRIPTIONS –
IT’S LIKE A DOCTOR’S ORDER FOR YOUR MACHINE.
Jacob Kesanen, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) based out of Grand Rapids MN, supports a very diverse customer base spread over a large chunk of upper Midwest. Northern Minnesota is also home to a large sewer and water contractor with a total of nineteen John Deere machines, the majority of which are excavators. They are used for excavating trenches and installing new pipe. Since the company works all across the Midwest, the lone Equipment Superintendent is kept very busy handling responsibility for the large and very diverse fleet of several makes and models of highly specialized pipeline equipment.
Recently their John Deere 160GLC excavator began delivering Diagnostic Trouble Codes via JDLink™ that indicated a problem with an abnormally low engine cooling fan speed. The machine was operating in the middle of a downtown area of a city, so the potential for downtime had the Equipment Superintendent very concerned.
Jacob coordinated the repair with the Equipment Superintendent and the local Nortrax Field Service team. The Nortrax technician was able to bring the correct part to the jobsite and quickly install it to get the machine operating properly, all in a single trip, and without unscheduled downtime! The Equipment Superintendent was very impressed with the amount of information that Nortrax was able to access remotely on his machine, to get it operating correctly as rapidly as possible.
Jacob immediately partnered with his local Nortrax Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS), Randy Kwapick, to perform remote diagnostics on the excavator, to determine what might be causing this issue. Randy was able to quickly connect remotely to the machine and perform a fan speed recording , which showed the fan was running at about half the speed the engine required. Utilizing the recording data, Randy was able to generate a Machine Health Prescription (MHP) that he immediately sent to Jacob. This exclusive MHP provides an overview of the machine problem, and a solution so the PSTR can effectively communicate this information to the customer. Additionally, the MHP contains detailed repair instructions and parts required, so the Nortrax Product Support teams can resolve the issue as quickly and effectively as possible.
This customer has come to rely on the Nortrax team to remotely monitor their connected machines for any signs of trouble. They also know these efforts help to reduce, and sometimes eliminate downtime and positively impacts their bottom line.
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Fleets Big or Small
FLEETS BIG OR SMALL - JDLINK™ HELPS THEM ALL
Sarah Tilstra, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) based out of Stoney Creek, in Ontario Canada, recently met with the owner of a small excavating company who uses JDLink.™ As an owner, as well as an operator, he’s not only responsible for managing a growing business, but also for ensuring his equipment stays as productive as possible. With two excavators, dozer, backhoe, mini excavator, skid steer, and dump trucks to manage, he’s one busy guy.
While Sarah was reviewing JDLink™ reports on his 2016 John Deere 210GLC Excavator he told her about how having JDLink™ helped him out of a recent billing dispute. His company had completed an excavating job, and had mailed the invoice to the customer. After reviewing the invoice, the customer reached out to him to dispute the bill. “The customer said that my operator didn’t even look like he worked the machine that hard, and there was no way the job took that many hours to complete,” he relayed to Sarah. Fortunately he knew that by using features in JDLink,™ he could easily create a report for that specific job, that not only showed how many hours the machine operated, but how “hard” the machine worked using engine utilization graphs. Armed with this information he was able to quickly demonstrate that his billing was highly accurate, and his customer quickly paid the invoice. Given that he handles the invoicing and receivable collections himself, being able to use JDLink™ has been a huge resource and time saver.
Even though Sarah’s customer still has two years left on his factory JDLink™ subscription, he’s already mentioned to her to keep an eye on it to “make sure it doesn’t expire.” He added that features like JDLink™ and the Nortrax support that Sarah delivers, will be major factors when he goes to purchase his next piece of equipment.
Our PSTR technology positions are an important bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Steve and Dave Save the Day
STEVE AND DAVE SAVE THE DAY WITH A MACHINE HEALTH PRESCRIPTION
When a local aggregate producer reached out to Steve Letellier, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Westbrook Maine, they were concerned about problems with a John Deere 470G excavator they had recently purchased at an auction. “When they called me they said initially the machine ran great, but something had recently changed for the worse, and they were concerned,” said Steve. After listening to the symptoms being described to him, Steve knew he’d need to get his local Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS), Dave Noel, involved in performing some remote diagnostics.
Dave was able to connect remotely to the machine using JDLink.™ He knew right away that someone had mistakenly changed settings on the machine that had caused it to stop performing an important engine emissions reduction process. If the situation wasn’t handled quickly, the machine would begin to experience significant problems which would have resulted in downtime.
“I learned that they had switched operators, and the new guy had mistakenly turned off a switch without really knowing it,” Steve shared. By using his diagnostic skills and remote monitoring tools, Dave was able to recommend a simple Machine Health Prescription (MHP) that Steve could quickly deliver to the customer. The Nortrax exclusive MHP provides an overview of the machine problem, and a solution so the PSTR can effectively communicate this information to the customer.
“Teamwork and technology are what allowed us to impress this customer,” Steve added. Nortrax was able to utilize this approach and save this customer unnecessary service calls and downtime.
Our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Highly Proactive Approach
HIGHLY PROACTIVE APPROACH
Noaman Ashraf, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Ottawa, Ontario, understands a thing or two about customers and their sensitivity to unscheduled downtime. His “in the field” experience, ranges from the sands of Saudi Arabia, to the diverse mix of seasons and customers in Canada’s capital city.
“Anything we can do to reduce or eliminate unscheduled downtime is a big deal for customers everywhere” stated Noaman. So when he received a Nortrax exclusive Machine Health Prescription (MHP) from Daniel Gove, Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS), he immediately reached out to the Equipment Manager of the impacted customer’s organization. This particular excavating company utilizes a number of John Deere machines which include 180G, 250G, 350G, and 470G Excavators, plus a 750K Crawler Dozer and a 310SL Backhoe.
The 750K had previously begun to generate JDLink™ alerts for its engine exhaust emissions system, and these alerts had been received in Nortrax’s Intelligence Alert Triage Center (IATC). Daniel, and all Nortrax Machine Monitoring Specialists utilize this sophisticated tool to prioritize the large number of alert notifications that Nortrax receives each day. Nortrax MMS are able to search thru and utilize a large number of dealer defined solutions, and then deploy them in the form of a Nortrax exclusive MHP to our PSTR team.
By using this highly PROACTIVE approach, Noaman was able to coordinate the repairs on the impacted machine so that they could take place during the time period in which the machine was being moved between jobsites. “The Equipment Manager was impressed we could tackle this repair in a way that didn’t impact their productivity,” added Noaman.
Prior to this event the Equipment Manager had not been utilizing JDLink, but after witnessing how effective this tool was, he’s scheduled a training session with Noaman to ensure he’s also able to take advantage of the benefits it offers in driving productivity and uptime.
Our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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Catastrophic Failure Averted
Scott Bolger, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Sudbury, Ontario, knows the importance of maintaining a connection with his customer’s machines via JDLink™. So when he began to receive alert notifications via email for high axle oil temperatures on a 644K wheel loader, he immediately took action.
“I remembered a conversation that I had with Cameron Maw, one of our Machine Monitoring Specialists (MMS), about how something as simple as a sticking brake pedal can cause all kinds of problems if left uncorrected,” said Scott. High axle oil temperatures from excessive brake applications can lead to a catastrophic failure within the axle assembly, causing significant machine downtime.
Using JDLink Ultimate Data, Scott began studying the machine’s brake usage and felt it was time to get a second opinion on the situation. “I reached out to Cameron and Daniel Gove on our MMS team. They both agreed with my initial diagnosis and then provided me with a Machine Health Prescription (MHP) to correct the problem,” added Scott.
Scott reached out to the Fleet Manager responsible for this particular machine and went through the recommended solution provided through the MHP. “He said that they would attempt to clean the area under the pedal but he also wanted me to order the pedal assembly itself, to ensure the problem didn’t reoccur,” said Scott.
The Fleet Manager went on to say how impressed he was that Nortrax utilized JDLink to proactively identify, and offer a solution for the problem. By resolving the problem early in the failure cycle, Nortrax was able to positively impact the customers productivity and uptime, while also reducing their daily operating costs.
Our MMS and PSTR technology positions are the bridge between technological advances in our industry and our customers. At Nortrax, the only thing more fulfilling than solving a customers problem, is preventing it in the first place. We Stand Ready.
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To Locate a Missing Machine
A NETWORK OF TEAMWORK
When Brian Truitt, Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) from Tampa FL began seeing JDLink™ machine alerts for a Motor Grader in central Wisconsin, he knew he’d need to reach out to Jim Bell, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Escanaba, Michigan. Yes, that’s right…Florida, Michigan, Wisconisn, and we haven’t’ even got to the part about New York!
Our MMS cover large swaths of territory in their roles supporting our customers all across North America. Thru a workflow tool, Intelligence Alert Triage Center (IATC) they are able to centrally receive and respond to alerts from JDLink equipped machines. Since April of 2016 our MMS have had over 250,000 machine alerts flow thru the IATC system. So when Dave Noel, the NY based MMS normally assigned to cover the MW & NE Regions headed to a recent Capstone Training Course, he reached out to Brian to cover the MW Region in his absence.
When JDLink alerts began coming thru IATC, Brian immediately began to diagnose the potential problem. Through the use of Remote Diagnostics, Brian was able to connect to the machine located well over 1000 miles away and determine there was an issue with the engine system. Due to government regulations, off-road engines now have to meet very strict exhaust emissions standards. These regulations have added both significant cost and complexity to the engines that John Deere and other manufacturers use in the construction and forestry industry. The problem that this machine was experiencing was directly related to the engines emissions system.
Brian contacted PSTR Jim Bell, who is responsible for this part of Nortrax territory in WI and relayed the information to him along with potential solutions to resolve the issue. Jim noted that when looking at the machines location, it was working well outside of the Nortrax area of responsibility. Jim contacted the neighboring John Deere dealership about the issue and provided the Nortrax remote diagnostics summary to the technician who would be responding to the jobsite.
Once onsite, the John Deere dealer technician ran through a series of prescribed tests but was unable to resolve the issue. The technician then called Jim Bell to ask if the Nortrax MMS (Brian Truitt) might be able to give him some additional potential solutions. Brian was able to determine the other dealer technician was unaware of a specific filter within the after treatment system, and recommend that it be removed and replaced. Once the onsite technician performed this repair, he was then able to successfully resolve the issue which had impacted the engines ability to operate normally.
By working effectively as a team both inside Nortrax as well as with a neighboring John Deere dealership, we were able to minimize a customer’s downtime and positively impact their productivity.
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Tools & Collaboration
COMBINING SOPHISTICATED TOOLS AND CLOSE COLLABORATION
When a customer with a John Deere 290G excavator began experiencing some unusual problems with his machine, he reached out to his Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR), Scott Bolger. Scott, who is based out of Sudbury, Ontario, captured the customers concerns and immediately reached out to Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS), Daniel Gove. “The customer mentioned some specific alarms that had been going off, but the machine was continuing to operate normally, which had him both confused & concerned,” relayed Scott. So Daniel and Scott utilized JDLink™ and Remote Diagnostics to connect to the machine, and do some investigative work. “As soon as we saw the readings, we knew we had an issue with some of the software on the machine, and it was something I had seen before,” said Daniel. In his duties as an MMS, Daniel not only works directly with his peers at Nortrax, but also a select group of specialist at John Deere, and it was this group who had made Daniel aware of a potential software “bug”.
The John Deere factory in Dubuque, Iowa, is home to a handpicked group of employees who staff the Machine Health Monitoring Center (MHMC). Opened in 2017, the MHMC monitors over 80,000 Construction and Forestry machines worldwide. Through the use of sophisticated tools available only to John Deere, this team of experts works hand in hand with our own Nortrax MMS. Through close collaboration on highly technical issues, these two groups work together to minimize customer downtime and maximize their productivity.
“We had been working with the MHMC to resolve this software issue, and this machine seemed to perfectly fit the criteria for a new fix that was in development,” reported Daniel. This fix, known by its technical term, Machine Health Update (MHU), was in the validation stage at John Deere. During this phase, the MHMC works with dealers like Nortrax to go out and prove that the MHU resolves the issue without any unintended consequences.
“Armed with all this information, I was able to coordinate with the customer and our service department to schedule a service call to implement the fix called out in the MHU,” explained Scott. “The great thing was that since we were handling this all proactively, we were able to schedule it in such a way as to not cause the customer unplanned downtime,” added Daniel.
By combining sophisticated tools such as the industry exclusive Remote Diagnostics and Programming, along with dedicated MMS and MHMC teams, we’re able to deliver industry leading PROACTIVE customer support. We Stand Ready.
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Quick Response and Extra Effort Wins
QUICK RESPONSE AND EXTRA EFFORT WIN CUSTOMERS
Today’s equipment owners and operators are faced with many challenges, including weather, tight deadlines, and increasingly complex mechanical systems. Sometimes, even the most seasoned operators can miss subtle changes in the machines operation, and are then unaware of potential looming problems. Fortunately, JDLink™ can be configured to automatically send email or text messages to its users, to notify them if it detects a machine abnormality. It was just this feature that alerted a customer’s Maintenance Planner of possible machine problems on one of their John Deere graders. So even though the owner had NOT received any complaints from his machine’s operator, he decided not to take any chances, and reach out to his local Nortrax branch for support.
“It was late in the day when I got the call asking for help to look into some JDLink alerts,” said Chris Brousseau, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Timmins, Ontario. Chris huddled with Shop Foreman, Andre Champagne, to review the information that JDLink had delivered. “As we looked at the data we could actually see that there were multiple problems impacting the machine, the most serious one had the potential to put the machine down,” explained Chris.
Issues with an engine’s emissions control system, which is what JDLink was showing, can cause not only poor performance, but if left unresolved, machine downtime. “With Andre’s expertise we were able to determine a list of parts we’d need to address three separate issues that the machine was currently alerting us about,” said Chris. A Nortrax service technician was dispatched to the machine with the right information and parts and quickly resolved the issues in a single service call.
The customer was very impressed with the efforts and quick response by the Timmins team to ensure his machine had a minimal amount of downtime. “Our customers don’t judge us by their problems, but how we respond to them,” concluded Chris. We Stand Ready.
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Strengthening Customer Relationships
STRENGTHENING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS WITH TECHNOLOGY, TRAINING, AND PROACTIVE SUPPORT
Eric Stoller, a Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) who supports customers for both our Duluth, MN and Ashland, WI locations, brings a wealth of experience to his position at Nortrax. “I spent a number of years at a John Deere agricultural dealership selling and supporting their technology products to a wide variety of customers,” said Stoller. He quickly put that experience to good use at Nortrax when he took on his current role as a PSTR. “My role is pretty simple, I help our customers and fellow Nortrax teammates effectively use the benefits technology offers to deliver industry leading PROACTIVE customer support,” added Stoller.
So, when a large governmental agency purchased several new John Deere machines, Stoller saw an opportunity to demonstrate how technology could be harnessed to deliver high levels of both productivity and uptime, while simultaneously reducing daily operating costs. “Prior to purchasing these John Deere machines, they had owned machines built and supported by our largest competitor, so we knew it would be critical to work together as a team to ensure their new John Deere ownership experience was a great one,” stated Stoller. This customer faced two challenges common to many in the upper Midwest, remote operating locations and operating in extreme weather conditions. “Many of our customers operate their John Deere machines far away from their home bases, in really difficult terrain, and in weather conditions like blizzards and extremely cold temperatures,” said Stoller.
Ensuring the right supervisors were connected to their respective machines via JDLink™ was a critical first step in establishing an “umbilical connection” to deliver accurate and timely machine data. “We work hard to ensure our customers see technology as a tool to strengthen the relationship between Nortrax and their organizations,” added Stoller. This team approach combines the efforts of our PSTR’s and Machine Monitoring Specialists (MMS) to consistently deliver insight-based Product Support. Additionally, by training members of the customers organization, Nortrax can make certain that they can also utilize these technology tools to more effectively manage their fleet. “As soon as we could demonstrate how they could utilize JDLink to monitor things like idle time, and unproductive or inefficient operations techniques, you could literally see the light bulbs going off in their heads,” chuckled Stoller.
Tools like the industry exclusive Remote Diagnostics and Programing, when combined with the Nortrax exclusive Machine Health Prescriptions, can deliver exceptionally high levels of uptime and productivity. But perhaps the best testimonial came from this customer after one of the training events provided by Nortrax. “They commented to me how impressed they were with the John Deere and Nortrax approach at utilizing these different technologies to support them, as this was something that their prior supplier had NEVER done,” concluded Stoller.
To learn more about how John Deere WorkSight products can help you and the customers you serve, reach out to your local PSTR for the latest information and training.
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Driving Uptime
The rental of snow removal equipment is an important business for many Nortrax locations. Since these machines must be ready to tackle a snowstorm at any time, uptime is a critical requirement for snow removal contracts.
Fortunately armed with tools like JDLink™, Remote Diagnostics, and the Intelligence Alert Triage Center (IATC), our Machine Monitoring Specialists (MMS) are more than up to the task of ensuring machines are being PROACTIVELY monitored.
So, when MMS Cameron Maw received an alert notification for an axle overheat situation on a rented snow removal machine, he knew he had to act quickly. “I knew something was wrong with the machine as soon as I saw the notification in IATC. It’s certainly NOT normal to see overheating conditions in the dead of winter,” said Cameron. “By looking at the JDLink Ultimate data I could see the problem was being caused by a sticking brake pedal and immediately generated a Machine Health Prescription (MHP) to resolve the issues,” added Cameron.
Armed with the MHP, Kurtis Graham, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Barrie, Ontario, reached out to his local product support teammates to see how quickly they could respond to the situation. Kurtis learned that the customer had just reached out to the branch to report a transmission shifting issue on the same machine. Kurtis provided the service team a copy of the MHP and ensured they understood the true nature of the actual problem. “Fortunately, since we had already done our homework BEFORE going out to the machine, we were able to ensure our technician had the new brake pedal hardware with him. We were able to repair the machine in a single trip,” explained Kurtis.
Driving uptime while at the same time reducing daily operating costs, are just two of the benefits delivered through John Deere WorkSight™. By combining industry exclusive tools such as Remote Diagnostics and Programming along with Nortrax exclusives such as MHP’s, our PSTR and MMS teams work together to deliver industry leading PROACTIVE customer support.
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Delivering Proactive Support
Rob Newman, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Chippewa Falls WI lives and works in a state with a rich history in mining. While many will recognize the badger as a mascot of Wisconsin’s Big 10 athletic teams, it’s also the Wisconsin official state mammal. Badgers are renowned for their digging abilities, so Wisconsin’s nickname as the “Badger State” came into being through the hard-won efforts of generations of miners. Today, mining plays a critical role in the state’s economy, and is especially important for the Nortrax Chippewa Falls branch.
“We work with a number of large customers whose businesses depend on the mining industry, and they tell us the same thing…Uptime and Productivity are critical to their success,” shared Rob. Often these mine sites have many pieces of construction equipment all operating in a very tightly choreographed manner.
So, when one of these customers began having issues with one of their John Deere dozers, Rob knew that responding quickly was going to be a critical success factor. “They only had one dozer, which was pushing material to an excavator which was loading five articulated dump trucks. So, when the dozer began having performance issues, it impacted their entire production process,” explained Rob. Coordinating efforts with Randy Kwapick, Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) they utilized John Deere’s industry exclusive Remote Diagnostics and Programming. “Based on what JDLink™ was telling us, I knew that we’d need to utilize a specialized tool called a remote recording to help us determine what was going on,” said Randy. “The machine was operating about two hours from my location, so being able to do all my diagnostics remotely really helps us in generating a Machine Health Prescription (MHP) as quickly as possible,” explained Randy.
Armed with a MHP the Nortrax service technician grabbed the necessary parts and then headed directly to the mine site. “From the moment the first information began to come in from JDLink, until our technician had the machine up and running—was an entire process that was less than four hours,” shared Rob.
By combining a high degree of teamwork and cutting- edge John Deere WorkSight technologies, Nortrax was again able to deliver industry leading PROACTIVE customer support.
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A Powerful Winning Combination
Mississauga Ontario teammates Paul Ianni, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR), and Brian Howorth, Territory Manager, recently had an opportunity to meet with a large customer to discuss their needs to update one of their dozers. “We knew prior to the meeting that the customer was very interested in understanding his historical cost per hour of operation, and ensuring they maximized the productivity on the planned new machine purchase,” shared Paul. Armed with that knowledge, Paul and Brian prepared for the meeting by gathering information such as historical work order information and carefully reviewing JDLink™ Ultimate data. “Our meeting with the company’s Operations Manager required we get VERY familiar with their specific operating costs,” echoed Brian.
“By consulting JDLink Ultimate data on their current machine we could look at things such as engine utilization and transmission speeds to support our recommendations for the size of the new machine we were proposing,” added Paul. Another critical factor in the customers purchasing decision was the type of after sale support they needed for this specific machine. “The customer was already familiar with Nortrax Uptime Uptime, but we knew we’d need to ensure the package was tailored to me their specific needs,” shared Brian.
Nortrax Ultimate Uptime features many key components and benefits to ensure customers can maximize their productivity and uptime, while also ensuring a competitive cost per hour of operation. “The great thing about Nortrax Ultimate Uptime is that we use a basic building block approach to stack layers of support into the program to really ensure it fits our customers’ requirements,” said Paul. Nortrax Uptime Uptime employs services such as PSTR and Machine Monitoring support, with the ability to customize preventative maintenance packages.
“Once we had the specifics of the Ultimate Uptime package dialed in, we finished up with a final review of some of the features we use in JDLink to ensure the customer’s ownership experience is a great one,” added Brian. “By explaining things like idle time management, we can really dial in on the exact warranty package the customer requires, while at the same time reviewing fuel savings opportunities,” shared Paul.
By combining effective teamwork and cutting-edge support tools, the Mississauga team successfully demonstrated the value that Nortrax and John Deere offer and received an order for a new John Deere 750K complete with an Ultimate Uptime Package.
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Industry Exclusive Support
NORTRAX OFFERS INDUSTRY EXCLUSIVE SUPPORT.
Nortrax Product Support traditionally gets delivered thru a local branch, but using exclusive John Deere WorkSight™ Technologies, even long distances don’t stop our efforts in delivering industry leading PROACTIVE customer support. Casey Jones, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Pembroke NH, recently had the opportunity to demonstrate this fact to a large contractor working in his area of responsibility. “This contractor had never done much business with us, so when we had the opportunity to rent them three John Deere 300D Articulated Dump Trucks (ADT), we jumped at the chance,” exclaimed Casey. While the trucks were on rent, Casey took the time to educate the contractor on the benefits of JDLink™ as well as the Nortrax Machine Monitoring program. “It didn’t take very long for this customer to recognize how we were able to positively impact their uptime by proactively monitoring these rental trucks,” shared Casey. “They liked the three ADTs enough that they bought them from Nortrax, and even added a wheel loader to the package,” said Casey smiling.
Shortly after the purchase, the contractor needed these machines on a jobsite several states away from the nearest Nortrax location. “They were already familiar with our Machine Monitoring program and really trusted the expertise of Dave Noel our Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS), so they wanted to see how we could build on that to support them from a much longer distance,” added Casey.
“We all agreed that we needed a system that would ensure the important information that’s contained in our Nortrax exclusive Machine Health Prescriptions (MHPs) made it to the right people,” shared Casey. The system that they put into place has the Nortrax MHP going to two different groups of people for immediate action. “I receive the MHPs from our MMS Dave, and then I make sure to coordinate them with one of the contractor’s employees on site at the remote location. The great thing about an MHP is that it’s written for two different audiences, part of it in a language that people other than technicians can understand, and the other half in VERY technical details for a dealer technician to utilize. So, I ensure the customer gets the details they need to know and the local John Deere dealer who’s going to visit the site gets the technical details they need,” ex plained Casey.
Industry exclusive features like Remote Diagnostics and Programing, along with Nortrax exclusives like MHPs, delivered by our MMS and PSTR teams, are important benefits of purchasing John Deere machines through Nortrax. Our exclusive Nortrax Ultimate Uptime packages include these important benefits in each of our three levels of support. So, whether the customer is located nearby, or at some remote location, John Deere Work- Sight Technologies can positively drive productivity and uptime while lowering daily operating costs.
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Kills "Bugs" Fast!
REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS AND PROGRAMMING KILLS “BUGS” FAST!
When Pascal Brousseau, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Ottawa Canada, recently met with the owner of a small landscaping business, he had an opportunity to correct a common misconception about JDLink™. “One of the things I hear often is that JDLink is designed for big contractors with huge fleets, spread over a large area, and that it doesn’t have much value for smaller owner operators,” shared Pascal. “So, when I met with this small customer I made sure to explain how Nortrax can use the benefits of JDLink to support ALL our customers, whether they have 100 machines or just one or two,” added Pascal.
As they were discussing the customer’s snowplowing business, the customer mentioned he’d been having issues with his John Deere 310SL backhoe loader. During the winter months, the machine is equipped with a specialized snow plow, that utilizes foldable hydraulic wings to enable the plow configuration to be changed from inside the cab as conditions warrant. To easily make plow changes, the operator should have simply been able to use his right thumb to activate the hydraulics, but an issue had surfaced which caused problems with this system.
Armed with information about the customer’s problems, Pascal took a few moments to begin performing a few functional checks on the machines various systems. While inside the cab of the machine, Pascal received a call from Daniel Gove, the Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) that supports his branch. “Daniel and I talk all the time, and it just so happened that he called me right as I was performing my tests,” said Pascal. “While we were on the phone, I asked him if he could run the machine’s serial number through John Deere’s system to check to see if there were any software updates that might be available for our problem,” added Pascal.
As today’s machines become increasingly more complex, one of the things that can sometimes occur is the software in the onboard computers develops a “bug”. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a “bug” as: [an unexpected defect fault, flaw or imperfection, as in a mechanical device.] Often these slight errors in programming code are quickly recognized by John Deere and a new version of the code is released. Prior to the release of John Deere’s industry exclusive Remote Diagnostics and Programming, these “bugs” could only be removed by a dealer service technician connected directly to the machine with their laptop. Now, through the power of tools such as JDLink and Remote Diagnostics, Nortrax can deliver these software updates directly from an MMS to the machine, all performed remotely.
“Daniel was able to quickly send over the software, and I used the machines JDLink system to download it to the onboard computers,” explained Pascal. “I was able to install the new software and then ran a few tests to confirm the issue was fixed. Then I went in to the customer’s shop to let him know the good news!” said Pascal. The customer commented that he was amazed that because of something as simple as an active JDLink subscription, he had access to talented Nortrax employees like Pascal and Daniel and the solutions they can deliver.
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Providing the Support to Succeed
PROVIDING THE SUPPORT TO SUCCEED
IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT
Having multiple machines spread over a wide are of geography can be challenging for any business owner. So, when Kurtis Graham, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Barrie, Ontario, had an opportunity to showcase the benefits of John Deere Worksight™ to a customer like this, he jumped at the chance.
“His primary business is metal recycling, and his equipment operates all over Ontario and sometimes beyond. His equipment can be found in the heart of a city or in a remote northern Ontario town,” shared Kurtis. Keeping track of all these machines and ensuring they are being operated and maintained correctly is possible with tools from the WorkSight portfolio.
“It’s funny that when I first introduced JDLink™ to my customer, he kind of thought of it as a novelty, but now after using it and seeing the benefits, he’s really convinced that this is a very important tool for his company,” added Kurtis.
Nortrax PSTRs routinely deliver training sessions to customers to ensure they can access all the features and benefits of John Deere WorkSight. “I’ve trained a number of the company’s site supervisors on how we can work together using tools like John Deere’s exclusive Remote Diagnostics and Programing and Maintenance Manager to ensure as much uptime as possible for their fleet of equipment,” said Kurtis.
Maintenance Manager, an online portal to track and record a company’s maintenance requirements, can also be teamed with the MyMaintenence Mobile App. This app enables technicians to follow and record factory recommended maintenance procedures using a Smartphone. Available for download for both Android and iOS operating systems, this feature rich app allows the user to not only locate the machine they will be servicing via JDLink, but also to attach pictures and files to the maintenance records.
Kurtis recently received an order from the company to install JDLink units onto some of their older John Deere machines, which were not initially equipped with it from the factory. When placing the order for the additional JDLink units the customer exclaimed, “This stuff is leading edge! Nortrax and John Deere are providing the kind of support I need to be efficient and succeed in today’s environment. If you keep up this kind of support, John Deere will always be my first choice.”
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Technology & Proactive Support
Strengthening customer relations with technology and proactive support.
Jim Hicks, a recent addition to the Nortrax team in Peterborough, Ontario, has embraced the role of Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) and brings a wealth of product support experience to his position at Nortrax. “I pulled wrenches for over 35 years as a Field Service Technician, where experience has taught me time and time again, that early and rapid response is the best way to mitigate machine downtime,” said Jim.
Jim and his peers have access to advanced tools such as the industry exclusive Remote Diagnostics and Programing, and when combined with the Nortrax exclusive Machine Health Prescriptions (MHP), can deliver exceptionally high levels of uptime and productivity.
An example of these benefits was recently demonstrated on a 650K dozer belonging to Behan Construction Limited. They’re a construction company based out of Cobourg, Ontario, that was founded in 1960, and an industry leader in sewer and water, road construction, and site development.
Daniel Gove, a Machine Monitoring Specialist (MMS) based in Mississauga, received a JDLink™ alert notification identifying a potential issue with the 650K’s engine emissions control system. Using the Intelligent Alert Triage Center (IATC) application, Daniel quickly relayed important information through to Jim’s IATC mobile app. With this information, Jim could see the machine’s location and the health symptoms related to the alert being triggered by an engine sensor. This had the potential to de-rate the machine during its next exhaust after treatment cycle.
“I was extremely impressed with the work Daniel had completed during his thorough investigation of the alert,” added Jim. As part of the MHP process, Daniel had noted that new Engine Control Unit (ECU) software had recently been released that adjusted the perimeters of certain engine sensors.
This new software payload was available to remotely reprogram the ECU, potentially eliminating the need for an onsite service call to replace engine sensors. Armed with this critical information, Jim confidently reached out to Behan’s service manager and explained the details of the MHP. The Service Manager indicated he was grateful for the tip regarding not changing the sensor, since while they have a great maintenance staff, they may have replaced unnecessary parts without knowing the underlying issues concerning outdated software. Behan’s service manager contacted their onsite foreman, who at that time was not aware of the issue. The foreman then spoke to the operator, who indicated he had seen multiple alerts, but had only noted it on his time card because the machine appeared to be running normally. “I coordinated with the service manager and onsite foreman to drop by the site at noon to update the software,” said Jim. Meanwhile, Daniel remotely sent the new software to the machine where it was waiting when Jim arrived. “The operator was amazed at the technology, so he sat with me for the next 10-15 minutes it took to do the software update. We used this time to increase his knowledge of other machine features and I instructed him on how to confidently download any future updates himself,” added Jim.
Tom Behan, owner of Behan Construction, chuckled as he shared his thoughts on the entire repair process. “This is everything I like to hear… someone called us to tell us about an issue with our machine before we even knew about it. Then they tell us to save our money and not replace the sensor, followed by a solution that can be implemented right on our jobsite site while my guys stop for lunch.” Tom added, “Bottom line, this not only saved me the cost of a service call plus a three-hour travel charge, but it also averted downtime and delays on my very busy jobsite.”
Tom recently took possession of a new 624K wheel loader with the confidence that John Deere and Nortrax will be there to support him and his growing company for years to come.
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Great Ownership Experience
Noaman Ashraf, Product Support Technology Representative (PSTR) from Ottawa, Ontario, recently had an opportunity to share the work he does with a local township. They operate several pieces of John Deere equipment including a 772G Grader, 544K Loader, 655K Crawler Loader and a 310SL Backhoe.
“When I was first assigned this account, the customer was not using JDLink™ at all and their 772G and 544K had factory JDLink subscriptions which had already expired,” explained Noaman. “I took the time to give them training on JDLink and make sure all their subscriptions were brought up to date. That way they could benefit from many technologies that are enabled thru JDLink,” shared Noaman.
By keeping his customers’ machines connected, Noaman can utilize the industry exclusive Remote Diagnostics and Programming as well as deliver Nortrax exclusive Machine Health Prescriptions (MHP). So recently, when the customer was notified via email by John Deere that their JDLink subscriptions were due to expire, they immediately reached out to Noaman. “I assured them that part of my job is to monitor upcoming expirations, and I had already prepared a quote that detailed exactly what needed to occur to keep them connected,” said Noaman.
“Their Fleet Manger commented that he really sees the value of using JDLink on his smart phone. It helps him to manage the fleet during the busy time of the year. Whenever an alert pops up on his phone, he has immediate awareness for what’s happening with their machines,” shared Noaman. Sometimes, depending on the severity of the issues, the Fleet Manager can reach out directly to the operator and suggest changes in how they are operating the machine. Recently, when the 772G began generating alerts for excessive exhaust temperatures, the Fleet Manager noted that the machine was operating in an area with some very large hills. He recommend changes in transmission settings to their operator to eliminate the overheating issues.
The customer recently reaffirmed their confidence in both John Deere and Nortrax with the purchase of a new 310SL backhoe loader. “Whether it’s JDLink, MHP’s or Remote Diagnostics, our customers know we’re using every technology tool we can to support them and ensure a great ownership experience,” concluded Noaman.
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