Opting for budget parts can often be a tempting prospect as it provides short term cost savings.  However, making this choice can affect the reliability of ATMs.

For ATM service organisations wanting to provide customers with superior levels of service, using high quality parts is a tried-and-tested means to improve reliability and maximise uptime.

The following are three ways you can improve the reliability of your ATMs by using quality parts:

1.  Preventative Maintenance  – higher quality parts in boot kits

It is common for service organisations to rely on reactive work when managing their ATM estates.  This is not always the optimum method for achieving long-term success.

Preventative Maintenance (PM) is a way of pre-emptively servicing machines to avoid future failures from occurring and preventing unnecessary downtime.

During this process the Engineer carries out scheduled visits to the estate of ATMs.  In order to optimise the success of the PM work the Engineer carries a supply of parts that are susceptible to wearing quickly in their boot kit so that they can be replaced during the service visit. 

By ensuring that the Engineer is carrying high quality parts such as gears and belts reduces the risk of the ATM failing due to wear and tear between service visits. 

The added side effect is that by using quality parts the service organisation can also decrease the risk of additional call outs being required in-between PM visits.

2.  Invest in higher quality piece parts for Break / Fix calls

In cases where break / fix calls are carried out, using higher quality parts can be an easy way to increase the reliability of your ATMs. Similarly, high quality piece parts will also help to improve the durability of modules too.

Whilst premium parts will incur larger overheads initially this is offset by the ability to provide customers with increased uptimes and the resulting decrease in penalties.

An example of this is the use of LED lighting in place of fluorescent tubes.

LED lights can last up to 5 years until they break and this far exceeds the effective life of their fluorescent counterparts which are known to regularly fail after just one year.

In addition, when fluorescent lights fail, this can often cause the entire ATM itself to reset and may require a second line Engineer call out to fix the problem.

Whilst a single part failure may not seem like a critical problem at first, it is common for additional issues to occur as a result.

For example, when one gear begins to wear down, it can create premature wear of other gears in a pick module. 

Installing gears with superior build quality will help to prevent issues such as these from occurring and this will provide customers with a far improved experience with their ATMs.

3.  Quality piece parts in modules

Often, the repair centre works independently of the maintenance company and, as such, are targeted on the cost of the repairs as opposed to the longevity of the parts themselves.

By investing in repair centres which utilise higher quality parts, you will be able to maximise the life of your modules, as well as the individual piece parts themselves in the long run.

Additional investment in higher quality parts as well the implementation of complimentary procedures such as preventative maintenance can help to dramatically improve the experience provided to your customers and add value to the services your business offers.

Find out how TestLink can help you optimise your estate of ATMs through quality parts click here.

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