Creating Serviceable Deliverables

Product serviceability is a quality aspect of project deliverables that isn’t discussed frequently enough.Serviceability means that access to help, repairs, and maintenance of the project’s products is easy to obtain and efficiently executed. Here are tips to ensure your project’s products are serviceable.

Produce diagnostic tools or troubleshooting guides. When something stops working, my first response is to determine if I can fix it or if I need specialist help. Making that clear is an integral part of serviceability. The more significant number of easy do-it-yourself repair elements inherent in the product, the better the quality, as long as repairs are straightforward and clearly described in a troubleshooting guide.

Include software or processes for early error detection. When the product doesn’t involve easily accessible hardware, it is essential to have a way to determine if something is wrong. You get extra points if a potential error is flagged proactively before a problem occurs. Any aircraft components and cars have a means to “dial home” and flag potential issues, which saves time and money. This is a high-value approach to making products serviceable, as repairs can be scheduled when interruptions to business operations are minimized.

Make it easy to access for repairs. I had a car I loved, with one exception. Repairing or replacing anything was a nightmare. I distinctly remember my frustration when trying to change a headlight on the vehicle. Rather than it being something I could easily reach and replace by loosening four screws, I needed a friend to help because we had to disassemble half of the front end of the car to change the light. Ugh. High-quality serviceability means repair elements are easy to reach and work on.

Repair tools can be easily obtained and aren’t custom-made. A process to readily repair or service an item is excellent, but it becomes a nuisance if specialized tools are required. Whenever possible, if tools are required, make them standard tools most anyone would have on hand. If not, make them inexpensive and easy to obtain.

Build a friendly and readily available help desk. Calling a help desk can be one of life’s little tortures. So, when you get prompt, friendly, and compassionate service from a help desk, it shines a bright, positive light on your business and product. Take your help desk seriously. Don’t treat it like the training area where the lowest level of employees are placed to “get to know the ropes.” Make it a professional, growth-focused aspect of your business, and you’ll have customers return time and time again.

Write clear service manuals for techs and provide proper training. Nothing screams corporate dysfunction like a service tech working at a customer site trying to find a solution using a poorly written or organized manual. Service techs should be well-trained and approach a job confidently and competently. Ensure service manuals are helpful to your technicians so they can promptly return your customer’s environment to normal.