by
Sean Ruck, Contributing Editor | August 01, 2014
From the August 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Siemens guarantees customers will keep their cool
Siemens Healthcare, like STORZ, has strict requirements when it comes to who can service equipment under warranty, with service by non-Siemens personnel resulting in a voided warranty. But Jon Matthews, senior director of Siemens Healthcare service business management says there’s good reason for that.
Matthews gives the example of a customer with a Siemens MR system. He cites the exorbitant cost of helium and the importance of a well-maintained chiller to prevent issues that could result in helium loss. “Siemens offers a service whereby if our technicians do the maintenance and Siemens parts are used, and for any reason there is a service event due to chiller-related issues, we will not only waive related billable service events including components, but we will also cover any helium lost as a result of the service event,” he says. “Another company could certainly handle the preventive maintenance of the chiller, but in this case, if a service event occurred, the customer would not have the opportunity to have the chiller service that would cover not only the parts but the cost of helium lost as a result.”
According to Matthews, Siemens only supplies genuine Siemens certified OEM parts through the company’s Service by Request program, with parts either new or remanufactured. “Remanufactured spare parts are tested with the same rigor to ensure performance is identical to new spare parts,” Matthews says.
When it comes to advice for purchasing parts, Matthews warns buyers to be cautious. “There are several companies and individuals in the market that hunt for used medical device equipment just to recover ,parts and re-sell them,” he says.
In those cases, it can be difficult to ascertain the provenance of those parts or their life expectancy. “With the pressures on health care providers to ensure patient safety and quality outcomes as conditions for reimbursement, now is not the time to gamble on parts. For confidence and peace of mind, the best option is to obtain parts from the OEM manufacturer,” Matthews says.
As for getting those Siemens certified parts installed, Peter Soltani, senior vice president of Siemens Healthcare customer service touts the company’s Customer Care Center, which is always open. “The Center handles scheduling and implementation of planned maintenance for proactive support, and making remote as well as on-site repairs,” says Soltani.
Siemens has also heavily invested in Customer Service Material Logistics depots across the country. These depots comprise an extensive parts supply system, which enables timely delivery of parts anywhere in the U.S. Meanwhile, via the company’s Integrated Service Management organization, Siemens provides full service solutions for non-Siemens as well as Siemens equipment.
