04.01.2022
Leading print finishing specialist, A B Graphic International (ABG), has increased its number of technical advisors and service engineers globally to offer improved remote and physical support for customers. In the UK, two additional service engineers have been appointed to increase the overall number of remote engineers to four – two based in Newcastle and two in Birmingham. In Ireland, ABG has a single engineer based in Dublin.
Newly appointed service engineers are Sicelo Moffat and Jack Jones-Parkes, both from Birmingham. Moffat, a mechanical graduate from the University of Birmingham, has been working as a multi-skilled engineer in the aerospace and construction industry for the past 6 years. He is currently undergoing a structured training program with ABG to familiarise himself with print finishing equipment. Jones-Parkes joins ABG after 8 years in the RAF working as an aircraft aviation technician and has wide experience of working on time critical projects.
ABG is also placing increased emphasis on the use of their remote assistance tool, REVA – Remote Engineer Virtual Assistant. REVA utilises mixed reality technology Microsoft HoloLens 2 headsets, allowing ABG’s engineers to see machines and problems first-hand through the customer’s eyes. The company currently has eight headsets, which are loaned to customers as and when technical issues arise. ABG’s involvement with mixed reality technology began eight years ago, but only became part of their service offering in a limited capacity in 2020, following the release of HoloLens 2, and the start of the pandemic.
Since then, it has provided a solution that allowed ABG to still service and maintain machines around the world despite travel restrictions. Fully introduced in Feb 21, one of the main benefits of REVA is a reduction in ABG’s carbon footprint, as travel to customers’ premises is no longer required. At the same time, ABG’s customers benefit from a much lower cost than having a physical engineer on site. Instead, they can receive direct one-on-one support anywhere in the world and problems can be spotted, diagnosed and either fixed or parts dispatched all in one call, leading to faster issue resolutions and less machine downtime.
ABG customer, Oyvin Torvi of Norwegian label printer, Digital Etikett, commented: “ABG’s REVA system is a total game-changer in how we solve problems and train personnel – a great solution in an ever changing world.”
ABG’s service manager, Tom Bean, said: “The increase in service engineers and our upscaled remote servicing capability are key in continuing to provide customers with excellent levels of service across the UK.
“The use of our REVA tool continues to increase in popularity as customers look to save money on servicing costs. It’s a win-win situation as customers are able to solve technical issues quickly and cost efficiently and, as a business, ABG can lessen its impact on the environmental through less travelling.”
