T-Index Field Experience

Introduction In the first part, we explored the structural flaws in modern OEM service models, how they trap experienced engineers in execution roles while ignoring the goldmine of field insights. Now, let's step back to understand how we got here. The current reactive after-sales model didn't emerge overnight; it's the product of over a century of industrial evolution, shaped by technological shifts, economic pressures, and organizational inertia. We'll trace this history, d

Part 1. The Experiment That Revealed the Problem . An experienced Field Service Engineer, after years in the same OEM organization, decided to test whether his detailed service reports were actually read and used or just archived for compliance. He changed nothing  about the work quality, content, or procedures. The only alteration? He signed the internal OEM copies with the alias “Crispy Bacon” . Clearly absurd and impossible to miss. When confronted: “Why did you ruin the

When most people in the compressed air industry read a Hypertherm manual, they see something familiar: “7.5 bar — 118 SLPM — ISO 8573-1 Class 1.4.2.” To them, it looks like any other pneumatic specification — a standard requirement for an industrial air tool. So, they size the compressor, receiver, and dryer as they would for an angle grinder or a sandblaster. This is where the misunderstanding begins. Hypertherm plasma systems operate far beyond pneumatics. It's a closed-loo

In field service, emotions are data. You just have to learn how to read them. After years of visiting customers across Europe, I noticed a pattern. The most frustrated users were often the ones with the highest potential. Their machines were not broken. Their expectations about machine were. At first, I tried to fix everything technically. Gas flows, software bugs, consumable consumption. But frustration did not disappear. It only changed shape. That is when I realized that t

In 2012, the effects of the economic crisis were still visible in Latvia. Many metal fabrication companies realized they could no longer rely on the local market. The only way forward was export. Those who made that decision back then are still operating today. Many others, who stayed focused only on the domestic market, unfortunately are not. One of my first clients at that time was a small steel structure manufacturer aiming to enter the Swedish market. They were using a pl

Background In 2010, a Latvian metal fabrication company operated a Hypertherm HPR260 High Definition Plasma System integrated on a CNC cutting table. HPR260 was one of the best plasma power supply units made by Hypertherm between 2007-2019. Later in 2009 system upgraded with XD water cooled shield solution. Specifically designed for True Hole technology. The machine was in perfect technical condition, but its performance was limited by internal engineering procedures and mach