BILA Service Reaches 100 Employees

There's a special buzz around BILA's 8 service departments in Denmark, and for good reason: employee number 100 has just joined. However, this milestone doesn't only reflect the busyness in each department—it's also a clear indication of the pivotal role the Service organisation plays today and, especially, in the future. 

Without Service & Support, the Hero Can Fall Short

According to Michael Andie Pedersen, Director of Global Service at BILA A/S, there's no doubt that service plays a much more significant role in companies today than it did just 10 years ago.

"Over the last decade, companies are much more reliant on the uptime of production machinery. If the systems come to a halt, they need to be fixed immediately; otherwise, customers can't meet their capacities. Many productions run 24/7, and every minute of downtime counts,"

Michael Andie Pedersen, Director of Global Service, BILA

At the same time, Pedersen notes a significant development in the complexity of the equipment used in productions. This places demands on the service department because, as Michael states, the equipment is never better than the support we provide afterward.

It's not beneficial for a company to invest millions in automation solutions and then be left on its own if something goes wrong. It is our duty to ensure that the machines run 24/7/365 if needed and provide the support customers want and need.

"5 Minutes" Before Instead of "5 Minutes" After

Predictability and flexibility will be keywords in future service offerings. Like much else, the service sector is moving towards a higher degree of digitisation. And that's a game-changer. It means that we can provide condition- and event-based service much more than calendar-based maintenance.

The development we are working towards now is that instead of arriving "5 minutes" after a breakdown, we should be there "5 minutes" before—because we can monitor and predict the condition of the machines. It has great value for companies if we can call in advance and tell them that their facility is not performing as usual and they should check a specific part, replace a certain component, or perform preventive maintenance. It would save both them and us a lot of resources," explains Michael Andie Pedersen.

A higher degree of monitoring will also impact the green agenda. There's no need to come by four times a year and, for example, replace the grease in a robot gear if the machine has run fewer hours than usual. Instead of discarding the grease, we can utilise resources optimally—and for as long as possible—with condition-based maintenance.

If there's one thing the last three years have taught us, it's that we live in an unpredictable world. And that also demands adaptability from service providers.

As a service provider, you have to be dynamic and flexible in your services because today's needs may not be tomorrow's needs. In BILA Service, we service everything from simple, mechanical equipment to high-tech, newly developed automation equipment—and every time, the service is tailored to the company's production and needs.

The capacity in each service department means that we can take over everything from 0-100% maintenance depending on what the customer wants.

According to Michael Andie Pedersen, this puts them in a unique position:

Two years ago, there were 80 employees in BILA Service. Today, there are 100. But it doesn't stop here. Looking into the crystal ball, the number of employees is expected to double in 3-5 years. However, employees with specific technical skills aren't readily available. This places demands on companies to contribute to the future workforce.

At BILA Service, we have a good mix of experienced profiles and new talents. If you want skilled employees in the future, we must also contribute to developing them. It's our responsibility as the largest automation house in the Nordics. With us, there's a unique opportunity to learn. We deliver both some of the simplest and some of the most unique and advanced equipment in the world.

So, if you're passionate about technology, all development opportunities are open in the BILA Group.