When it comes to servicing customers, often we must rely on travel to get the job done. But when a pandemic disrupts the world, it makes servicing that much more difficult. And with a country’s airports locked down, it presents a whole new challenge. For the product support team for Sukari Gold Mine in Egypt, 2020 proved to be one of their most challenging years yet.   

 

Egypt in lockdown 


With COVID-19 sweeping across the world and the first few cases arriving in Egypt in mid-February, the government looked at measures to take to stop the spread. The escalation of the number of cases by mid-March to more than 100 prompted the government to take a stricter approach. With this, a curfew was imposed from 7PM to 6AM, schools and shops closed, and flights suspended.  

At the same time, Sukari Gold Mine put its own restrictions in place, enforcing strict site regulations for entering and leaving the workplace to protect its workers. 

With repair plans to meet a forecasted target and Sukari worried about parts lead time and the manpower needed to regulate rosters, the product support team got to work in finding a solution.

 

 

Amending plans
Understanding the urgency of the matter, the team held emergency meetings with different customer departments onsite to find a way around the situation that was safe, efficient, and eased Sukari’s stress. But the team soon realised it was going to be tough, being forced to work in ways they never had before. 

Their main concerns were finding a solution in the shortest time possible and without affecting their budget. But as with any project, things could always go wrong. 

After assessing any problems they might come across along the way and discussing different scenarios, the team put their plans to Sukari within 24 hours. After the team’s rescue plan was approved, the work could begin.  

 

All hands on deck 
With some of the team already onsite, inspections of Sukari’s machines were carried out. They worked tirelessly to get the work done, working without regular leave to ensure we could deliver our promise on time.  

The customer committed to purchasing suggested parts needed for the whole year with as well as extra parts in case of unplanned failures, while Mantrac’s ordering team raised stocks to ensure they would be delivered according to schedule.  

Once the orders for the site’s needs were placed, the new customer plan was sent to the Alexandria workshop so they could prepare to receive the components from site to be repaired.  

Following this, mandatory parts kits were ordered according to the planned dates for repairs to decrease components turnaround time in Alexandria. The team's forward-thinking made all the difference. 

With extra parts ordered, Sukari requested extra support from Mantrac to handle the stock. With our team’s help, they were able to fully stock the warehouse, avoiding damage, lost time and lost money. And with all parts received on time, everything went to plan. 

 

 

Restoring customer confidence 
Sukari’s expectations were met, and repairs were handled on time. Parts and components delivered as part of the rescue plan amounted to $8.8m, with extra safety stock components costing a further $1.2m.  

Thanks to the team’s ability to react quickly, respond to change and think ahead, they raised Sukari’s confidence in Mantrac and our solutions. They proved that when we put our minds to it and work together, we can achieve so much more.