On the way to becoming a service champion

Plasser Robel Services (PRS) was founded around a year ago to bundle the service expertise of Plasser & Theurer and Robel in Germany. This created the largest service organization in the Plasser & Theurer Group. We asked CEO Karl Oberreiter for an interview to talk to him about the current situation at PRS.

Mr. Oberreiter, how is the collaboration with Plasser & Theurer going and what advantages do you see for your customers?
As a service partner, we are the eyes and ears for the manufacturer Plasser & Theurer. From delivery, we support the machines in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands over their entire life cycle and therefore know from practical experience how the machines prove themselves. In view of this, the regular exchange of experience between PRS and Plasser & Theurer is an important constant that we take seriously.

How has the market generally reacted to this innovation?
Positive throughout. The majority of our customers perceived the merger as the right decision and see the advantages above all in the fact that they now have a contact person at PRS for the machines of both brands.

How does the new organization bring real added value for your customers?
Our six business areas cover all the services that our customers may require. We have thus become a genuine one-stop store for machines from Plasser & Theurer and Robel. PRS ensures the supply of original spare parts and provides customer service directly on the construction site, especially within the scope of the warranty. The Opladen and Freilassing sites carry out machine servicing, overhauls, repairs and retrofits, while tamping units are reconditioned in Munich. Freilassing is also our competence center for the reconditioning of wheelsets and bogies, where we are also expanding the Multibrand division. Our uptime service is a new addition.

Where do you see the advantages of PRS compared to the competition?
If we compare ourselves with garages, then our greatest strength is of course our comprehensive expertise: we are the only full-service provider on the market. For our customers who carry out a lot of service work themselves, we are becoming an increasingly important partner for increasing availability. Our massively expanded testing expertise is also increasingly being utilized here. We also see growth opportunities in long-term maintenance contracts.

Do you see any services that are particularly in demand today?
There are currently three main areas of focus: Increasing availability, upgrades and retrofits. Our customers’ machines must be ready for use in order to generate sales. This is why our complete packages are so interesting, with which we guarantee an availability of more than 90 %. With retrofits for machines that have been in use for 15 years or more, they are back on the track within six to eight months. The cost is 60% of the new price and, above all, the registration is retained.

You recently started offering the Uptime service, what does that mean?
Major service work is usually carried out in winter. In order to become more flexible and also use other times, we are now renting out new or used machines as replacements for the period of work. We see this as a great opportunity to give our customers more scope for planning.

They work at three locations. How does the collaboration work?
When you give existing units a new structure, the first priority is always to maintain the performance level. The employees at all three locations accepted the challenge and solved it brilliantly, which we are very proud of. The processes are absolutely stable and we are now building on this.

The digitalization of track maintenance machines has progressed rapidly in recent years. What does this mean for PRS?
It’s a huge opportunity! A pioneering tool here is Plasser Datamatic, which enables remote diagnostics and remote maintenance. In addition, we will be able to use big data to carry out the maintenance of individual machines much more efficiently in future.

The issue of sustainability is also becoming increasingly important for all companies that work for the railroads. How do you see the issue at PRS?
There is no question that the topic has arrived. In the retrofit sector, the opportunities to upgrade existing machines for maximum environmental friendliness are already being exploited. Doubling the service life through a retrofit alone is a major sustainability issue. When it comes to new acquisitions, we see that our customers are concerned with finding the right time to get started. Of course, this also involves enormous costs. If you take our E3 machines, for example, we are absolutely right. It is not yet possible to say with certainty when customers will make the big switch.

They currently have around 30 jobs advertised. How many employees do you currently have and how do you see your situation with regard to new employees?
We currently employ around 250 people. The advertised positions primarily relate to service technology and the Opladen maintenance plant. The situation is well known: It’s not easy to get the right people. Nevertheless, I am convinced that we will succeed. We offer secure jobs in an expanding industry, we work in an area that makes a huge contribution to sustainability, and we deal with machines that have a certain cult factor that cannot be denied.

Finally, a look into the future: What will PRS look like in five years’ time?
We want to become service champion! It should be a matter of course for all customers in our market to think of Plasser Robel Services for every project.

Thank you for the interview!