Bearing Services Springs, a division of Bearing Services Africa (Pty) Ltd, the only authorised distributor of SKF products and services for the Springs and surrounding areas, is proud to be the first authorised SKF Distributor to introduce a SISI (Stock it - Sell it) order system comprising SKF branded Power Transmission products to deliver value added service to their customers.



"When Bearing Services Africa acquired the SKF Springs branch in August 2005, we consolidated the basics by increasing and expanding the stock holding and by putting the right staff mix into place to be able to offer exceptional customer service and a full range of SKF products", says Branch Manager, Michele Coetzee. "The phenomenal success that followed these measures necessitated further expansion and we recently added another SKF core technology, Power Transmission, to our product and service offering. Everything is now in place to deliver an expanded product range and services to existing and potential customers across industry".



Coetzee, who was appointed Bearing Services Springs Branch Manager in October 2005, had been with SKF South Africa for 20 years. "For most of my long career with SKF South Africa, I worked in the Springs area so I am well versed with the market and the environment. I know the customers well and I think I can confidently say that they trust my commitment to them."



"Our commitment to achieving our objective to provide our customers with quality products and outstanding service paid off and now, only a few years later, we have quadrupled our monthly turnover by moving from purely bearing sales to selling a more comprehensive range of SKF products and services.



We focus on all the main industries in this area and the next logical step was to add a diverse range of industrial power transmission products to the other SKF core technologies i.e. bearings and units, seals, lubrication, mechatronics and services in order to meet industry requirements. "We have doubled our floor space in the past year, enabling us to stock the SKF power transmission range on a Stock It-Sell It (SISI) order basis".



"When SKF launched its power transmission product range three years ago, the intention was to get the product moving through our authorised distributor network", says Robin Briggs, SKF Distributor Development Manager, and explains: "We decided to introduce the SISI order system to power transmission products because the range lends itself to this system. The products are largely commodity items, with ISO standards, and it is fairly easy to predict which items will move in a specific industry. In addition, these products must be kept on the shelf because customers are simply not prepared to wait for delivery. Without the necessary range of stock on the shelf, there will be no sale.



Through the SISI system, SKF guarantees distributors and aftermarkets an 87% hit rate on enquiries. In addition, SKF works closely with distributors, in order to monitor stock movement and tweak the stock list, adding items to satisfy customer requirements. Briggs says that Bearing Services Springs operates on the same basis. "We need to keep between R2m and R2.5m stock, which includes sprockets, chains, pulleys, belts, couplings and taper lock bushes, on the shelf to support this industry and, as we go through the process during the course of 2010, we will adjust the list to suit their market".



Springs is considered to be one of Gauteng's major industrial sites, housing some of South Africa's main players in pulp and paper, food and beverage, mining and other industries. "Stocking industrial power transmission products was simply a logical step", says Coetzee. "When our technicians do testing on belt tensioning and identify worn belts, we can now also supply the required item off the shelf. This not only makes good business sense but more importantly, we are adding value for our customers; by including the SKF core technologies, we have the products to satisfy virtually every diverse application requirement." Coetzee says that, cost consideration aside, customers demand professional after sales service and product availability.



"Our motto is therefore 'OUTSTANDING Customer Service' and we have proved that this is one of the most important ingredients for a successful business. It was important to first grow the commitment from existing customers before stocking additional products. It is simply not practical to offer a range of products without being able to prove that we can reliably deliver on all fronts and two power transmission specialists will soon be joining our six highly trained staff members".



In conclusion, Coetzee highlights the importance of genuine parts to ensure product and performance quality. "SKF is a knowledge engineering company and the integrity, quality and reliability of the SKF brand is internationally acknowledged. Bearing Services Springs is a well respected, firmly established business and is the only authorised supplier of SKF products and services to the Springs, Brakpan, Delmas and Nigel areas. The problem of counterfeit products is in the news quite frequently but let me reiterate that, as an authorised SKF Distributor, we can assure our customers that they can rely on genuine SKF quality products, supported by a complete service package".



Bearing Services Africa (Pty) Ltd, a level four BBBEE contributor, has eight other authorised SKF branches in Southern Africa, three in Gauteng and five located in Mpumalanga. The company envisions further development over the next few months with the acquisition of both the SKF Pretoria and SKF Nelspruit branches. The plan is to add similar SISI industrial power transmission orders to these two new distributors as well as to other existing Bearing Services branches.

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