Helicopters: Collaborative Design and Full After-Sales Service

What do you do when a supplier can no longer provide an after-sales service for critical safety equipment? This was a problem for a US helicopter engineering facility that had previously purchased access platforms from a French supplier, recommended by their Italian parent company. Unexpectedly, the supplier was unable to provide regular after-sales support in the US and as this was likely to be troublesome for the helicopter engineering facility, they decided to find a more suitable and reliable ‘local’ supplier. Their requirements had evolved too as they needed an engineering company with expertise in designing and manufacturing helicopter support equipment that could not only supply a quality product but also be capable of managing design change requirements, as well as providing 24/7 after-sales support. They also wanted to purchase equipment that could be easily repaired without the entire product having to be scrapped. To find a suitable supplier, the company issued a tender and after due process, Semmco Inc was appointed.