How innovation happens: Be ready to answer when opportunity knocks

Since the launch of Fuse^® Connected Services in the fall of 2015, AGCO teams from around the globe have been working closely with dealers to deliver this technology-powered services offering to customers. Each region has had the freedom to shape the offering in a way that makes sense for their local market, and this has led to productive innovations.

When the AGCO team in South America started the implementation of Fuse Connected Services, one of the challenges was to create attractive service packages that aligned with local market needs. The dealers were providing value to customers through preventative maintenance, machine inspections and operator’s training, but the team knew that they could improve the service packages even more.

Shell has been AGCO’s longtime partner in South America, being the original lubricant supplier for AGCO’s equipment from the factories and also in the aftermarket. It was natural that they were one of the companies that could support AGCO in providing additional services that would make a big difference to customers. That was when the idea of adding Shell’s oil analysis to the Fuse Connected Services packages came up.

Oil analysis is a tool for diagnostic predictive maintenance, used to monitor and evaluate the conditions of fluids and equipment. The analysis generates reliable data about the current oil properties and identifies the particle contamination level, which can indicate excessive wear or an imminent failure in the system. The dealer and the customer rely on this data to make a decision, such as identifying and replacing a faulty part before it fails completely.

In the beginning of the Fuse Connected Services pilots in Brazil the AGCO team could see first-hand the importance of this service, which at this point was offered for the first time through an AGCO dealership in South America, Augustin. Pilot customer Narciso Starlick submitted his machines for oil analysis and an abnormal contamination level was detected in one of them. With this information the dealer was able to investigate further, find and replace the defective component, a hydraulic valve. According to the dealer, this valve would probably fail during the season if it had not been replaced in advance, so the oil analysis helped prevent two potential headaches for the customer: machine down-time and the damage of other components that this breakdown could cause.

This partnership with Shell is a great example that demonstrates that working with other companies is an option that must be considered in order to offer the best services, keep improving the available packages and positively impact our customers’ businesses. By remaining flexible and open, AGCO can provide innovative solutions that lead the way in the fast-paced world of agriculture technology.

Written by: Felipe Trindade

Felipe Trindade is a product marketing and parts specialist for Fuse in South America. Learn more about AGCO’s precision farming technology solutions by visiting www.AGCOcorp.com/Fuse.