Farmers warned to upgrade as 3G shutdown looms
As the clock ticks towards the 3G mobile network shutdown, farmers are being warned to upgrade or risk losing connection to their supply chain.
So it's important to be able to access parts for routine preventative maintenance, and more importantly those unplanned events when a machine breaks down unexpectedly.
The first port of call is normally the dealer, or maybe a 'will-fit' supplier if the parts are fairly common and there is a generic alternative, but the 'will-fit' man will be no help if the part is machine specific and expensive, as he is only interested in the fast buck from fast moving spares.
The local dealer will have the fast moving spares and direct access to the supplying importer/distributor who will have a much broader parts offering and a supply agreement with the manufacturer.
Power Farming Wholesale is the largest privately owned importer of farm machinery in Australasia and has a large retail presence NZ wide.
It represents tractor brands such as Deutz Fahr, Kioti and Versatile, and a wide range of implement manufacturers like McHale, Vicon, Maschio and Trima to name a few. With distribution hubs in Morrinsville, Christchurch, Melbourne and Brisbane, it can access 250,000 parts lines from stock with a cumulative value of $50 million.
Power Farming's new online parts ordering and delivery system, Parts Direct – enables existing and new customers to search for parts 24/7, check availability, paying by credit card and take delivery within 24 hours.
Access will be via any internet enabled device, and once you're on the site an intuitive parts search function guides you to the required part either by description, original part number if known or by displaying suggested items to fill the bill, all with an accompanying picture.
"The introduction of Parts Direct is in response to the market's demands for easy and convenient access to our extensive parts stocks on a 24/7 basis," says David Pritchard, national parts manager, NZ and Australia. "We appreciate that during the busy harvest periods there isn't always time during the working day to go to the local dealer to pick up parts, so we're going to make it easier by offering this convenient on-line service."
Pritchard says they will also sell a generic product range which will expand to meet customer requirements.
