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Encompass Partners with Global Smart Business to Supply Repair Parts Internationally

Lawrenceville, Ga., November 10, 2015 — Encompass Supply Chain Solutions, Inc, a leading provider of forward and reverse logistics for a diverse range of electronics products and replacement parts, today announced it has executed an agreement to license the Encompass brand to Global Smart Business (GSB) for distribution of parts and accessories in Europe and Latin America.

The agreement enables GSB to market spare parts under the Encompass brand in Latin America (excluding Brazil), Spain and Portugal. Forming an alliance with GSB enables Encompass to further extend its product offerings and build its brand in key markets outside the U.S., and GSB, as Encompass International, is strengthening its solutions portfolio by adding spare parts supply capabilities.

“Encompass has been distributing mainly printer and computer parts in Latin America for years, but aligning with GSB – a proven logistics leader – will help us dramatically increase our presence and brand awareness,” said Jose A. Hernandez, Encompass director of International Business Development.

As Encompass supplies parts for nearly 200 world-leading manufacturers covering a range of product categories, Hernandez noted that servicers in these markets will also have the option to combine multi-brand parts orders from a single source.

“With more than eight million parts in our database, Encompass is well positioned to offer servicers outside the U.S. comprehensive access to multiple manufacturer brands and product categories, including consumer electronics, appliances, personal care, printer, computer and many more,” said Hernandez.

Encompass maintains a distribution center in South Florida, which serves as the company’s main hub for exporting parts internationally. The facility supplements Encompass’ headquarters and main distribution center based in Atlanta.

GSB President and CEO Arturo Ramirez said the partnership with Encompass not only will significantly benefit servicers throughout Latin America, Spain and Portugal, but thousands of end users will have access to millions of parts from manufacturers of an array of products, ensuring superior fill rates under GSB’s commitment to providing genuine parts when and where they are needed.

“Before now, servicers in these regions did not have one-stop access to repair parts from multiple manufacturers,” said Ramirez. “With Encompass, they gain the convenience of consolidating orders with a single supplier.”

About Global Smart Business
GSB is a multinational company with presence in 27 countries providing fully integrated outsourcing service solutions, serving Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean with warranty services, break and fix, field engineering, incident management, and forward and reverse parts logistics solutions.

About Encompass Supply Chain Solutions, Inc
Encompass is a market leader in forward and reverse supply chain management and high-tech repair services for a diverse and expanding range of consumer electronics, computer, major appliance and imaging products. Encompass, through its business units Encompass Parts Distribution and Encompass Service Solutions, provides end-to-end solutions for OEMs, retailers, independent dealers and third-party administrators.

Encompass manages all stages of the product lifecycle, including finished goods and replacement parts logistics, board repair and product refurbishment services, returns management, asset value recovery and eco-friendly disposal. For more information, please visitencompass.com and follow us on Facebook.

Contact: Kristin Hurst
Director of Marketing
Ph: 954.474.0325
khurst@encompass.com

Working Together to Strengthen the Aftermarket Supply Chain

The product life cycle generally includes
research & development, product introduction, growth, maturity, decline,
and eventual replacement with new technology – then, rinse and repeat!
Those of us who have been around the block
a few times have seen this cycle repeat many times (see CRT, PTV, VCR, DVD…the
list goes on). But there’s another critical aspect of this cycle often overlooked:
once a product enters the marketplace, the multi-faceted after sales stage
begins. While successfully getting a product to market is crucial and vital to
the health and well-being of any manufacturer, ensuring ongoing support through
end-of-life is just as important. 
Robert Coolidge
Encompass President & CEO
The foundation of the entire service and
support industry is built on the aftermarket stage of the product life cycle.
From extended warranty companies to field servicers to replacement part
suppliers to claims processors to e-recyclers and many others, the industry is ultimately
committed to adding value to goods regardless of where they may be in the
product life cycle. Extending the life of the product is the end goal.
Having worked in the parts business for
the past 25 years, I know the many segments of the aftermarket supply chain and
understand how important it is to have collaboration among the various vendors
supporting the product lifecycle. Symbiotic relationships are vital for the
industry to flourish. Manufacturers need servicers to maintain their products.
Servicers need parts distributors to stock the components required to make
repairs. Parts distributors need manufacturer authorizations to expand their
line cards – and so on throughout the chain, which ultimately exists to serve
the end user and build brand equity. 
Those that ignore the spirit of partnership typically don’t last long in
our industry.
Each link of this chain must build
mutually beneficial relationships to ensure the chain remains unbreakable. One
way to achieve such unity is to form a professional association that fosters
open dialogue and serves as a forum in which to share best practices. Encompass
is currently trying to gauge interest in creating Partners for Aftermarket
Support (PAS) – a collaborative industry association to bring together those
who are dedicated to strengthening the after sales supply chain.
We envision this being an all-inclusive
association whose members share a commitment to providing superior service and
support to end users. With strong support, we all can win. End users who have a
positive experience with a brand are likely to repurchase those products and
warranties, which eventually will leads to service opportunities to like-minded
members.
We all have a lot to learn from each
other, which can’t be done in a vacuum. Joining together to share ideas could
help us all take our industry to the next level of service and support.
If you are interested in participating in
Partners for Aftermarket Support or have any feedback, please let me know: rcoolidge@encompass.com

CE Tech Tips — November 2015

CE Professional Tech Tip Sharing
November 2015
**NOTICE**
Due the danger and complexity of electronics repair, the following shared
technical tips are intended for professional reference only. Please refer to
manufacturer’s recommendations as Encompass does not guarantee the accuracy,
reliability or safety of this information.
Hitachi TV, 53FDX20B
Reason for Service: Horizontal links in picture when cold or first turned on
Solution:  Wiggle the anode connector at each CRT to determine if it
causes the symptom. Replace anode lead.
Hitachi TV, 57UWX20B
Reason for Service: Focus not working correctly on left and right side of picture
Solution:  Add 2 spark gaps (CJ00072R) – one between pin 4 and 5 and
one between pin 8 and 5 of TG01.
Hitachi TV, 46UX12B
Reason for Service: No power, RL-901 does click
Solution: Check and replace
if necessary the following: CP-901, IC-901, ZD-904.
Insignia Plasma, NS-PDP42
Reason for Service: 
Set dead. When power button is pressed, LED goes
from red to green and back to red in a second or so.
Solution: Replacing several
3300uF/10V caps on the power supply board fixed the set: C238, C240, C241, C242
and C253.
Mitsubishi TV, WD-65735
Reason for Service: Lamp doesn’t light. Owner replaced, blinking LED still
shows bad lamp.
Solution: This lamp must be
replaced with OEM only; it has a much lower strike voltage.
Panasonic TV, PT47WXC43G
Reason for Service: No audio
Solution:  Check and replace IC1101.
Philips TV, 50PFP5332D/37
Reason for Service: 
Shuts down at turn on. It may work if you unplug VS
or VA plugs.
Solution: Replace the power
supply.
RCA TV, ITC008 chassis
Reason for Service: Set shuts down after a few seconds.
Solution: Replaced bad TX508.
Sony TV, DA4
Reason for Service: No high voltage, intermittently.  Set turns on, then 6 blink error.
Solution: Replaced both
IC6501 and IC8002.  Used MCZ3001DB for
better reliability.
Toshiba TV, 60SX2K
Reason for Service: 
Horizontal / vertical roll.
Solution: Replaced M-301

Encompass Upgrades Inventory Planning and Reverse Logistics Systems to Accommodate New Business

Lawrenceville, Ga., October 28, 2015 — Encompass Supply Chain Solutions, Inc, a leading provider of forward and reverse logistics for a diverse range of finished goods and replacement parts, today announced it will be implementing both the Valogix® Inventory Planner andBacTracs Reverse Logistics Management System to support expanded business.

The Valogix Inventory Planner forecasts, plans and determines the optimal stocking quantity of inventory items. The solution automatically selects a forecast method that best fits individual inventory items. It combines forecasting with planned demand such as scheduled maintenance and customer orders, and automatically accounts for unique factors such as seasonal requirements if necessary. As an advanced solution, Valogix helps decide which items to stock and which items are obsolete or inactive.

“One of the greatest features of Valogix is reducing our risk of excess and obsolete inventory, while still maintaining optimal service levels for our customers,” said Encompass CFO Lanier Bivings. “As we continue to bring in major new business – particularly parts supply chain management programs for global manufacturers – it is critical that our purchasing systems are able to scale accordingly.”

BacTracs is a web-based solution developed by Andlor Logistics Systems that manages all aspects of the returns process from creating Returned Material Authorizations (RMAs) and receiving in goods to tracking testing and repairs and outbound shipping. BacTracs provides real-time service updates via web services integration throughout the RMA and repair process.

Encompass Senior Vice President of Operations Scott Cameron said BacTracs should help significantly improve the company’s ability to serve both existing and new reverse logistics clients.

“With BacTracs, we will be able to both expand our customer base and offer additional services to current clients,” said Cameron.

Encompass President and CEO Robert Coolidge said the company is committed to continually upgrading its systems to provide superior service.

“We are always evaluating our operations and seeking ways to leverage the latest technology to improve our processes and serve our valued customers,” said Coolidge. “With Valogix, Encompass can dramatically improve our forecasting and procurement, while BacTracs will help us increase our reverse logistics capabilities.”

About Valogix
Valogix™ powered by Netsirk Technologies is one of the leading inventory planning and true optimization solutions for small and mid-size businesses. With over 27 years developing inventory optimization solutions, Valogix™ has thousands of users in over 42 countries receiving dramatic savings and productivity gains every day. The new web-based solutions are powerful, yet easy to use and can be implemented as best fits a company’s needs. Valogix™ is located in Saratoga Springs, New York and over 150 reselling partner representatives covering North America, Central and Latin America, Europe, and the Asia/Pacific region. For more information about this product, visit the www.netsirktechnologies.com..

About Andlor
Andlor Logistics Systems builds software systems for Warehouse Supply Chain Industries. The staff at Andlor has successfully implementedsoftware systems in the Logistics Industry for over 30 years. Andlor has experienced development, marketing, support staff, and excellent references. Andlor has an exceptional track record in the support of clients. Given the requirements of the market place and the demands placed upon the Logistics Industry, the support received from Andlor is of utmost importance – this is our focal point. The ongoing satisfaction of Andlor clients is the primary objective. Our offices are located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

About Encompass Supply Chain Solutions, Inc.
Encompass is a market leader in forward and reverse supply chain management and high-tech repair services for a diverse and expanding range of consumer electronics, computer, major appliance and imaging products. Encompass provides end-to-end solutions for OEMs, retailers, independent dealers and third-party administrators.

Encompass manages all stages of the product lifecycle, including finished goods and replacement parts logistics, board repair and product refurbishment services, returns management, asset value recovery and eco-friendly disposal. For more information, please visitencompass.com and encompassparts.com and follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contact: Kristin Hurst
Director of Marketing
Ph: 954.474.0325
khurst@encompass.com

Tracking Performance in the Supply Chain

In business, we all strive to be highly efficient and productive, but how do we know if we are actually achieving these goals? We really can’t know – unless we employ comprehensive performance tracking processes.
Robert Coolidge President & CEO

      Robert Coolidge
      President & CEO

In distribution, we are measured on how quickly we can accurately deliver goods to the client. This can be tracked through the number of lines picked and packages shipped within a given timeframe. Data for warehouse performance tracking is typically gathered through computer monitoring and RF (radio frequency) guns, which are used to store electronic barcode information from packaging, labels and bin ID tags. With electronic tools, each core task in the warehouse – such as picking, labeling, packing and shipping – can be monitored in real time for speed and accuracy at both the department and individual employee level.

With this type of visibility, warehouse managers can easily identify specific areas and processes that need improvement as opposed to an educated guess, which could ultimately lead to ineffective changes. Managers can also use performance data to adjust scheduling and ensure staffing levels are sufficient at peak times.   All of this information can be used to maximize efficiency and control costs, while pinpointing top achievers and possible weak links.
Employee incentive programs and evaluations can also be driven off this analysis.  At Encompass, we use television monitors to post performance data for each task so employees know how they’re doing compared to co-workers.   This creates a competitive environment in which we reward those who exceed hourly goals in stocking, picking and packing each month.  Baseline goals are set based on historical data. It’s a great way to keep our team from getting complacent and provides a little friendly competition, while also helping to improve our operations.
No matter what role your business plays in the supply chain, it is essential to have clear visibility into the performance of all aspects of your operation.  Establish specific expectations and metrics to analyze execution and then plan enhancements. And you don’t need to pay an expensive consultant or earn an MBA to measure and improve your operation.  Local schools often provide process improvement training like lean Six Sigma, which can also be taken online. It’s well worth the investment, time and effort to educate your team on best practices to enhance your operations and track the outcome.

 

Tech Tips — October 2015

CE Professional Tech Tip Sharing
October 2015
**NOTICE**
Due the danger and complexity of electronics repair, the following shared
technical tips are intended for professional reference only. Please refer to
manufacturer’s recommendations as Encompass does not guarantee the accuracy,
reliability or safety of this information.
Emerson TV, LC320EM1F FL10.3
Reason for Service: 
Dead set, no LED lit or blinking
Solution: Found a bad 390k
ohm resistor open in series to the gate of Q501.  Check them all.
Hitachi TV, 51UWX20B
Reason for Service: 
Shutting down. 
Horizontal output voltage and B+ Ok. 
Horizontal output collector distorted waveform.
Solution: Replaced defective
TH01.
Magnavox Combo, MSD724G
Reason for Service: 
Dead
Solution: Found a shorted diode,
D1618 located in the secondary or the SMPS. 
FR154, used an ECG580.
Mitsubishi TV, LT46144
Reason for Service: 
Video has solid vertical lines
Solution: Replace the
panel.  289P107010 – call Mitsubishi to
see if they will help with the cost.
Panasonic flat panel, TCP42X1
Reason for Service: 
Dead, one blink
Solution:  Replaced defective A CBA.   #TXN/A1EQUUS
Panasonic Plasma TV, TCP60ST30
Reason for Service: 
Mechanical buzzing noise
Solution: Loose screws,
install Kit # XYN3+F6FJ-12PK. 
Samsung TV, LN55C610N1FXZA
Reason for Service: 
Picture flickers intermittently.
Solution: If your model uses
the BN44-00342B power supply, snip jumper JP854.
Sharp TV, LC26SU10
Reason for Service: 
Has sound but no backlight
Solution: Problem was a bad
small black fuse near two larger ones on the backlight board.
Sony TV, KV-36XBR800
Reason for Service: 
Two blinks and shuts down
Solution:  Found an open R5065, 270k ohm, Sixteenth W surface
mount,  located pin 4 of HO transformer,
T5001.  Replaced with eighth W.
Toshiba TV, 46UX12B
Reason for Service: 
No power, no relay click.

Solution: Found Q-0015
bad.  Replacing it fixed the set.

Leveraging Technology to Manage Service Parts for Warranty Claims

Manufacturers
and warranty companies are under constant pressure to reduce warranty claims
costs while maintaining customer satisfaction and retention. Both must continually
seek opportunities to control costs, maintain service levels and ultimately
drive favorable Net Promoter Scores. One proven strategy that achieves all of
these goals is to integrate claims management systems with service parts vendors.
Robert Coolidge
President &CEO
With direct systems
connectivity, parts needed for a repair can be properly identified and readily
dispatched during the triage stage of the warranty claims process. In-home
service can also be accurately scheduled to coincide with part delivery to the
consumer or technician – streamlining the process and reducing turn time. All
parties involved have complete visibility to this critical component of the
repair process, and with significant benefits:
  • Manufacturers
    and warranty companies can rest assured the correct part(s) arrive, and pricing
    is transparent.
  • Service entities
    can track shipments and accurately schedule service calls.
  • Customer service
    is armed with on-demand data to field service inquiries.
  • Consumers
    clearly understand the status of their service incident.
  • Manufacturers
    and warranty companies retain customers and avoid costly buyouts.

There are
several simple but effective ways to build connectivity between disparate
systems. One such conduit is Simple Object Access Protocol – or SOAP – which
enables a program running in one kind of operating system to communicate
with a program in the same or other operating system by using the web’s
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and its Extensible Markup Language (XML) as
the mechanisms for information exchange. Sound complicated?  It did to me when Encompass first embarked on
this platform of connectivity, but we have since found this solution to be
quite simple and cost effective.

Encompass currently maintains SOAP connectivity with many
warranty companies (or their claims administrator) and manufacturers. In
addition to parts ordering capability, connectivity provides visibility to
real-time order status and shipment tracking, and enables users to easily
cancel orders or initiate returns. 
Developers can easily access our SOAP interface via www.encompassparts.com/soap.  Although SOAP is the most effective platform
available today, other formats can be effective as well, such as EDI or FTP.  We have yet to find a data format that can’t
be utilized to drive benefit to the repair process.
 
By far, reduced repair time is the most significant
advantage of this strategy. All manufacturers and warranty companies set
aggressive timelines for repairs to be completed, and rightfully so. If the
deadline is not met, they may have to compensate the customer in some way, and/or
potentially risk customer satisfaction.
The synchronization of in-home service with parts
delivery can shave valuable days off the repair process, providing a
win-win-win for all involved. In the age of social media, news travels at light
speed.  Connectivity to the parts portion
of the service experience provides an edge manufacturers and warranty companies
can leverage to ensure complete customer satisfaction of the service
experience, and help build lasting customer relationships.

Winning People Over

Every new year gives us a fresh start and chance to make it better than the one before. Although the economy is finally showing signs of improvement, no business can afford to be complacent.

Robert Coolidge President & CEO

        Robert Coolidge
        President & CEO

In last month’s blog, I talked a lot about the importance of superior customer service. Recently, I re-read the always insightful book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. The section “Win People to Your Way of Thinking” really resonated with me from a service communications perspective. Here are some particularly significant points:

· The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
· Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “you’re wrong.”
· If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
· Begin in a friendly way.
· Get the other person saying, “yes, yes” immediately.
· Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
· Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
· Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.
· Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
Think about these ideas the next time you’re in a difficult situation and trying to please a customer. It could mean the difference between that customer doing business with you again…or your competitor.
Encompass wishes everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2013!

CE Tech Tips — September 2015

CE Professional Tech Tip Sharing
September 2015
**NOTICE**
Due the danger and complexity of electronics repair, the following shared
technical tips are intended for professional reference only. Please refer to
manufacturer’s recommendations as Encompass does not guarantee the accuracy,
reliability or safety of this information.
Hitachi TV, 51UWX20B
Reason for Service: 
Shutting down. 
Horz output voltage and B+ ok. 
Horz output collector has distorted waveform.
Solution: Replaced defective
TH01.
Magnavox TV, TP3273C102
Reason for Service: High voltage starts to come up at turn on, then shuts
down.
Solution: Replacing C420
fixed the set.  220uF/16V
Panasonic Flat Panel, TCP42X1
Reason for Service: 
Dead, one blink
Solution:  Replaced defective A CBA. 
#TXN/A1EQUUS
Panasonic Plasma TV, TH42PX75U
Reason for Service: 
Dead, red LED flashing 8 blinks
Solution: Replacing the SS board
fixed the set.
Panasonic TV, TH-42PZ700U
Reason for Service: 7 blinks
Solution:  There are a row of surface mount FETs on the SC
module/Y-Sus.   One of them is shorted;
lift one leg on each transistor to measure for the shorted one.
Philips TV, 50PFP5332D/37
Reason for Service: Dead
Solution: Found a bad cap,
C8014.  33uF/450V.  Replace F8002 also, 1A/250.
RCA TV, ATC010 chassis.
Reason for Service: Shuts down, might be intermittent.
Solution:  Found R835 had increased in value. Replaced with 120k ohm.  This fixed the set.
Sharp TV, LC26SU10
Reason for Service: 
Has sound but no backlight.
Solution: Problem was a bad
small black fuse near two larger ones on the backlight board.
Sony TV KDL46XBR2
Reason for Service: No picture, backlight or sound, green LED and Sony logo
are on.
Solution: Check for an open
fuse on the T-con.  It might be a 3 or 4
A.
Sony TV, LA3
Reason for Service: 
Dead with 6 blinks
Solution:  Replaced thermal fuse on optical block and IC1607 on the
G1 board.
Vizio TV, SV470M
Reason for Service: No audio and remote control will not work.
Solution: Had to replace the
main board,   #3642-0692-0150

Going Above and Beyond

As we head into the new year, we remain optimistic that the economy will continue to improve for your business and for ours. However, we know that we can’t control market conditions, so at Encompass we continue to focus on what we can control — and that is “enhancing the customer experience.”

Robert Coolidge President & CEO

      Robert Coolidge
      President & CEO

You may have noticed that we recently added instant chat service on the encompassparts.com website so customers can get help fast without having to call our customer service department.  We have also expanded our call center to our Las Vegas distribution facility.  This gives our customers in the Eastern and Central time zones additional time to call in for assistance or place orders for same day shipping.

In addition, we have implemented a new warehouse monitoring system that helps our operations leadership track the performance of our warehouse team throughout the pick, pack and ship process. This helps us identify the areas that need improvement so we can quickly make adjustments to ensure our customers are getting the parts they need, when they need them. These are just a few of the enhancements we have made; look for more in 2013 because sitting idle is not an option for us.
In a challenging market, it is more critical than ever to continue to be creative and keep improving your value as a business, especially as it relates to serving your customer better than your competition. As you consider ways to grow your own business, think first what you can do to provide a first-class customer experience to keep your customers coming back and spreading the word on the great experience they may have had — from sending personal thank you notes after a job to checking on customer repairs to ensure everything is still working correctly.  Going above and
beyond is the best way to improve your word-of-mouth advertising, which in the age of social media can have an enormous impact to your business.
On behalf of all of us at Encompass, we wish you and your families a bright and joyous holiday season.