This is the second in a series of blogs detailing how OPW systematically builds quality into its operations. In this installment, we learn what “quality” means at OPW from the people on the front lines supporting our customers’ success.
Q: What drives the 20-plus flagship brands of OPW to deliver quality across all aspects of their operations?
The answer is not “what”— it’s “who.”
“Quality is our No. 1 priority because our customers are our No. 1 priority,” said Tina Desjardins, Production Engineering Manager at BASE Engineering, a leader in wireless control systems for fuel delivery fleets and part of OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions group.
Most manufacturing companies use performance indicators to measure success, but at OPW, these benchmarks quantify the success of our most critical objective.
“At BASE Engineering, all metrics and KPIs underscore one fundamental imperative: Are we meeting the customer’s requirements?” said Scott Mallais, BASE Engineering.
From engineering to product development, supplier quality management to production, product testing to after-sales support, OPW views every challenge through the lens of the customer. This approach ensures that all of a product’s critical elements — functionality, durability, robustness, reliability, ease of maintenance, and, above all, safety — meet or exceed a customer’s expectations, and that the after-sales support from OPW matches the caliber of the equipment we provide.
“Establishing and maintaining valued relationships with our customers is in our company’s DNA,” Desjardins said.
Q: How does the OPW commitment to quality differ from other manufacturers’ approach to quality?
Customer satisfaction is a core initiative at OPW. Crucially, the OPW definition of “quality” extends far beyond providing highly engineered solutions that support clean energy and fueling operations worldwide. The pursuit of quality at OPW is a holistic endeavor that galvanizes a unified purpose.
OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions Marketing Manager Peter Russell explains the OPW difference.
“Most people traditionally think of quality as an output — a standard defined solely by the final product. At BASE Engineering, our focus goes much deeper than high-quality equipment,” Russell said. “Quality is in the process that produces the output. It is in the discussions we have. It is in our team's capabilities. It is in the packaging. It is in the instruction manuals. It is in everything we do to deliver the results our customers expect.”
The customer-focused approach at BASE Engineering is evident in its commitment to delivering long-lasting solutions and its willingness to go the extra mile, even when the effort doesn’t result in a new sale.
“We received a phone call from a customer who had a handheld wireless control system they bought in 2000,” Desjardins said. “Because the system is still in good working order 25 years later, they wanted to retrofit a new truck with the same device. The customer was asking for our guidance on how to do it, and we are fully committed to supporting requests like these.”
This level of support reflects the core philosophy that drives the OPW quality promise — a promise that extends far beyond the point of sale.
Q: How does OPW sustain its commitment to quality once the equipment is deployed in the field?
A common denominator across OPW is expedited responsiveness, powered by a team intensely focused on the customer’s immediate needs. As a leading provider of mission-critical cryogenic solutions within OPW Clean Energy Solutions, ACME Cryogenics embodies this standard by ensuring that expertise is always within reach for customers.
“We have people available day and night to assist with customer issues. While complexity and scale can limit access to timely support for some cryogenic solutions manufacturers, we maintain an open line of communication to address quality issues promptly,” said Isaac Young, a Quality Specialist at ACME Cryogenics.
Recognizing that minimizing customer downtime is paramount, OPW has built its response processes around speed and efficiency. For the BASE Engineering team, quality and reliability go hand in hand.
“We understand the impact unplanned downtime has on our customers. Minimizing revenue losses and preserving our customers’ credibility with their customers is a core driver of our support velocity,” Desjardins said. “When we receive a warranty claim or an issue occurs in the field, we work to provide a solution within 48 hours on business days.”
Ready to experience the difference the OPW foundational commitment to quality will make in your operation? Connect with OPW today.
Next in the Series: Harnessing the Power of People
How does OPW cultivate a culture of uncompromising excellence? We go behind the scenes to learn how individual accountability, personal pride and relentless collaboration transform a standard manufacturing process into a world-class operation.