How a technical equipment manufacturer reduced unnecessary travel and capitalized on the expertise of its specialists, without replacing its ERP
Technical equipment manufacturer (clean energy, hydrogen generators and battery systems)
Distributor network:compact field service team:international installed base
Existing ERP: Sylob. Kolus used as a supplement, not a replacement
Modules Kolus: After-Sales Service Ticketing · Mobile Technician App · Document Management System · Support Workflow
63%
of avoided service trips
96%
customer satisfaction
70+
photos and procedures capitalized in the document management system
The context
EODev designs and sells hydrogen generators and battery storage systems deployed in France and internationally. These are complex technical equipment items, with a 2-year warranty and an field service that requires a high level of competence.
The field service team is compact. Technical know-how relies on a few key experts, rare profiles that are difficult to replace. When one of them leaves or is unavailable, years of field knowledge risk disappearing with them.
The problems that were costly
- Service trips that kept multiplying. Lacking a structured preliminary diagnosis, technicians arrived on site without the right context. Result: service calls that did not resolve the problem on the first visit. A second visit was required, sometimes a third. These non-billable trips heavily impacted profit margins.
- Know-how trapped with the experts. When experts traveled to the United States for a complex EUR 10,000 service call, all the diagnosis, decisions, and findings stayed in their heads. Reports were written in Word, sent by email, and never reused. Maintenance plans lived in Excel. Nothing was capitalized.
- Trained technicians who forgot. In-person training worked at the time. However, as soon as the machine was not used for a few weeks, the transmitted knowledge evaporated. Retraining or sending an expert again was necessary.
What has changed with Kolus
Phase 1
Ticketing as a foundation
All structured after-sales service requests are managed in Kolus. Each ticket is linked to a piece of equipment, a customer, and a service history. This enables traceability, warranty tracking, and the management of service providers based on factual data.
Phase 2
The field mobile application
The technician uses the app to document everything: photos, actions taken, and replaced parts. They dictate a voice note, and AI transcribes it into a structured report. An electronic signature completes the service call on site.
Phase 3
The document management system for capitalization
A database of 70 photos and procedures archived at Kolus. Each resolution adds to the database. A less experienced technician can find the procedure without having to call an expert at headquarters.
Phase 4
Guided assistance paths
Tree structures via QR codes on machines. The right questions, the right photos, step-by-step guidance. A complete diagnosis before deciding whether a service trip is necessary.
Kolus as a supplement to the ERP, not as a replacement
EODev uses the Sylob ERP system for warranty management, spare parts orders, and invoicing. Kolus does not replace any of these functions. It is a specialized after-sales service module that focuses on what the ERP system does not do: field ticket management, remote diagnostics, technical documentation accessible on mobile devices, and automated service reports.
The two tools operate side by side. After-sales service information is stored in Kolus, while management information remains in the ERP system.
Results
Avoided service trips
63%
Customer satisfaction
96%
Preserved know-how
Photos, procedures, history:knowledge stays within the tool.
Automated Reports
The technician dictates, the AI drafts, the electronic signature concludes.
Natural Adoption
Getting started without formal training:designed for the field.
Complete traceability
Every service call, replaced part, and observation:documented and retrievable.
"I spend the same amount of time training, but I am much more resilient over time.
Before, if the machine was not used for a few weeks, the technician would forget
everything. Today, the knowledge is right there in the tool. They just need to search:the procedure, the
photo, the history, everything is accessible. I have created a safeguard for myself. Even when I am not
there, the expertise does not disappear."
Gilles Payet-Burin
Field service director
