Vienna, VA October 22, 2001 Carrier Corp. is taking its warranty operations onto the Internet, enabling online product registration and claims processing using software from solution provider Entigo.
Carrier, which produces climate control and air conditioning systems, is looking to the new software to reduce the company's costs for administering its warranty programs and to lay the foundation for Carrier to apply rapid problem identification and resolution techniques, thereby enabling the entire supply chain to quickly resolve problems.
With the Entigo solution in place, consumers, dealers, distributors and internal resources will be able to register products, process claims and track claim status throughout the warranty claim registration and approval process in real time. Manufacturers and channel partners can submit, automatically approve and track all claims, including products registration information and warranty programs and standard repair time, actual labor.
Entigo says its software lets companies improve service and quality levels for both channels and end users, while also cutting costs, by reducing the complexity of warranty administration, providing better visibility to warranty programs and pricing and processing claims faster and more efficiently.
Manufacturers should look at automating their warranty programs as one way to increase their competitiveness, according to Gisela Wilson, director for product supply chain applications and exchanges at analyst firm IDC. "If manufacturers are to remain competitive, they can no longer afford to ignore the warranty management problems they now face," she said. "Warranty management will be revolutionized these next two years as manufacturers realize that the only way to reduce the billions lost to warranty claims and respond quickly to product quality issues is to streamline and automate the warranty process."
