Terumo EDC finds the Multi Masters Group to be a trustworthy total partner

Terumo’s logistics’ partner

Terumo was founded in Japan in 1921 to manufacture the most reliable thermometers. Since those early days, the company has become an international medical supplier, operating in more than 160 countries. “Terumo develops, manufactures and markets medical devices and pharmaceuticals”, says Philippe Peeters, Facility & Maintenance Coordinator at Terumo EDC in Genk.

“We have a very broad range of products, including needles, pumps, syringes, stents and even surgical kits, especially customized for surgeons. Our plant here in Genk, with a warehouse of no less than 32,000 sq. m., is a logistics hub. We manage inbound and outbound products, carried by trucks (28%), by plane (28%) and on water (44%).”

Reliable facilities

Philippe starts by mentioning a first instance of common ground with the Multi Masters Group. “The purpose of our services is to facilitate the work of doctors and surgeons as much as possible, to avoid any loss of time and to make everything available at their fingertips. Additionally, we want to make patients’ lives more bearable. Unburdening the client matters very much to us and we find the same concern in the work of Maintenance Masters and Hygi Masters.”

“A case in point is the proper maintenance of our facilities and a critical approach to the status of installations. This was the problem with our previous service provider: we had to solve issues rather than prevent them from arising in the first place. The post-agreement analysis showed that many things were not fine-tuned. Too often, equipment needed to be repaired repeatedly, we were caught in a never-ending spiral of repairs.”

“We focus on logistics”, explains Philippe. “We were looking for a partner capable of dealing with problems and who would identify shortcomings and tell us how to avoid the recurrence of issues. We wanted a partner who would come up with proposals to do things differently. That’s what was missing before. Maintenance Masters has changed all that. Through our cooperation, our facilities have become truly dependable.”

Dare to jump

Terumo EDC was one of Maintenance Masters’ first clients. “We have been working together for slightly more than a year. The preliminary stage was very smooth. Maintenance Masters kept all their promises with respect to the presentation, the proposal, reviewing all facilities and taking over the tasks.”

“They do repair and solve things in our facilities, but – this is crucial – they look further.”

“To us, this process was always something of a challenge. Daring to change course, deciding and going for it. In the end, the cost always plays a large part in the choice made. However, the maintenance masters really make a difference. They fully take control, and all our questions are answered smoothly. A year has passed, and I can say unreservedly that we made the right decision. From the very beginning, we felt that things were all right, that all requirements would be met.”

“Just consider the way they look at our systems. They are not satisfied with merely “looking under the hood” of the equipment. They do repair and solve things, but – this is crucial – they look further. Are some parts hard to get on the market? Then they create a spare part extra to reduce waiting times. They prevent issues from arising. Their personnel always examine our systems with the necessary competence. Is everything still compliant with industry and legal standards or is something missing? When our previous partner failed to communicate such matters, we were left unawares of the issues.”

A clear follow-up

By referring to open and clear communication, Philippe points to an additional strength of the Multi Masters Group. “I like to have sparring partners. What is their outlook? What is their vision? Everything always boils down to a learning curve. It is not very helpful to hide things. The exchange of information leads to the best solutions.”

Maintenance Masters also uses the Optimus app for their work at Terumo EDC. “This extra feature was decisive in making us choose Maintenance Masters. The digital tool not only provides us with an expanded registration system, but it is also a place where we can find a full inventory of our facilities. We can check there what has been done, as well as the frequency of tasks and repairs. We therefore get an accurate picture of what is efficient or not and whether we need to look at alternatives.”

Fast response in emergencies

Obviously, sometimes unpredictable problems do happen. “We have already had emergency responses at night or during a weekend, usually because of an external power outage. In such situations, we are completely dependent on Maintenance Masters, as none of our personnel are qualified to deal with issues like that.”

“The response time is very good. I always have a reachable SPOC. No more than two hours elapse before the intervention team arrives. A faster response could not be expected. Once everybody is here, we work until the problem is solved. Last time, we were notified at 22:30 that something was amiss. At 23:00 we called in Maintenance Masters and at 00:00 everybody was on site. I think it took us until 08:00 the next morning to restore the operational status of the system affected.”

“After an intervention, we obviously go through a checklist to ensure the proper operation of all our facilities. We need to see if everything still works as intended. Then there is the follow-up, when the situation is managed by the technical staff on duty that day.”

Terumo EDS: “One call and the Hygi Masters arrive”

Terumo EDC also uses the pest control services of Hygi Masters. “The pest controllers perform a conventional tour of our facilities eight times a year. For more specific demands, a simple call will suffice and the hygi masters will arrive. For instance, every year we have an invasion of tiny, red spiders. Although these creatures are harmless as such, they do invade premises with medical products. The spiders leave red traces, and, in our industry, this immediately suggests the presence of blood stains. It simply does not look hygienic. With Hygi Masters, we can manage the problem quickly.”

“The hygi masters deployed here are always helpful”, adds Philippe. “They also have a very preventive approach. They always provide their comments and when their work is completed, they come to us to report their findings. If they notice something about or around the traps, they will tell us immediately and we will be able to deal with problems before they become serious. They always look for solutions and it is nice to see them cooperating so autonomously. There is no need to tell them what to do.”

“Moreover, it is very easy to find everything in Multidesk. The system provides a comprehensive overview, and we can follow up everything properly. Special comments are always mentioned. It is nicer to work with such systems and these are more extensive than what we had before.

“Maintenance masters really makes a difference. They fully take control.”

Not unnoticed

Not only does the work of the Multi Masters Group at Terumo EDC take a burden off Philippe’s shoulders, but the quality of the work delivered has not gone unnoticed either by WDP (Warehouses De Pauw), the company renting out the factory building to Terumo. “Even they are more enthusiastic, more optimistic and confident than before.”

“The management of Terumo EDC have also noticed the difference. Although they necessarily have a helicopter view blurring the minor details, they do see the improvement, which means that much progress has been achieved compared to what went on before.”

Maintenance Masters and Hygi Masters are thus a golden match for Terumo EDC. “If I get more ownership of other systems in our warehouses in the future, I certainly do not exclude the possibility of using the Multi Masters Group even more. We see them as reliable and forward-thinking partners.”