Sandvik launches online self-service portal for pipe products
Sandvik has announced the launch of a new self-service online platform that lets customers access information related to round bar, hollow bar, pipe, flanges and fittings.
The new E-Track platform, which is described by the company as an “industry first among steel producers”, includes a personalised dashboard review, 24/7 access to information, current and incoming stock levels, customised price agreement handling, current orders and history, credit information, as well as documentation and certificates.
“The whole purpose of E-Track is to cut through the complexity and make it easier and more convenient for customers to go online from any web-enabled device, 24/7, and access the information,” said Johan Josefsson, sales and marketing manager, long and piping products. “This doesn’t replace the human aspect of sales and service, which are still available and greatly valued by our customers, but it adds a helpful new digital channel for those who want it.”
“Clearly, delivering a few tons of stainless-steel tubing in huge wooden crates or reels is not the same as shipping T-shirts or ordering and tracking pizza deliveries,” he added. “But the benefits of digitalisation open exciting new possibilities in our industry, too, and we’re intent on leading this digital transformation.”
The E-Track platform will initially be limited to European customers. The focus is on standard stock items, including solid round bar, hollow bar, seamless pipe, welded pipes, fittings and flanges.
“Basically, we wanted to take the customer experience to the next level and allow customers to access instant information about our products and their orders, which are usually enquired through our sales team,” added Kishore Narumanchi, project manager for E-Track. “Both the sales teams and our customers want to reduce the hassle of additional time-consuming steps and it frees them up to concentrate on more qualified tasks. Distributors and customers will also still be given their own special price lists that can only be viewed by them.”
“At the end of the day, I still believe that people buy from their sales people in our business and the digital option is only there to compliment and support,” concluded Josefsson. “The new online platform is simply another way for us to move closer to our customers and it reflects the digitalisation that is transforming our global economy. We want to be available 24/7 on any device, anywhere and anytime – that’s the modern world we are living in.”
