A Case Study on Working Closely with a Customer to Innovate the Best and Most Cost-Effective Solution

This is a case study on how a prospective customer, who had a poor experience with another service provided, wanted a particular solution that we believed was not in their best interest.  After gaining their trust, we were able to engineer the right solution, at a lower cost than what they were willing to pay and the work was completed ahead of schedule and below budget. Our experience and willingness to innovate was key to this project’s success.

 We were contacted by a manufacturing facility that was experiencing repeated refractory failures in the kiln.  As a result, the main production kiln was out of commission for a period of time.  They were insistent on a guaranteed solution for which they were willing to pay a premium, on a fixed cost basis with a workmanship and material warranty.

 We were unsure if the failure was due to improper materials, installation, or dry out procedures.  Having been involved in refractory for over 20 years, we are well aware that even if the best materials  and installation procedures are followed, brick failures can still occur from factors outside of our parameters, such as from improper heat-up, cool-down or kiln operations during the manufacturing process.    After spending considerable time analyzing the situation and working with our material supplier engineering team, we advised the plant that working closely during and post installation was more important than any warranty and a fixed price contract.  Although the fixed price contract would have been more profitable for us, the best solution was a Time and Material basis with a price cap, with a high level of cooperation from the plant.

 The client eventually agreed and a plan was devised.   We spent significant time working with our brick manufacturer to ensure the right materials and installation procedures were used for this specific case. We also invested in new equipment to ensure the work was completely safely and efficiently and worked very closely with the client.   We are proud to share that the job was completed ahead of time and well below the initial budget, and the kiln continues to operate efficiently.  

We risked losing a potential client, but instead we established a great relationship by putting their interests first! At Kingston Refractory, quality is no accident!