The ultimate goal of service and maintenance agreements is that the plant's automation system works healthily throughout the contract period, data is backed up regularly, problems are solved at once with the right intervention, and faulty modules are identified and replaced. A control system failure is a direct production loss, so knowing in advance when and how support will arrive matters as much as the failure itself.

Access
24/7 remote access and/or phone support
On site
On-site service when phone support cannot solve it
Maintenance
Periodic on-site maintenance of the system
Training
For the personnel you assign
Service modelA four-step service model: phone and remote-access support, on-site service, periodic maintenance and training.Remote supportPhone and remoteaccess, 24 hours aday, 7 days a week1On-site serviceSite interventionwhen phone supportis not enough2PeriodicmaintenanceOn-site systemcheck, backup,module replacement3TrainingSystem, equipmentand spare-parttraining forassigned staff4Goal: a healthy system throughout the contract, regular backups, faulty modules found and replaced
What cannot be solved remotely escalates to on-site service; maintenance and training repeat throughout the contract.

What does a service agreement cover?

  • Remote access and phone support: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; most problems are solved without a site visit.
  • On-site service: intervention on site when phone support cannot find a solution.
  • Periodic maintenance: a planned on-site check of the whole system; backups, card and module status, network and server health.
  • Backup and restore: regular application and system backups, and rehearsing the restore.
  • Fault analysis and module replacement: identifying the faulty module, supplying spare parts and replacing them.

The exact scope of an agreement, access methods and response times are defined in the contract.

Training

We train the personnel our customers assign, in outline, on:

  • System description, general operation, units and the relationships between units
  • The nature and use of the materials and equipment used in the system
  • Spare-part replacement
  • Maintenance and backup

Which systems do we service?

We provide maintenance and service for ABB DCS products System 800xA, Freelance and Advant and for AC500 PLC systems, and also for Kepware OPC solutions that we have installed.

What we check during maintenance

For a detailed list of what to look at in annual maintenance, see our health check article. Related articles:

Health check12 items to look at in annual maintenance.Backup and restoreTaking backups is not enough; plan the restore.Spare-part planningRisk-based lifecycle planning.Secure remote accessDesign principles.

What if the system is aging?

If spare parts cannot be found, software support has ended or fewer people know the running application, maintenance alone is not enough. In that case see our system upgrade page.

Frequently asked questions

Is remote access secure?

Remote access is designed in line with the plant's network structure and policies, with authentication and logging. See our article on secure remote access for our design principles.

Can I get one-off service without a maintenance agreement?

Yes. For systems without an agreement you can still contact us for faults and maintenance requests; scope and schedule are set according to the request.

Do you service systems installed by another company?

For platforms we know, yes. We first review the state and documentation of the system, then define the service scope together.