If this is true, then connect a laptop to the BUDS and change what gets stored where! Like all the parts that are taking so long to get from Canada! (Lamont...We need a 'DUH' Emoticon).
Is this too simplistic or am I missing something? :dontknow:
At Lenovo(IBM) we had the same issues. We'd make a million or so of one laptop model, and a few months later find pockets of failure from one customer to the next. Before an issue is determined to be "pervasive" it would start a natural run on service parts. The parts depots that IBM had in the US for Lenovo were run practically dry on that specific part or motherboard, and what once was a managed parts inventory turns into a nightmare as we started to look at our Canada depots and Europe for reserve. A "next day" warranty becomes next week. Granted, that is for a commodity like a computer, where as Spyders are not a commodity item.
What then makes the situation worse (but ultimately better) is engineering issues a stop on all depot part shipments as they do not want what are essentially the same flawed parts going back into a failed machine only to cause another customer issue down the road. They collect samples from the field, find the cause, find the fix and implement an engineering change. This is tremendously costly and is somewhat of a minor miracle in undertaking. Not only do they need to do this quickly, but we need to then produce enough parts to not only repair down units with customers, but also ensure we have enough of the new part to manufacturing.
I'm sure BRP functions much the same in relation to how they treat issues as they pop up. Perhaps BRP has faltered on some aspects, or maybe they've done things by the book. Perhaps they've had some pretty terrible luck in finding root causes and getting parts re-engineered and manufactured to new specification. They'll never tell us.
It is only hopeful on our part that they resolve the current issues with back orders and bite the bullet where they need to. They are not going to overstock parts for us as that is costly and further elevates the cost when the stocked parts are also faulty.
I can say after years of working inside and outside of IBM and Lenovo that sometimes, parts shortages are indeed the status quo for the long term and are rarely addressed as a systemic long term problem with the way they operate as a company.
We can only hope that BRP is getting a handle on things and is actually LEARNING or adapting as they go. The thing that should grab you here though is that BRP is not new to this... They've been making snowmobiles and jetskis for eons now... What is so freaking hard about the Spyder? I would suggest that they are probably having the same supply issues on the water craft that they are on the Spyder. Does anyone know?
We already know that they need to focus much more attention on dealer quality and service tech quality... That is a given.
