Making the transition from traditional to automatic milking and feeding can be a tough decision. That is why every dairy producer who makes the transition receives guidance, from both a technical and a management aspect. This guidance is provided before, during and after the installation/start-up of the automatic systems by a dedicated team in order to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Lely North America has more than 260 certified technicians working at local Lely Centers, which is more than any other robotic milking and feeding brand in the industry. Technical Service Support (TSS) representatives are Lely’s boots on the ground and the first line of support for installation, troubleshooting and maintenance on all things Lely.
“Additionally, there are about 30 product specialists in the field,” said Jim Mitchell, product and training specialist for Lely North America. “These are the highest trained experts available to support Lely’s milking, feeding and cow comfort system. They can answer questions a dairy producer has on everything from equipment to milk quality issues.”
Lely TSS personnel are some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry, with a complete working knowledge of robots and feeding products as well as cows and robotic milking. Each Lely Center has a lead technician with years of training and experience and Lely provides annual, ongoing training so each farm can count on their support team.
Before technicians are allowed to perform maintenance or provide support, they must pass level I Lely certification. The ongoing certification program contains several levels, each designed to raise the service technician’s knowledge, experience and problem-solving skills.
Lely has a rigorous training program with dedicated training centers near their Pella, Iowa headquarters as well as Woodstock, Ontario. These facilities are complete with all of the Lely products, so technicians can train extensively on robot installation and maintenance.
“These folks know the equipment inside and out,” Mitchell said. “With this knowledge, experience and dedication, our team of technicians does everything possible to guarantee Lely owners have maximum uptime and resolve issues quickly and efficiently.”