The Miller Electric Service Assistant CD provides field-service technicians with a functional tool that enables them to quickly troubleshoot and repair Miller Electric equipment in the field. Miller Electric also provides technicians and distributors with a fully functional extranet. The new version of Service Assistant needed to continue the transition from a CD-based technical library to the library offered online at the Miller Electric extranet site.

One of the most critical aspects to the Service Assistant project was having it completed quickly. The project needed to have a fast-track production schedule so that the new version could get into the hands of Miller Electric customers. The project required interactive programming and testing, as well as designing a new front-end graphical user interface. To help save time, the team at The AVS Group designed the new Service Assistant interface for Miller Electric's review even before Miller had decided to award the project to AVS. The new interface was in line with Miller Electric's expectations, which enabled The AVS Group to move the project into production sooner than originally anticipated.

• The Miller Electric Service Assistant application was created using VB Script with a new front-end graphical user interface that was consistent with Miller’s established branding.
• Users can log in as domestic or international customers and receive the information specifically designated for them.
• Users can search for a product by model name as by well as keyword or part number.
• The application searches Service Assistant’s extensive technical library and displays the appropriate documents for the technician’s use.

Jean Rappold, sales analyst for Miller Electric, said the following about The AVS Group:

“I have worked with the team at AVS on several projects and have truly enjoyed the experience. I realize that sometimes an unforeseen challenge or problem can occur during the production of a project, and AVS has always impressed me with their ability to quickly recommend proactive solutions that keep a project moving forward. Their team continually keeps me informed, and I think that this makes all the difference in the success of a project. AVS has delivered on their promises and I look forward to continuing the relationship that we have developed.”

Taking innovatively sound steps since 1929, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company has grown from a one-man operation, selling products in Northeast Wisconsin, to what is today the world’s largest manufacturer of arc-welding and cutting equipment. With headquarters in Appleton, Wisconsin, Miller Electric is a leading worldwide manufacturer of Miller and Hobart brand arc welding equipment and related systems for metalworking, construction, maintenance, and other applications.

When the team from Miller Electric decided to update their Service Assistant CD that they provide to the company’s distribution network, Miller knew it needed a reliable partner who could make the necessary enhancements while remaining on track with a short production schedule. Miller Electric chose to partner with The AVS Group, based on AVS’s significant interactive CD experience and substantial business-to-business background.