A new era of elevator and escalator maintenance

Sustainable solutions

Pre-empting faults means better maintenance quality, faster reaction times and higher overall uptime. And because connected units require fewer physical callbacks, they also offer a more sustainable option for building owners.

This is the domain of Annika Jamal El-Din, who is helping to shape sustainable services at Schindler. Achieving green building credentials is a key sustainability objective for many building owners.

That’s why Schindler developed its "Sustainable Service" that reduces the CO₂ footprint of elevator maintenance to the absolute minimum (almost to zero). In Germany, for example, our company has obtained certification demonstrating that we can achieve a reduction of 99.5%** of total emissions for a service contract that includes digital services, compared with a standard service contract.

In her article, Annika also runs through the many avenues the company is pursuing as part of its aim of becoming a net-zero CO2 organization.

_{**According to TÜV Rheinland certificate (Zertifikat Product Carbon Footprint; PCF C01-2022-03-21254480).}

The magic of connected units

Escalator and elevator technology has entered the connected era. These digitally enabled units can provide real-time status updates 24/7. They are capable of diagnosing operational issues and often, in concert with Schindler’s Technical Operation Centers (TOCs), addressing the problem remotely.

The connected elevators can even prompt service callbacks where necessary, while accelerating the repair process by providing diagnostic insight to technicians. All of these benefits contribute to efficiently run units and minimum building disruption.

Of course, information from smart elevators is only valuable when somebody is monitoring the data. That’s where experts such as Abby Thebeau in Schindler’s digital services arm—Schindler Ahead—come in. Working with technical personnel across the company’s 27 global TOCs, she enables the digital insight to be used for fast maintenance actions in the short-term, but also for shaping future products and services.

The highest possible level of service

Schindler has accumulated over 145 years of escalator and elevator expertise. The combined experience of the individual members of the Global Field Support team itself runs into hundreds of years. This team sits at the pinnacle of Schindler’s technical support function. Marek and his colleagues troubleshoot and solve complex elevator problems for customers around the world.

Their role is to give Schindler’s network of technicians and engineers remote assistance. They also fly out – sometimes at a moment’s notice – to repairs and installations on large projects. It’s quite a ride.