Case Study #153 | DIRFT (Doing It Right the First Time)

Nationwide Power™ (NP™) is the leading provider in the critical power supply industry. Our core business is the sales and service of uninterruptible power supplies and UPS batteries. Our 57,000 square foot warehouse, with over $10 million in parts and equipment inventory, provides us the ability to service nearly all major makes and models of UPS equipment.

Additionally, NP has built strong relationships with each of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) over the past two decades, allowing for the best possible support for our customers.

In this case study, we highlight the importance of having a service provider that is committed to quality by “Doing It Right the First Time.” This case study specifically looks at an Eaton/Powerware 9315-300kVA UPS.

Product	Eaton/Powerware 9315-300kVA UPS
Application	Medical
Synopsis	The customer requested onsite support for a Critical Power Professional™ (CPP™) to check the battery connections on an Eaton/Powerware 9315-300kVA UPS that recently had them replaced by a different vendor.
Preliminary Actions	Upon inspection of the UPS batteries, the CPP found the following conditions left by the other service provider’s installer: All cables were not torqued using a torque wrench Most cables were considerably below required torque Cable lugs were not cleaned before installing One lug was visibly corroded and not cleaned before use All battery posts were not cleaned before installation All battery posts were oxidized and should have been cleaned No oxidation resistant grease was used before installing the battery lugs to the battery posts Cables were turned different directions making normal maintenance exceedingly difficult
Resolution	After thoroughly documenting the findings and informing the customer, the CPP performed the re-installation that includes the following: Removed all battery cables and cleaned lugs Cleaned all battery posts Used antioxidant grease that is specially formulated for batteries on all battery posts Using a calibrated torque wrench, aligned battery cables properly and torqued battery connection hardware to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications Using a torque seal indicator marker, marked all battery posts as torqued Re-assembled all battery tray connections Recorded battery string AC current on both battery strings Cleaned the area and updated the onsite electrician UPS was left online and supporting all critical loads
Root Cause	The customer’s Eaton/Powerware 9315-300kVA UPS is covered by an NP full-service contract. However, to save money by going with the lowest-priced bidder, the battery replacement was awarded to and performed by a different vendor. Since Nationwide Power did not perform the initial battery replacement, the work performed to bring the UPS and UPS batteries back to factory specifications became billable and was not covered under the full-service contract.The added cost ended up equaling or exceeding the amount that was saved by going with the lowest-priced bidder. Because the UPS is under a full-service agreement with NP, the UPS battery replacement would have been done right the first time to avoid risk of downtime, dropping the critical load, and adding otherwise avoidable expenses to NP and the customer.
Additional Reading	https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/finding-the-right-ups-service-provider-read-the-fine-print-300717713.html https://nationwidepower.com/news/case-study-140-eaton-9px-installation-error-by-competitor/

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