Archived Copies of Warranty Week

December 2002 to Today

Machine Learning in Warranty Management: Quite a few companies talk about machine learning as the next step to improve warranty management. However, in more detailed discussions, I haven't come across too many real solutions or active projects in that field. In this article I will discuss the topic in more detail -- what is machine learning, what are the comparable use cases in other areas, and which could be the most compelling applications for it in warranty management.
February 27, 2020
Extended Warranty Conference, Part 1: Several hundred professionals from the extended warranty and service contract industry are headed to Nashville to talk about how changes in technology and regulations will impact their businesses in the years ahead.
August 31, 2017
Manufacturer's Warranty Conference: More than anything, the WCM Conference is a place for manufacturers to meet and talk about problems and projects -- to see what everyone else is up to. Beginners learn from experts, and the experts learn from each other.
February 20, 2014
Warranty Software Acquisition: Engineering wants to talk to warranty and so does manufacturing. And warranty needs user manuals and parts from them. No single company's software can make them all talk to each other, not even a CAD/CAM company like PTC. So it bought warranty software company 4CS to round out its product line.
September 15, 2011
WCM Conference, Part Three: The future of the consumer electronics industry was the subject of a panel discussion that brought together retailers, manufacturers, repair service providers, insurance underwriters and extended service contract administrators to talk about everything from OnStar to iPhone.
March 24, 2011
Expiring Warranty Companies: With Eagle Warranty closing its doors and US Fidelis halting its sales, the era of fast talk and easy money in vehicle service contract sales may be coming to an end. But they and others have left a giant mess that various attorneys general are only beginning to clean up.
January 7, 2010
Warranty Experts: It's one thing to hear software salesmen talk about the benefits of their products. It's something else when that company's own customers stand up and say how happy they are, despite the challenges they had to overcome. And when warranty professionals gather next month in Orlando, multiple warranty experts from major manufacturing companies will do just that.
February 20, 2009
WCM Workshops, Part Two: The day before the opening of the Warranty Chain Management Conference next month, attendees have a chance to hear experts talk about how to reduce warranty-related litigation and how to cut down on the amount of warranty fraud.
February 21, 2008
WCM Workshops, Part One: The day before the opening of the Warranty Chain Management Conference next month, attendees have a chance to hear two experts talk about the pitfalls of relying upon seemingly simple statistical measures of warranty cost.
February 14, 2008
Fulcrum Analytics: New software tools give warranty and service contract providers new insights into cost, revenue, and profitability. But those who use them won't talk about them, to preserve the competitive advantage these analytical tools give them.
October 10, 2007
Warranty Reporting vs. Analytics: One turns the past into charts. The other turns the future into actionable items. But some people who know the difference between the two don't want to talk about it, for fear that they'll lose an edge on their competition.
July 11, 2006
Warranty Forum: Manufacturing Insights plans to invite the CIOs of all manufacturing companies to meet quarterly to talk about warranty and other topics.
August 9, 2005