Moba Service: Dedicated to keeping your operation running

When downtime occurs, every minute counts. In egg processing, disruptions immediately impact output, planning and operational efficiency. In this interview, Aris de Bruin, Head of Global Service & Customer Projects at Moba, explains how service today goes far beyond solving technical issues, focusing increasingly on preventing downtime, optimizing performance and helping customers maintain continuity.

This reflects how the role of service is evolving alongside the operational realities of egg producers today. Egg handling and processing systems are growing more technologically sophisticated, including advanced software-based features. At the same time, many customers are scaling their operations through consolidation. This places additional strain on operational planning and process control across larger production setups. On top of that, the availability of skilled employees remains a key challenge. Together, these developments create a situation in which downtime can become both critical and extremely costly.

This is precisely where the role of service becomes crucial. Aris: “Our goal is to make sure customers can rely on their systems day in day out. That only works if service is a continuous part of how we help them achieve sustainable profitability through consistent operational performance.”

Close to our customers
Over the years, Moba has developed a global service organization built around collaboration between regional offices and agents. As Aris explains, the strength of this approach lies in staying close to our customers: “Moba’s local field service engineers understand what our customers’ challenges are and what support is needed in daily practice that goes beyond technical knowledge. It also means understanding the language, the culture and the way businesses are run in each region. At the same time, they are backed by a global organization that shares knowledge and expertise across regions.”

More than 2,000 egg graders are supported globally by a network of more than 200 service professionals (including agents) working across regions. Service and sales teams work side by side within joint regional offices, ensuring that technical support and customer engagement are closely aligned. From this network, Moba covers the full lifecycle of the equipment, from installation and commissioning to long-term operational support. “Ultimately, what matters is that we are consistent everywhere. Whether a customer is in Europe, Asia or the Americas, they can rely on the same level of expertise and responsiveness.”

Reducing downtime, improving continuity
When an operation is under pressure, customers are mainly looking for clarity on what is happening and a fast return to production. “The first question is always: what is going on and how quickly can we get back up and running”, Aris explains.

In those moments, the first point of contact is often the 24/7 Helpdesk, where technical specialists provide immediate support. In many cases, issues can be resolved remotely through diagnostics and troubleshooting, avoiding the need for on-site intervention. When on-site support is required, a global network of more than 200 service engineers can be deployed to customer sites. Aris: “It is really about speed and the right expertise at the right moment. Sometimes you can solve it remotely, sometimes you need someone on site. The key is making that decision quickly.”

A similar challenge applies to spare parts availability. If a critical component fails, production cannot wait. In urgent situations, Moba can deliver essential spare parts the same day in most cases, supported by a global spare parts network with regional stock locations. For day-to-day needs, customers can use a webshop with direct access to parts. In addition, Moba offers recommended spare parts packages, tailor made to the needs of the customer during project execution, ensuring that critical components are available on site in case of an unexpected downtime and should be replenished right after to assure its availability. “When something breaks, you don’t want complexity. You want to know whether the part is available and can be delivered fast. That is what makes the difference.”

Preventive maintenance and data-driven service

While fast response remains essential, the focus is shifting towards understanding potential issues earlier in the process. Rather than only reacting when something goes wrong, the emphasis within service is on recognizing patterns and maintaining stable performance over time. Inspection and preventive maintenance plans are based on operating hours and performance data, allowing early signs of wear or deviation to be identified before they result in downtime. This is reinforced by remote monitoring through the iMoba platform, which provides continuous insight into the egg grader’s performance across installed systems.

With thousands of systems in operation worldwide and more than a billion eggs processed every day, we have created a unique knowledgebase. “This is where data really starts to add value”, Aris explains. “A signal or deviation is never just a number on a screen; it tells a story about how a system is running and what might happen next. That means we can move beyond reacting to an issue and start acting earlier, whether that is preventing downtime, improving stability or fine-tuning performance. In the end, it is about turning signals into decisions that make operations more predictable and reliable.”

This is where the consultancy role of service becomes an important part of the offering, with specialists using the data to translate them into practical improvements in daily performance. “Service today is about more than execution alone. It is about being reliable in everything we deliver, while also taking a more proactive and data-driven approach to improving uptime and output. That means we are not only present when something goes wrong, but we are continuously looking at how systems perform and where small adjustments can make a real difference in overall performance.”

Optimizing performance through knowledge
However, no matter how advanced an egg grader is or how much data the system provides, in the end it is the people working in the operation day to day who determine actual performance. Aris: “The real impact is made on the work floor. If teams don’t fully understand how to work with the system, you will never get the performance it is capable of delivering.”

To support customers in getting the most out of their equipment, Moba offers the Moba Academy as a dedicated training platform. Moba Academy provides structured learning paths for operators, technicians and other key roles, combining hands-on training with digital learning modules to strengthen both practical skills and system knowledge. Aris: “Through Moba Academy, we focus not only on correct operation and maintenance, but also on maximizing system performance and optimizing day-to-day output. It is about making sure people understand how to get the best out of the equipment, so the operation runs as efficiently and consistently as possible.”

Staying in control

Moba continuously looks at how customers work in their daily operations and how access to information and support can make their work easier and more efficient, Aris explains. “In daily operations, people do not want to spend time searching. Whether it is documentation, a spare part or support, everything needs to be easy to find and directly accessible.”

That is why Moba introduced MyMoba. MyMoba brings this together in one environment. Instead of working across different systems or channels, everything is available in one place. From documentation and webshop access to learning and service requests, it is designed to support daily operations in a simple and consistent way. Aris: “In that sense, MyMoba helps customers stay in control of their operation, ensuring they have the right information and support at the right moment, without losing time or focus on production.”

Building long-term partnership

For Aris, service is ultimately about earning and maintaining the customer’s trust every single day. “What defines Service for us is consistency in terms of knowledge, results and communication. Customers need to know they can rely on us, not only when something goes wrong, but in everything that supports their performance. That means combining fast and effective support with the ability to help them run more stable, efficient and predictable operations over time. In the end, it is reliability that builds trust and that trust forms the foundation of long-term customer relationships.”