No Technician Left Behind: How Crown Equipment is Revolutionizing Support Through Vertical Integration

Speakers:

• Brandon Simon, Managing Director, Customer Support, Crown Equipment
• Ben Bergman, Director, Customer Service, Crown Equipment

Key Takeaways:

Crown Equipment’s “No Technician Left Behind” initiative shows how an 81-year-old family business uses vertical integration and AI partnerships to support 11,000 technicians at scale.

• A 7-project roadmap, not a slogan, covering service guidelines, multimedia training, and AI.
• 85% vertical integration extends beyond manufacturing into Crown’s field service knowledge base.
• Massive scale: 11,000 technicians processing roughly 44,000 work orders every day.
• Strategic AI “bolt-ons” combine in-house DNA with best-in-class AI tools for field service technicians.
• Owning the data and delivery system is what makes consistent knowledge management in field service possible globally.

How does a global manufacturer support 11,000 field technicians at scale?

By controlling the source of truth. Crown Equipment vertically integrated its field service knowledge base so every technician draws from the same high-fidelity data, eliminating the inconsistency of outsourced or fragmented systems.

Knowledge ownership starts with the work order. See how Praxedo’s field service management platform gives technicians a unified mobile app to capture every job in one consistent system.

In material handling, the difference between a productive warehouse and a costly standstill often comes down to one thing: the speed and accuracy of customer support.

Brandon Simon, Crown Equipment Corporation, gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how an 81-year-old family business is using cutting-edge technology and a “vertically integrated” approach to empower its workforce at a recent industry event. He was accompanied by Ben Bergman, who has played a key role in making the strategy a reality.

A Legacy of Innovation in New Bremen

Crown is a global powerhouse for rugged forklifts, headquartered in New Bremen, Ohio, and in its 5th generation of family ownership. However, its modern footprint is characterized by connectivity (high-tech IoT and telematics), scale (11,000 technicians), and volume (some 44,000 work orders per day). That scale demands more than just tools; it demands disciplined knowledge management in field service.

Crown’s company-wide initiative, “No Technician Left Behind,” a roadmap of 7 projects to modernize how Crown supports its staff and customers, was launched about 18 months ago. At its core, it’s a structured commitment to empowering frontline technicians with the same quality of information and tools headquarters relies on.

The initiative is based on three key pillars:

• Level of Service Guidelines: Clear “rules of engagement” for customer interactions.
• Multimedia Support: Interactive field technician training and support, video walkthroughs, and on-demand troubleshooting, replacing static manuals.
• Artificial Intelligence: Incorporating AI capabilities into everyday operations.

Crown is making field technician training and support part of the tools, moving learning from a classroom event to a continuous capability.

The Power of Vertical Integration

Crown is 85% vertically integrated. “When you look at our products, we make 85% of the truck,” Simon explained. “Gears, switches, plastic moulded components, and welded components. We control our processes.”

This “control our own destiny” mindset extends beyond the manufacturing floor. While many companies outsource data, Crown vertically integrated its field service knowledge base, ensuring information is as precise as the gears in its machines.

Looking Ahead: AI and Strategic Partnerships

While Crown prides itself on doing things “in-house,” the recent explosion of AI technology has opened new doors. Simon noted that while vertical integration is in their DNA, the company is now finding the right balance by “bolting on” valuable strategic partners who specialize in these new, powerful AI tools.

The objective remains the same: provide each technician with the information he or she needs, when he or she needs it. Crown’s 81-year history of manufacturing excellence and forward-thinking digital strategy is enabling frontline technicians to provide outstanding service at scale.

Conclusion

Crown’s “No Technician Left Behind” program serves as a model for any service company facing the challenges of growth and customer demands. The point of the lesson is not that every company should produce 85% of its own products, but that ownership of the knowledge base is as important as ownership of the production line. The formula remains the same, regardless of whether you have 100 technicians or 10,000: create a high-fidelity knowledge base, add multimedia training, and add the right AI partnerships.

Request a demo today to discover how a single field service platform can help you achieve the same principles, from work order capture to technician performance tracking.

FAQs:

1. What is Crown Equipment’s “No Technician Left Behind” initiative?

It is a seven-project roadmap to modernize technician support with service guidelines, multimedia training, and AI integration. The objective is to provide each technician with the appropriate knowledge at the appropriate time.

2. Why did Crown vertically integrate its knowledge base?

To control quality and consistency at scale. 11,000 technicians and 44,000 work orders per day would make it impossible to rely on fragmented knowledge systems.

3. How does Crown balance in-house work with AI partnerships?

The vertical integration philosophy remains at its core, but Crown “bolts on” specialized AI partners to gain capabilities it doesn’t have, while maintaining data ownership and accelerating innovation.

4. What does “empowering frontline technicians” mean in practice?

Providing technicians with instant access to accurate troubleshooting, multimedia training, and AI-assisted diagnostics directly in their workflow, enabling them to resolve issues faster and with greater confidence.

5. Why is knowledge management in field service so critical at scale

Thousands of technicians receive conflicting information, leading to repeat visits, longer resolution times, and churn. A single knowledge base ensures that all technicians are on the same page.

6. What role do AI tools for field service technicians play in Crown’s strategy?

AI is an accelerator, not a replacement. It delivers the right information at the right time and reduces time to first fix, allowing technicians to focus on more complex issues.