What to do with All Your Free Time (Now That You’re Using the Service Exchange Programme)

Now that you’re getting so much more done thanks to our innovative D5-Evo Service Exchange Programme, you may be finding yourself at a bit of a loss with regards to what to do with all that extra time. Don’t worry, your friends here at Centurion Systems have done the requisite research and come up with a list of five things that you can do to pass those idle hours.

Binge-watch all seven seasons of Game of Thrones

With season 8 of the acclaimed fantasy series slated for an August release, there’s never been a better time to catch up on the lives of the people of Westeros. Who’s still alive? Who’s dead? Who’s been disloyal to whom? Will the remaining Starks avenge the deaths of their family members? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: there will be blood, and plenty of it!

Learn a language

Copyright: maxxyustas / 123RF Stock Photo

South Africa is a flavoursome smorgasbord (itself a Swedish word meaning “plate of sandwiches”) of diverse cultures and languages. In addition to the country’s eleven official languages, South Africa is home to speakers of Greek, Portuguese, Lebanese, Chinese, Urdu, Hindi and Tamil to name but a few. Learning a new language is not only a great way to pass the time, but it will also expose you to new and interesting cultures and ways of life and you’re guaranteed to find it an immensely enriching experience. Check out this fantastic app that makes learning a new language easy and fun.

Take up a hobby

Copyright: bialasiewicz / 123RF Stock Photo

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, goes the popular saying (which was made decidedly creepy by Jack Nicholson in The Shining). A good work-life balance is important. Whether you’ve always had aspirations of picking up the guitar or the siren song of nature has you reaching for the fly-fishing rod, taking up a hobby can be tremendously satisfying and will also help you unwind.

Hit the gym

The human brain is an incredible thing. Not only is it a super-computer that coordinates every little thing we do, it is also home to a reserve of “feel-good chemicals” known as endorphins. These endorphins are released under very specific conditions, and tend to make a person experience feelings of euphoria and wellbeing. One way to get the endorphins pumping is by doing cardiovascular exercise such as running on a treadmill or cycling – and there’s the added benefit that exercise is great for one’s overall health and also aids in weight-loss. There aren’t too many good reasons not to exercise.

Attend one of our famous training courses

Acquiring a new skill – or perfecting an existing one – is arguably one of the most gratifying experiences one can have in life. There is an incredible sense of accomplishment that comes with being able to do something that you weren’t able to do before, and this experience of self-actualisation can become quite addictive!

Our extensive range of product training courses have been developed by professional educators with many years’ experience to equip you with the necessary skills to install, sell and support CENTURION’s access automation solutions. Book your spot now!

Centurion Systems’ Groundbreaking New Service Model

Ever since its launch in 2009, CENTURION’s D5-Evo sliding gate motor has become a ubiquity in the access automation market. Championed by installers and integrators who appreciate the operator’s user-friendly LCD interface and smart diagnostics, and lauded by end-users who benefit from the D5-Evo’s semi-legendary reliability, this product has certainly earned its title as South Africa’s favourite gate motor. 

But the overwhelming prevalence of the D5-Evo in the marketplace presented CENTURION with a unique challenge: keeping sites running while operators are booked in for service or repairs.

“The average turnaround time for a service is around three to five working days” explains CENTURION national technical manager, Bernard Boonzaaier. This doesn’t seem like a very long time, but gate automation is a critical part of the home security mix, and removing it potentially leaves the client’s entrance gate vulnerable from a security perspective.

Enter the Service Exchange Programme, CENTURION’s recently-launched initiative aimed at drastically reducing client downtime and expediting repair turnaround.

A pragmatic solution

The Service Exchange Programme, which saw the light of day in March of this year, is pragmatic in that it all but completely eliminates the problem of downtime by enabling the attendant installer to exchange a D5-Evo operator in need of repair or maintenance with a service exchange unit, which he can take back and install onsite.

Boonzaaier compares it to the courtesy car system offered by many insurance firms and panelbeaters.

“Think about it. If you are involved in an accident, and your car needs to go to the panelbeaters even for a short period of time, you’re left completely stranded if you aren’t able to take advantage of a courtesy car. [This is why] so many insurance companies offer this service. When your gate motor goes down, or it’s due for a service, why should you have to push your gate open for a week? It didn’t make sense to us and an exchange programme seemed like the pragmatic way of going about it”.

And CENTURION’s installers seem to share this sentiment, as evidenced by the fact that more than 200 service exchange units have already been sold since the programme’s launch earlier this year.

Installers (and their clients) will benefit

CENTURION’s passion for service excellence is embedded in the Service Exchange Programme, and the initiative is informed by the company’s appreciation for the installers who collectively form an integral part of CENTURION’s route to market.

Boonzaaier says that while end-users will definitely benefit from the programme, it is arguably the installers who have the most to gain from an efficiency perspective.

“In the end, rapid turnaround means that installers can get more jobs done which, in turn, translates into a greater profit [for the installer]. We realised that outmoded service models were frustrating [the installers], and we wanted to introduce something that would really change the way that they do business” says Boonzaaier.

Read all about Centurion Systems’ Service Exchange Programme on the company’s website: http://www.centsys.co.za/service-exchange-programme-landing-page

Keep Important Settings Safe and Secure with CENTURION's Memory Module

No fewer than 80 programmable features can be found on a D-Series controller, ranging from high-security features such as the beam alarms, to intelligent timer functionality and safety enhancements.

Copyright: profotokris / 123RF Stock Photo

As someone with an obvious proclivity for fragrant cooking once said, variety is the spice of life. If that is indeed the case, then the D-Series range of gate operators offers a flavoursome spread that is guaranteed to entice even the most refined of palates; a delicate pairing of futuristic technology and user-centric intuitiveness with a soupcon of old-school durability. 

This vast array of settings can be problematic, however, should the day ever come that one has to replace an existing controller and transfer all of its settings to a new unit. Was Autoclose enabled? What was the operating speed set at? Was there a pre-delay configured?

As a special tie-in with our Service Exchange Programme, we’re relaunching our must-have Backup Memory Module with a stylish new look and durable enclosure. If you regularly install and service CENTURION D-Series gate motors, this is one accessory you simply can’t afford to be without.

Above: the CENTURION Backup Memory Module

Use the Backup Memory Module to effortlessly back up important settings, ChronoGuard time-periods and even remote buttons and restore them on a new or existing controller just as easily. The module simply plugs into the controller’s BID port (where the DOSS harness is usually connected) and works in much the same fashion as a memory stick, but has been specially designed to keep settings configured on your D5-Evo, D10, D10 Turbo or SECTOR/SECTOR II safe and secure.

And it’s supremely easy to use! For more information, please visit our website or order your CENTURION Backup Memory Module today by giving us a call on +27 11 699 2510.

Press Release: CENTURION Launches Service Exchange Programme

Centurion Systems has launched an exciting and innovative initiative geared towards drastically reducing client downtime as well as expediting repair turnaround.

Dubbed the CENTURION Service Exchange Programme, the initiative is set to take the industry by storm, and is based on the following basic model:

1. The installer is called to site by the client, and assesses the nature and category of the repair job by referring to the criteria as set out by Centurion Systems.

2. The installer then quotes the client based on the category into which the job is likely to fall.

3. If the client accepts, the installer takes the part, or parts, in need of repair to his nearest CENTURION distributor or branch where a supplementary assessment is performed by a service technician to ensure that the installer quoted his client correctly.

4. Finally, the technician issues the installer or distributor with a service exchange unit and the installer is sent on his way to install the service exchange unit at the client’s place of residence or business, as the case may be.

Whereas in the past clients would have had to wait up to a week for their gate system to be returned to service, the entire process – from the initial call-out to having the gate up and running – can now take as little as an hour or two. CENTURION has identified an area in the repair process in which there is considerable room for improvement, and the Service Exchange Programme is the company’s reply to the market’s pronounced requirement for expeditious turnaround times.

Centurion Systems national branch manager, Johan Lessing

“We are very excited about this initiative,” says CENTURION national branch manager Johan Lessing, who played a key role in developing the programme. “When a client has to wait several days for a repair quote, and then wait several more days for the job to be completed, it is not only inconvenient, but leaves the gate vulnerable and the site’s security compromised. With the Service Exchange Programme, we are able to offer lightning-fast turnaround, leading to increased customer satisfaction which will hopefully have the knock-on effect of generating more business for our installer-base”.

Lessing added that, while only the D5-Evo sliding gate motor will form part of the pilot programme, the company has every intention of extending the initiative to other products once it has properly taken off.

“The [D5-] Evo being South Africa's favourite gate motor, it just made sense to trial [the programme] with this motor”.

CENTURION has also released a series of instructional YouTube videos explaining the programme as well as how to accurately quote clients when making use of the Service Exchange Programme.