CMR (Cambridge Medical Robotics), headquartered in Impington, Cambridge, with additional manufacturing operations in Ely, is a pioneering medical robotics company. Their advanced surgical robotics technology is manufactured to exacting quality and regulatory standards, where precision, uptime and reliability are critical.
In the early stages of the business start-up, CMR awarded Cambs Compressors the contract to specify, design and install their compressed air system for manufacturing operations. The project included a full warranty period and provided the robust, high-quality compressed air supply essential to their operations.
A Change in Supplier
As the warranty period came to an end, CMR — like many organisations — put their compressed air service contract out to tender. Despite Cambs’ strong track record, the contract was awarded to another provider. Cambs ensured a smooth, professional transfer to the new supplier and left the door open for future opportunities, hoping to be invited to tender again when the contract expired.
Service Gaps Become Clear
Within just six months, CMR’s experience with the new provider proved disappointing. They found that the promised service levels were not being met, responsiveness was lacking, and the overall value simply didn’t compare to their previous experience with Cambs.
When they approached Cambs to discuss taking the contract back on, they openly acknowledged that — at the time of tender — they had no real frame of reference for the differences in service quality. Working with an alternative supplier had made those differences abundantly clear. Even though Cambs’ services came at a higher cost, they now understood the value delivered in terms of responsiveness, expertise and reliability.
The Return to Cambs
Cambs Compressors was delighted to welcome CMR back. A smooth and professional re-onboarding process was carried out, ensuring the compressed air estate was quickly brought back under Cambs’ care. Preventative maintenance schedules, performance monitoring, and system optimisation were reinstated to ensure maximum reliability and operational uptime.
Outcome
By returning to Cambs, CMR regained the peace of mind that comes from having a trusted, responsive partner maintaining one of the most critical utilities in their manufacturing process — a robust, reliable compressed air system designed to meet their demanding operational and regulatory requirements.