The warranty period as a service and the evaluation point of project success

Traditional manufacturing-oriented industrial suppliers are now beginning to pay more attention to the value and role of services that they offer to their customers. The early post-delivery period of the project, or warranty, is an important step towards successful service provision. However, industrial suppliers often lack understanding of the aspects of warranty management that are critical for project success and securing service operations. This article strives to cover this gap. The results of the study suggest that the warranty phase has importance in terms of influencing the customer relationship and, thus, the customer’s satisfaction with the project, which is a valid measure of project success. It also has an influence on securing future business: both customers and suppliers can develop an understanding of each other’s capabilities as an equipment operator and a service provider.  Further research is needed to establish what kind of warranty activities contribute the most to the development and operations of services. In relation to this, researchers and practitioners need to define the role of the warranty manager as a profession.