Unplanned equipment downtime is every company’s worst nightmare. It always seems to happen at the worst possible moment, and each and every minute the equipment is down the company is potentially losing money. In fact, unplanned equipment downtime in the industrial manufacturing sector results in a price tag of $50 billion each and every year. That’s no small number to shrug at. Instead, it is a massive issue that companies need to take seriously.
What can your company do to decrease equipment downtime? What key steps should you be taking? Here are some steps well worth implementing.
Make Sure Maintenance Requests are Taken Seriously
The first step to take involves the system you are using to make maintenance requests or work orders. When an employee makes a maintenance request, the process needs to be simple and streamlined so that the proper eyes see it right away. These requests need to be addressed in a timely manner and remedied. Of course, some sort of request and tracking system will help, as it ensures nothing is forgotten or overlooked.
A Computerized Maintenance Management System Can Take You Far
Embracing technology is another way to ensure that you decrease, if not eliminate equipment downtime. Take some time to read over a CMMS software guide to learn how this step can help the company. This software is multi-functional and offers such benefits as helping you to streamline labor, inventory, and maintenance operations.
You can even create predictive and preventative maintenance programs in order to identify potential problem areas before they go down. If you can address the problem in advance, then downtime is no longer an issue.
Start Tracking Equipment Performance and Lifespan
If you haven’t started thehabit of documenting and tracking equipment performance and lifespan, now is the time to do so. Age isn’t the only concern regarding why repairs and replacement is necessary, but it can certainly be a key indicator that helps you plan for the present and future. It helps you to anticipate when issues may arise, what those issues may be, and when you’ll need to invest in new equipment.
Acting in a preventative manner is always more efficient than in a reactive manner.
Staff Communication Also Plays a Role
While each of the tips discussed involve technology, data, and monitoring, there is also the people perspective.Making sure there are plenty of open lines of communication will ensure that if there are improvements needed, they are identified and put into motion.
All staff need to feel comfortable speaking to their supervisor to point out concerns, issues, and problems. It’s the staff who are likely using the equipment, so they know best when something “just isn’t right.”
Make Downtime a Thing of the Past
If you could make equipment downtime a thing of the past and never have to worry about what you’ll do in that scenario, it could completely transform your business. Using these steps can certainly help to make this reality.
