While many facility managers understand the importance of preventative maintenance, the practice of performing regular checks and making small modifications over time, there are some companies and facilities that do not agree. In some cases, upper management will make the case against preventative maintenance why it isn’t effective. Although these claims may come from a reasonable place, they show the lack of understanding of how important preventative maintenance is and what it entails. Here are some of the most common management objections to preventative maintenance and how you can overcome them.
“It’s not worth the cost.”
This is often the first objection upper management has to preventative maintenance, as there is an investment that is necessary. While there is a cost up front to perform preventative maintenance, it is much smaller than the amount emergency repairs or new equipment would cost. Preventative maintenance extends the lifespan of equipment, meaning replacements will be less frequent, and minimizes the possibility of needing repairs and the downtime that could be caused from inoperative machinery.
“We don’t have time for it.”
Another objection to preventative maintenance is the time it takes. Unlike repairs, which happen as needed, preventative maintenance needs to be scheduled in advance and kept on schedule in order to be effective. If this sounds stressful, and it might be depending on company resources, think of how more stressful it would be to manage emergency repairs and the situations that arise from malfunctioning equipment.
“We don’t have the personnel for it.”
Depending on the size of your company, you may not have people on staff who can perform preventative maintenance. While this is understandable, it should not be a barrier to setting up a maintenance plan. There are third party companies you can work with that are highly skilled in facility maintenance and can oversee all of the processes and checks so that you don’t have to.
At MaintenX, we strive to be this preventative maintenance partner for you. We’ve worked with companies of all sizes, and have all the skills and experience necessary to oversee any project or maintenance plan. To learn more about our facility maintenance services, please call us any time at (855) 751-0075.
