Wrench time, or the time it takes for a technician to complete a work order, is a critical metric to track in order to analyze the performance of your team. While wrench times do not necessarily need to decrease over time if the quality of work is above standard, it can help you identify either pieces of equipment that are draining resources, or technicians who may need more training with an experienced team member to improve the overall quality of work.
At MaintenX, we use wrench time studies to help identify recurring maintenance issues as well as help our younger technicians grow at a pace that meets their abilities. If you also want to use wrench time studies to your advantage and reduce repair time, follow these tips for success:
Identify the core issues slowing down repairs
A longer-than-average repair could indicate several problems. Perhaps one of the technicians is new to the team and is still learning proper protocols for your company. Or, your technicians are using outdated tools or looking for spare parts on the job, indicating an investment in maintenance equipment is needed. You may simply have an outdated appliance that takes more time to repair due to its various problems. Look across different wrench time studies and service notes to find patterns and determine your causes for slow-downs on the job.
Organize your maintenance department
Improper labeling, mismanaged work orders, or a lack of easily accessible spare parts can make your wrench times lag due to no fault of your maintenance department. If you want a more efficient team, you need to first create a system in which they can operate seamlessly. For tips and advice on how to improve your work order management system, click here.
Audit repairs
If you see a problem with your wrench times, take the time to audit repairs to identify core issues within the service. Do you have outdated repair protocols that need changing? Or do you have a new team that needs additional guidance onsite? By auditing repairs, you can also see the quality of work and service issues causing repeat repairs.
Reducing wrench time can make your facility a more efficient, performance-oriented place to work. To learn more about how MaintenX delivers fast, quality service every time, visit our resource center for additional tips and advice.
