Author: MaintenX

The role of the facility manager can become much more important, and more difficult, depending on the type of facility that needs managing. A manufacturing plant presents its own, unique challenges that may get the better of unprepared and inefficient facility managers. Thankfully, having sound maintenance practices sets you in good stead for managing even manufacturing facilities.

Business processes in the world of manufacturing proceed at an alarmingly rapid pace, but it is important to take time out of the hustle and bustle to gather as much information about the facility and its equipment as possible. Taking time in the beginning for familiarization will save time and money later. Without the proper data, it is nearly impossible to make the kind of good decisions that bolster efficiency. Don’t just collect the data and let it gather dust; analysis is also important, as it can tell you when and how best to direct maintenance resources.

Preventative maintenance is another excellent practice to adopt as a manufacturing facility manager. This is primarily because small inspections and fixes over time are more cost-effective than reactive repairs at inconvenient times. It makes your equipment costs predictable, allowing for better budgeting and strategic planning. Preventative maintenance extends the lifetime of machinery and equipment while reducing the risk of downtime and worker injury.

At MaintenX, we are always ready to assist any manufacturing facility manager in devising and executing maintenance plans, or implementing facility data systems. Contact us anytime to learn about these and other services.

When it comes to executing renovation or maintenance projects, every facility manager or business owner is faced with choosing when, how, and most importantly who will complete the task. There are typically two different options available: an outside subcontractor or an in-house handyman. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options, but for most businesses hiring an outside team is the more cost-effective route.

The price comparison comes from the basic difference between contract and salaried labor. One-time projects involve a team with specialized skills that work for a limited period. Many contractors are available for very affordable rates. An in-house worker, on the other hand, is paid regularly according to his or her salary and is usually a full-time employee. This also means benefits, time off, etc., none of which is involved in employing contract workers.

Smaller businesses typically don’t have the resources to fund a full-time maintenance technician. Their small facilities also don’t produce enough work to keep someone busy all the time. For larger businesses with large facilities and unusual equipment, on the other hand, employing a dedicated maintenance man might be worth it. He’d know the plant, and you never have to schedule an appointment.

MaintenX offers the best of both worlds: the expertise and availability of an in-house handyman with the cost-effectiveness of outside help. Contact us anytime to learn about how we can assist in any facility maintenance project.

The hallmark of a good handyman is versatility. Handyman jobs can include commercial and home renovations, appliance repair, equipment maintenance, installation, carpentry, fencing, and more. When a property owner needs a physical task done, they call a handyman.

The State of Florida is a good place to be a handyman because the state presents unique maintenance opportunities. A thriving property market combined with humidity, rainstorms, and even the occasional alligator can require fixes that might not arise anywhere else.

Heavy summer rains and hurricanes can exploit leaky roofs, rust pipes, and cause electrical shorts. Carpets, drapes, and other home fabrics tend to take on more damage in Florida due to the humid climate. Animals exploit holes in screen doors and porches, and pool decks need cleaning. Even in a well-maintained home or office, Florida presents myriad little problems. Individually they might be annoying, but taken collectively they can slow down your business. It’s expensive and impractical to hire specialists for each fix, so turn to a handyman.

MaintenX has its own team of handymen, highly trained generalists that serve Florida and the rest of the country too. We are happy to assist in any facility maintenance or home renovation project, so feel free to contact us anytime.

As a facility manager, you can use various methods to ensure your facility runs at maximum efficiency. One of the best practices for any facility manager to adopt, however, is preventative maintenance, which is defined as performing frequent, regular inspections and small fixes to facility systems and equipment. Reactive maintenance, on the other hand, is only performing maintenance when it is unavoidable, such as when parts go bad or machinery breaks down. In almost every situation, preventative maintenance is more cost-effective and efficient.

The benefits of preventative maintenance versus reactive maintenance are derived from spreading out cost and avoiding large expenditure. Preventative maintenance is a small, consistent expense over a long period. Reactive maintenance is a large, unpredictable expense that can become necessary at any time. It also has auxiliary costs if it causes business processes to slow or stop. Any business owner knows that predictable expenses are the best kind.

Moreover, preventative maintenance will extend the lifetime of facility systems and equipment. With regular inspection, fixes, and cleaning, large problems don’t develop, and certainly not suddenly. It gives the facility manager an accurate, up-to-date sense of the status of his equipment, and allows him to plan for upgrades or replacements.

While reactive maintenance can be necessary in emergency situations, preventative maintenance goes a long way to avoiding them and saving you, the facility manager or business owner, money and resources. Contact MaintenX any time to learn how we can help you develop and execute a preventative maintenance plan.

One of the most inconvenient aspects of facility maintenance is the necessity for repairs when equipment or facility systems break down. That failure can be costly in parts and labor, as emergency repairs happen on short notice for critical infrastructure. Certain system failure can cause downtime, expensive for your business in terms of opportunity cost. Thankfully, the key to reducing unplanned repair costs is a simple practice: preventative maintenance.

Preventative maintenance involves scheduling regular inspections and performing small fixes and upkeep your facility and its contents. It’s an excellent practice because it keeps equipment running better for longer, and avoids unexpected breakdowns.

You’d rather have predictable small expenses than unpredictable large ones. Preventative maintenance spreads out costs as well as reducing them. It allows you to plan for major upgrades and replacements rather than being taken by surprise. Plus, since cleaning is a part of maintenance, your facility will always sparkle!

We at MaintenX excel at devising and executing preventative maintenance plans. We’re always at the ready to work with you and your business to do the same, saving time, money, and resources.

Businesses need to get up and running and fast as possible in the wake of a hurricane. Safety is the first priority, of course, but then comes continuity. Hurricane preparedness as an issue has been cast into sharp relief following all the big storms of 2017. Statewide blackouts left many homes and businesses without power for as long as 10 days, resulting in a collapse of many vital services. One of the most important ways for a facility manager to prepare for a hurricane is to ensure that backup power is ready in event of a prolonged blackout.

When a hurricane is approaching, demand for generators skyrockets. You don’t want to be stuck on a waiting list, not knowing whether you’ll get one. Uncertainty is the enemy of business, so make plans in advance. If you are in an area that is susceptible to hurricanes, consider investing in a generator. If that isn’t feasible, reserve one at a rental service during hurricane season. Consider it an insurance expenditure; you’ll be glad when your lights and A/C are on.

Even if your employees can’t get to work and business processes are on hold, it’s worthwhile to power your building. Electricity means your security systems and lights will function, so you’ll avoid the looting and vandalism sometimes associated with power loss. Especially in Florida’s humid climate, interiors without active HVAC can quickly develop mold and mildew, which is unhealthy for employees and expensive to remove. If your building is strong and has electricity, consider offering it as a shelter for your employees.

To learn more about how MaintenX can help you prepare for and respond to a hurricane, please contact us anytime.

Airflow is an important component of any facility’s infrastructure, and facility managers should prioritize proper ventilation maintenance. Preventative maintenance, regularly scheduled inspections and small fixes over time, is especially important when it comes to ventilation systems. They are on constantly, filter massive quantities of air, and require periodic replacement of filters, etc. If not tended to, HVAC can become inefficient and even hazardous.

A good maintenance plan will include checking for blocked filters, clogged condensation drains, and any damage to damper seals and actuators. Make sure you set a schedule and follow it! Preventative maintenance only works if it’s consistent.

Don’t just check for damage; cleaning parts such as heat exchange surfaces helps promote efficiency. Different systems have different requirements, but filters and other disposable parts must be switched out regularly; check the unit for recommended intervals.

Finally, it is a good idea to check control features to ensure that they are calibrated correctly. It’s a simple step, but one that is often overlooked.

MaintenX excels in helping businesses draw up preventive maintenance plans and execute them with speed and efficiency. Our self-performing technicians are always ready; contact us anytime to learn more about this and other services we offer.

Any facility manager will tell you that things don’t always go as planned. It’s a cliché with a lot of truth to it; all business owners and facility managers must have a plan for crisis situations. That allows you to react as calmly and deliberatively as possible in the face of sudden adversity, keeping people safe and informed.

Part of the challenge of crisis preparation is predicting what kind of crises will occur; in effect, expecting the unexpected. One of the most common is major equipment failure, which may injure employees and cause operational downtime. Think of if and how the business could run without certain pieces of major equipment. Make sure everyone knows where first aid kits, defibrillators, and fire alarms are. If the sprinklers go off, what will be damaged by the water?

Natural disasters can also cause facility maintenance crises. Their exact nature depends on your geographic area, but it is important to have a plan in case they do happen. Can your building withstand a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, etc.; what will fail in the event of such disasters? Do you have a system for communicating with employees in a disaster situation?

At MaintenX, we are here for you to plan for and prevent facility maintenance crises, and to help you recover afterwards. To learn more about how we can assist, please call us anytime.

Facility managers take the necessity of maintenance for granted. The question isn’t if maintenance needs to be performed, but who will do it. Typically, the two options are to hire and train in-house staff to perform day-to-day maintenance duties, or to work with an outside company to target specific maintenance projects. There are benefits to both, but utilizing a designated maintenance company is usually the more cost-effective option.

Employing a maintenance technician on staff is expensive due to the costs of hiring and training. They may be intimately familiar with the facility and its contents, but a full-time employee is entitled to benefits and can take time off. In smaller companies, there may not always be enough work to keep maintenance staff busy all the time.

Contracting in your maintenance work, however, operates on an as-needed basis. Your business incurs no human resources costs, and doesn’t have to designate workspace for a maintenance team. Contractors may not initially be as familiar with your spaces and equipment, but employing them regularly for preventative maintenance and scheduled cleaning resolves that problem.

MaintenX offers the best of both worlds. Our own self-performing technicians are dispatched directly to the work site. You don’t have to deal with the stress of contracting or the costs of HR, but you receive top-quality maintenance service. To learn more about how we can assist you in all aspects of facility maintenance, please call us today!

It is an unavoidable reality that all business facilities must be cleaned. A clean building provides for a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment for both employees and customers. Given that, managers must decide who should clean the business, an outside company or internal staff.

The size of both your workforce and office space influences who should be taking care of janitorial duties. Larger companies may have the personnel capacity to hire their own dedicated janitorial staff. Smaller ones might have to make do with sharing the maintenance duties among regular staff.

However, just because a large company has the resources to do this, doesn’t always make it the best option. Hiring full-time janitorial staff can be expensive; it may still be more cost-effective to hire a maintenance company. Consider how complicated your facility is to clean, and how often cleaning is required. For smaller businesses, however, it is almost always more cost-effective to contract in a cleaning crew a few times a week rather than hire a full-time employee or staff.

MaintenX’s technicians are is equipped and trained to not only be a janitorial staff for your business, but also assist in all other aspects of facility maintenance. To learn more about the services we offer, please contact us at any time.