Facility managers are exceptional multitaskers. They manage their maintenance teams, their staff, tenants, and all the moving parts that keep operations running smoothly. With so many tasks to delegate, facility managers need a strong preventative maintenance (PM) plan to back them up. This keeps everyone on the same page and prevents equipment breakdowns that could lead to unwanted downtime.
Preventative maintenance is important for these reasons:
- PM prevents premature equipment breakdowns
- PM prevents the high costs associated with reactive maintenance
- PM keeps machine operators safe
- PM increases the service life and productivity of equipment and of the facility as a whole
- When adjusted correctly, PM can reduce overall maintenance costs over time
There’s no question that preventative maintenance is vital for the overall health and wellness of your facility. However, it can be hard to manage when you have so many other tasks to take care of. Here’s how to simplify your PM plan so it continues to be easy and effective for both you and your maintenance team:
Keep it on schedule.
The most effective preventative maintenance plans are adaptive to facility needs; however, they should include a basic schedule of tasks to ensure that both facility manager and contractor are on the same page. Your maintenance plan can be adjusted to factor in service life, predicted issues, and long-term expenses, but it should be planned nonetheless.
Communicate issues early on.
Waiting to report maintenance issues is like waiting to go to the doctor — it only gets worse the longer you put it off. When you request a service immediately, your contractor has a much better chance of finding a small problem, rather than having to repair a severe one. If you, an employee, or a tenant believe that maintenance service may be needed, contact your MaintenX team as soon as possible.
Track your progress.
The goal of preventative maintenance is to incrementally decrease maintenance costs by preventing major disasters and repairs. In order to meet this goal, you need to carefully track the cost of preventative maintenance vs. the costs of reactive maintenance over time. You also should track the number of work overs to see if you’re achieving the downward trend, or if your maintenance costs are remaining stagnant year after year. While the cost-savings will take some time to achieve, these numbers will help you adjust your PM plan annually.
Use a work-order management system.
MaintenX prioritizes customer ease and satisfaction over everything else. To that end, we use an advanced work-order management system that ensures every service request is tracked and performed as soon as possible. This electronic system helps us to keep track of your current status, as well as our progress on individual maintenance goals over time, setting MaintenX apart from the rest.
If you’d like to simplify your preventative maintenance plan, contact MaintenX today!
