5 Best Practices for Facility Maintenance
Maintaining facilities is an essential activity so that organizations can support daily operations efficiently, extend asset life, and spend less. Without correct maintenance practices, there could be expensive breakdowns, unnecessary downtime, and utilization of resources poorly. Effective facility maintenance practices that can save time will reduce the operational costs, and facilitate an overall increase in productivity.
Here are five facility maintenance best practices that can help your business achieve these goals:
Adopt Preventive Maintenance
What is Preventive Maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is an activity that involves inspection of organization assets so that system failure can be averted. Here, you don’t have to wait for equipment to develop a fault, but instead, look for any signs and fix them before the worst happens.
Why it Saves Time and Money:
Reduces Downtime: You catch a problem before it turns into sudden equipment failure that stops the operation.
Extends Asset Lifespan: Many assets are kept in prime condition, preventing costly replacements.
Improves Efficiency: Efficiently running equipment saves energy and operating costs.
How to do it:
- Make scheduled facility maintenance activities based on asset usage and manufacturer recommendations.
- Use maintenance management software to automate routine inspection reminder alerts.
- Keep detailed records of past maintenance activities to identify recurring issues.
Leverage Asset Management Technology
What is Asset Management Technology?
Asset management software, like Faciliteasy, allows you to track, monitor, and maintain assets digitally. It provides real-time insights into asset performance and helps you plan maintenance activities effectively.
Why it Saves Time and Money:
Centralized Data: Access all asset-related information, including usage history, maintenance schedules, and repair records, from a single platform.
Efficient Scheduling: Streamline and automatically queue tasks to the appropriate personnel, eliminating much manual planning time.
Cost Control: Monitor facility maintenance expenses and control the budget to ensure the costs do not inflate.
How to Implement:
- Select a software that best suits your industry needs.
- Train the employees to apply the platform.
- Integrate the software with those of other systems, such as inventory management, for efficient operation
Applying Predictive Maintenance Techniques
Predictive maintenance makes use of actual real-time data and analytics to predict precisely when an asset is likely to fail. This approach has made it possible to tackle problems before they happen—a direct consequence of knowing actual equipment conditions.
Why it Saves Time and Money:
Avoids Unnecessary Maintenance: It reduces redundancy compared to traditional preventive maintenance, as it focuses on condition-based servicing. It keeps disruptions at bay as failures are addressed in advance, being scheduled during convenient times.
Improves Resource Allocation: It spends its maintenance efforts only on points of need with considerable savings on manpower and materials.
How to Apply:
- Provide IoT sensors and monitoring devices for the collection of real-time data pertaining to asset performance.
- Leverage analytics tools to develop failure prediction capabilities based on historical and current trends in data.
- Configure alerts for any deviation in asset performance.
Train Your Facility Maintenance Team
What is Team Training?
Training equips the maintenance staff with the appropriate skills, knowledge, and tools to do their work correctly.
Why it Saves Time and Money:
Reduces Errors: Trained staff can get the job done correctly the first time, decreasing rework and all attached costs.
Improves Productivity: A skilled technician will work much more efficiently, finishing a job sooner and with better results
Improves Safety: Trained staff will have fewer accidents and equipment damage, resulting in savings for repair and liability costs.
How to Implement
- Hold regular training sessions on new equipment and technologies.
- Make it possible for manuals and guides, as well as digital resources, to be easily accessed.
- Emphasize certifications and ongoing education among team members.
Implementing the Proactive Maintenance Culture
What is a Proactive Maintenance Culture?
A proactive maintenance culture is one that intends to prevent or even anticipate problems rather than waiting for them to arise.
Why it Saves Time and Money:
Increases Reliability: They ensure assets are ready for work at all times and not delay their usage.
Reduces Emergency Costs: Preventive maintenance costs less than emergency repairs.
Builds Accountability: Incentivises staff members to make complaints or report concerns early before large problems develop later.
How to Implement:
- Install an open system for communication so employees can raise their concerns about maintenance issues easily.
- Reward proactive behavior and encourage such participation.
- Establish clear maintenance goals and track their progress on a regular basis.
Facility maintenance is not merely a matter of repairing equipment but also about embracing practices that save time, reduce costs, and increase productivity. The five best practices recommended to adopt preventive maintenance, leverage technology, use predictive maintenance, train your team, and foster a proactive culture ensure your facility changes over time.
Whether you are looking at a manufacturing plant, an educational campus, or a commercial building, these strategies are applied throughout the different sectors. Tools like Faciliteasy can simplify the process, providing you with insights and automation you need to implement these practices effectively.