December 10, 2024

Common Maintenance Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

If you supervise a company's maintenance department, you face daily challenges. Unplanned downtime. Emergencies. Preventive maintenance tasks. Costs. Organization.

At times, it may seem a bit overwhelming. Even the best operations have issues. However, you don't want to compound mistakes that lead to more problems. In this article, we'll highlight maintenance mistakes and provide solutions to avoid them.

Communication Mistakes in Maintenance Management

Sure, you have a great rapport with your team. Remember, communication comes in numerous forms. If one area weakens, it may tend to drag down others. Always be on the lookout for improving your skills.

Communication is a two-way street. Be open to feedback and substantive critique.

The Role of Planning in Asset and Maintenance Management

If you don't plan and schedule tasks, then you need a dedicated team member. No plans for the day/week/month, etc., puts you on a path to disorganization, confusion, and increased costs.

For more information about planning and scheduling, peruse the definitive guide from Richard Palmer.

Improving Team Interaction for Maintenance Success

Refer to the first point. This means getting out of your office as an active maintenance team member. Conduct inspections and quality reviews. Talk to production and management. Learn new skills.

Encourage collaboration and communication between team members. If needed, set up exercises and inter-team challenges.

Why Ongoing Training is Key to Avoiding Maintenance Mistakes

Don't think only the newbies need training. Business and technology constantly change. If technicians lack skills, find opportunities for them to learn.

Reviewing Your Maintenance Strategy Regularly

Yes, I mentioned quality review, but for this point, I mean you need to review your maintenance strategy. Do it often. Review with team members. Keep your mindset open to improvement suggestions.

Discover how streamlined maintenance processes can elevate production. Learn more.

Asset Management Mistakes You Should Avoid

You work on assets. You should know as much as you can. This means:

• What you have.
• Where you have assets.
• Preventive maintenance needed.
• Equipment readings.
• Depreciation values.
• Costs.

Read on for more relative management categories.

Best Practices for Inventory Management in Maintenance

Assets need parts and supplies. If you don't have organization in your stockroom, you risk clutter, missing items, and overstock. The last could come as a result of no recorded location of parts. If someone doesn't see an item where they usually store it, they'll purchase more.

For proper inventory you need:

• Aisle>Shelf>Bin type location details for parts.
• Quantities.
• Vendor unit distribution. How many "units" in a package?
• Stock keeping units. The amount used for each job.
• Vendor information.
• You may set up an issue/return policy for more oversight.
• Regular physical counts.

Ready to revolutionize your maintenance department? Schedule a live demo today.

Why Preventative Maintenance Matters for Asset Longevity

Many assets need preventive maintenance. You want to extend asset life. You'll need certain PMs to stay compliant with regulators. PMs help reduce unplanned downtime and safety hazards.

The Importance of Work Order Management in Maintenance

Spreadsheets and handwritten work orders don't cut it in today's world. Move away from the clutter. Have a system that organizes work orders. You want a method that you can:

• Standardize with similar information each time.
• Note the type of maintenance task.
• Note the priority.
• Note the asset.
• Note the location.
• List the relevant inventory.
• Attach checklists and safety protocols.
• Assign to a technician, craft, or crew.
• Access open, closed, and backlogged work orders.
• Process work requests.

Documenting Maintenance Activities for Better Oversight

Without documentation on your maintenance activities, you have no oversight over the department. You should have reports on all aspects of assets, inventory, PMs, and work orders.

Understanding Maintenance Costs and Budgeting

You have to consider maintenance an investment. However, for success, you have to have insights into the costs of:

• Assets.
• Inventory.
• Labor.

Leveraging a Maintenance Management System to Avoid Mistakes

A computerized system (CMMS) will show you how it solves the above mistakes.

• Organization of assets, inventory, PMs, and work orders.
• Numerous reports on assets, labor, and inventory.
• Depreciation tracking.
• Equipment readings.
• …so much more.

With CMMS software working for you, you have better communication skills. You have data fields for comments and feedback. A CMMS will not create a maintenance strategy. It will show you areas for improvement in your existing operations.

Mastering Maintenance Management with the Right Tools

With the number of challenges faced each day, you need the skills to recognize the obstacles, plan the path to success, and execute decisions. Don't try to tackle everything at once.

Time management will help. Focus on the important and urgent needs. Work with diligence to meet and beat the others. Remember, the best "tool" to help you: A quality CMMS.

Plan what you'd like from a system. Have questions for the provider. Some of these will include:

• Training opportunities.
• Scalability.
• Hosting.
• Licensing.
• Customization.
• Support.

When you have your list of questions, call 800-922-4336 and speak with a MAPCON representative. With over forty years of experience, Mapcon has developed a world-class CMMS to meet the needs of numerous industries. Call today!