Many businesses use, and often depend upon machinery and technology to keep them running. If this equipment fails, malfunctions or just doesn’t work the way it’s supposed, it can wreak havoc with the running of the company. Here are some of the prime reasons to keep up with maintenance and the best ways to do so.

Machinery & Equipment

In any business where a product is the end goal and the income generator, it's more than likely that some sort of machinery does all or most of the work involved in creating the product. Bread companies, for example, produce thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of loaves per day and operate on a very small profit margin.For this reason, any machinery mishap, whether it’s an oven or a mixer, can halt production for hours, if not days, and put a huge dent in profits. The same applies to any production field.

 Computers

Payroll, client lists, email - chances are when it comes to business this is done on at least one computer. Keeping computers backed up, virus free and up to date definitely falls under preventative maintenance. Without these basic measures, theft or equipment failure could mean losing important data. Complex machinery also runs off computer programs, so keeping everything running smoothly is a must.

Workplace Safety

This is a factor primarily in workplaces where heavy machinery is used. Not only do heavy machinery accidents cause financial issues for a business, they can also lead to legal issues, should any workers be involved, as well as personal loss or injury. Above any financial, or other, motivation, the safety of your employees should be the primary motivation behind keeping equipment well maintained and functioning properly.

This aside - properly functioning equipment is useless if the people using it are not properly trained on how to do so.

 Vehicles

Vehicles probably require as much, or more maintenance than other equipment, particularly if they’re essential to the running of your company. An accident caused by lack of maintenance, something as simple as a blowout from a bald tire may not be covered by insurance. Vehicular malfunction can be more problematic than workplace incidents as it’s more likely to involve a 3rd party, further adding to both legal and financial issues.

 Keeping up With Maintenance

If your company has a lot of equipment that you need to keep running, and running well, it’s probably advisable to have someone in charge of maintenance. Make it part of their day to day responsibilities, or hire someone whose exclusive responsibility is maintenance and repairs. Make sure they are fully capable of doing the job and give them the tools to do so.

 CMMS software is an excellent tool for tracking and managing maintenance and a great way to ensure that said maintenance is done and that nothing is accidentally overlooked during regular checks. It also allows for management of multiple locations, both from a desktop app and mobile, work orders and priority management.