Beat The Peak of Service and Spare Parts:

Why it is important to Beat The Peak

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If it has moving parts, at some point, it will have worn or broken parts that will need to be replaced. The disruptive effect of normal wear and tear always seems to happen when you need the machine the most. If you rely on your machine for your business, you can’t afford not to have spare parts on hand to keep your business operating. Depending on the number of machines you have, your business problems will multiply by the possibility of a part failing, resulting in a down machine.

In addition to the suggestions for improving downtime and maintenance you will receive here, remember to take advantage of discount offers. Special offers don’t come that often, but the money you save can be multiplied several times by looking at the big picture.

Stock Replacement Parts “Spare Parts”

When one of your machines is out of commission, as little as 15 minutes can be devastating to your operation. Knowing and understanding your spare parts list and needs are integral to the success of your operation. To help your machines run smoothly and to keep downtime to a minimum, please review the following suggestions:

• Avoid expedited shipping costs and extended downtime: Not having the part you need on hand for immediate replacement can be more costly than you think. The manufacturer should provide you with a recommended spare parts list that includes recommended quantities that should ideally be kept on hand at all times.

• Avoid possible back order situations that peak timecould bring: Don’t wait until the last minute to order as multiple companies may be ordering the same parts you require. This can cause further delays and costly downtime.

Remember, if your company is paying to have people on hand to fix and maintain equipment, it makes sense to have the parts on hand to do the same.

Proper Regularly Scheduled Maintenance

The financial impact of downtime is staggering. Servicing your machines is a very effective tool when preventing downtime. Here are a few tips on how to use your manufacturer’s maintenance team to the fullest:

• Take advantage of manufacturer offered maintenance training: A properly trained maintenance team is your first defense against profit draining downtime.

• Trained maintenance teams will gain the knowledge of how to replace parts and make adjustments in the most time effective way, cutting the number of physical service calls you receive from your manufacturer.

• Following manufacturing guidelines for maintenance and proper adjustment will reduce downtime during critical peak times.

• Regular inspections of the equipment will equate to early detection of potential problems before they injure your operation. This ensures that if a physical service call is needed from your manufacturer, it can be scheduled well in advance of your peak season.

• Properly trained equipment operators reduce the need for maintenance people. Knowing and understanding the equipment can help extend the life of the machine, even in the heavy duty, fast paced environments material handling equipment often operates in.

Take Action

There are several proactive things you can do to ensure that you are well prepared for your peak season. Here are a few suggestions:

• Stock recommended spare parts on site for all machines.

• Invest in your staff: Manufacturer operator and maintenance training can be the difference between profitability or significant loss.

• Follow through with regular maintenance inspections, proper adjustments and parts replacement as needed.

What Downtime Can Cost You

To gain a greater understanding of how critical downtime can be to your operation, it is important to consider all of the costs associated with downtime. Costs are not only the up front costs and visible costs associated with downtime, but can include many hidden costs as well.

These hidden costs can range from lost revenue, overtime, expedited shipping or emergency service calls, inefficient worker time and unhappy customers.

Just one lost hour of shipping can affect an entire operation and cause complete gridlock.

To help your operation run smoothly, it is important to ensure you have taken the proper precautions as listed above.

The End Result

By following these simple guidelines and suggestions, you will find that when you enter your busiest time of the year, you will be more than prepared to tackle any situation that may arise.

Efforts in the area of service and spare parts will help you reduce expenses and downtime. Your productivity will increase and your equipment will have an extended life, driving down the total cost of ownership.

All of these factors, when taken into account, will help your company have an increased bottom line and that is something we call can take to the bank.

About The Author

Alan Pawley
Service Manager

Alan Pawley serves as the Service Manager, in the Denver plant, where he oversees after sales, customer service and technical support. Pawley has over 20 years of experience in service management and has provided service management expertise for a variety of service organizations.

Pawley’s objective for the service center of Caljan Rite-Hite is to ensure excellent customer service and follow-through. In addition, he believes a healthy service organization is one that ensures sound training for technicians and staff as well as provides the technical support and preventative maintenance for optimal customer satisfaction.

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