Discover effective remedies for improving your maintenance culture and reducing costs. Learn practical strategies to enhance efficiency, minimize downtime, and optimize resources. Our expert insights provide actionable steps to foster a proactive maintenance approach, leading to long-term savings and reliable operations.

A company's maintenance culture can have a significant impact on its budget. How a company approaches maintenance can lead to increased costs or improved profitability.

According to Machinery Lubrication and Reliable Plant, in this article, we'll explore how different types of maintenance cultures affect budgets and offer some remedies for improvement.

This article is for business owners, managers, and maintenance personnel interested in improving their company's maintenance culture and reducing maintenance costs. By understanding the different types of maintenance cultures and their impact on the budget, readers can assess their current maintenance practices and identify areas for improvement.

Maintenance Cultures and Their Impact on Budget

Maintenance culture is the set of values, beliefs, attitudes, and practices that shape how an organization approaches maintenance. There are three types of maintenance cultures:

Reactive Culture
Equipment failures are common, leading to unplanned downtime, lost production, and increased maintenance costs. When equipment fails, the focus is on fixing the problem as quickly as possible rather than determining the root cause of the problem and preventing it from happening again.

As a result, reactive maintenance can be costly. It can cost up to 10 times as much as proactive maintenance. This is because reactive maintenance often requires emergency repairs, which can be more expensive than planned repairs.

Preventive Culture
Maintenance is performed regularly, regardless of whether the equipment shows wear and tear. This can lead to increased maintenance costs, as parts are replaced before they are worn out.

But preventive maintenance can also decrease maintenance costs in the long run. By replacing parts before they fail, companies can prevent equipment failures and the associated costs of unplanned downtime, lost production, and emergency repairs.

Predictive Culture
Maintenance is performed based on the actual condition of the equipment. This can decrease maintenance costs, as maintenance is performed only when necessary. Predictive maintenance can also improve equipment reliability, as potential problems can be identified and addressed before they lead to equipment failure.

But predictive maintenance requires significant investments in CBM technology, such as sensors and analytics, which can be expensive. Additionally, predictive maintenance requires skilled staff who can interpret the data generated by these tools.

Productivity Increase Calculation

Let's consider a hypothetical case where a company employs 20 technicians, each working five 10-hour shifts per week for 48 weeks a year. These technicians operate at the industry average wrench time of 30% for a 10-hour workday. This implies they can complete 300 productive hours of maintenance work weekly.

Planning and Scheduling
Recognizing the potential for improvement, the company implements planning and scheduling techniques. But, one catch - they promised the CEO to refrain from hiring more staff. Hence, they reassign two technicians to become a planner and schedulers. As a result, the company now has 18 technicians available for maintenance work.

Transition Period
During the initial stages of implementation, the technicians undergo a transition period to adapt to the changes. But, once this period is completed, the company expects a typical wrench time of 45% across the 10-hour workdays. With the new planning and scheduling measures in place, the company can now achieve 405 productive maintenance hours per week.

Productivity Gains
Despite reducing the number of technicians from 20 to 18, the company experiences a considerable boost in productivity. By adopting planning and scheduling strategies, they gain an impressive 105 productive hours a week, representing a remarkable 35% increase in productivity.

The case study highlighted above is a compelling example of how effective planning and scheduling can enhance productivity without requiring extra personnel. By optimizing the allocation of resources and streamlining maintenance operations, companies can tap into their workforce's full potential and maximize output. Implementing such strategies improves efficiency and leads to cost savings and increased competitiveness. Embracing planning and scheduling techniques can be a game-changer for businesses seeking to unlock their operational excellence.

Signs of a Bad Maintenance Culture

Inadequate training
If maintenance personnel are not adequately trained, they may not have the skills and knowledge to perform maintenance tasks correctly. This can lead to equipment failures, downtime, and maintenance costs.

Lack of documentation
If maintenance tasks are not adequately documented, tracking what maintenance has been performed and when it was completed can be challenging. This can lead to maintenance tasks.

Remedies for Improving Maintenance Culture

So, how can companies improve their maintenance culture and reduce costs? Here are some remedies:

Emphasize the importance of maintenance
The first step in improving maintenance culture is to emphasize the importance of maintenance to all employees. This includes maintenance staff, operators, supervisors, and management. When everyone understands the importance of maintenance, it becomes easier to focus on and divide resources.

Shift from reactive to proactive maintenance
By shifting to proactive or predictive maintenance, companies can identify and fix problems before they lead to costly breakdowns. This can include preventative maintenance, such as regularly scheduled inspections and maintenance tasks, and predictive maintenance techniques that use data to expect and prevent failures.

Invest in training
Training is essential for maintaining a skilled and knowledgeable maintenance workforce. By investing in ongoing training programs, companies can ensure that their maintenance personnel have the skills and knowledge to perform their jobs effectively.

Use data to make informed decisions
Data can provide valuable insights into equipment performance and maintenance needs. By collecting and analyzing data and leveraging machine learning, companies can make informed decisions fast about maintenance activities, such as when to perform maintenance tasks, which equipment to focus on, and when to replace equipment.

Foster a collaborative work environment
A proactive and collaborative work environment can help to identify and address maintenance issues before they become significant problems. Companies can create a proactive maintenance culture that benefits everyone by encouraging open communication, collaboration, and a willingness to take ownership of maintenance issues.

Solutions

In conclusion, a company's maintenance culture impacts its budget and success. A poor maintenance culture can lead to increased costs, reduced productivity, and safety hazards. But, a strong maintenance culture can lead to reduced maintenance costs, increased equipment reliability, and improved safety.

Companies that focus on their maintenance culture and take steps to improve it will be better positioned to reduce costs, increase productivity, and achieve long-term success.

Suppose you're looking for solutions to improve your maintenance culture and reduce maintenance costs, consider exploring the clean oil solutions offered by Le Price International. Our innovative technology can help you optimize equipment performance, reduce downtime, and extend the life of your equipment.

You can also consider implementing condition-based monitoring. Our advanced technology can help you detect and diagnose equipment issues before they lead to costly breakdowns. With condition-based monitoring, you can optimize your maintenance schedule, reduce downtime, and extend the life of your equipment. Learn more about our solutions by contacting us today.