John Kane, B2W Software, Inc.
Why You Should be Automating the Preventive Maintenance Process Software helps contractors cut costs, reduce breakdowns, and downtime by sticking to PM schedules.
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he approach at a mid-size excavation and site work contractor that recently adopted specialized software to manage equipment maintenance was very typical. The owner has a mechanical background, knows every piece of equipment inside and out and takes pride in keeping his fleet in top notch condition. He was managing a relatively effective maintenance program based primarily on his individual knowledge and supported by some basic spreadsheets and paper-based process. So, why make the move to fleet maintenance software, or a CMMS (computerized maintenance management system), as it is sometimes referred to? This owner is approaching retirement and the company is growing. The next generation of family ownership saw maintenance software as an opportunity to make a smooth transition to a more automated, systematic approach to keep uptime high and costs low. Automating how preventive work is managed was one of their top priorities with the software.
What is Automated Preventive Maintenance When I get the oil changed in my car, the mechanic puts a small sticker on the windshield indicating the mileage and date for the next oil change. That works well for maintaining one or two family cars. A construction company, however, might have 50, 100 or several hundred expensive, sophisticated pieces of equipment, each with dozens of critical preventive OCTOBER, 2020
maintenance requirements that should be completed at various intervals. Unfortunately, many rely on systems not much more advanced than the sticker on the windshield. They track maintenance intervals on spreadsheets or on pieces of paper in files in the shop or on the equipment. I’ve even seen masking tape on filters and hoses with the date they were changed written with a Sharpie marker. Offline, analog systems make it too easy to miss or delay preventive maintenance. Maintenance management software, in contrast, brings automation to the process. Contractors populate the software with the timing and scope of preventive maintenance work for each asset. This is based on recommendations of the manufacturer, as well as the company’s own requirements and preferences. The system then alerts them automatically when the work is due, what should be continued on page 39
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