Preventive maintenance is often still viewed by many companies as an unnecessary expenditure that is a waste of time and resources. In most cases, this is far from the truth and can prove to be a very costly mistake to make. Many companies tend to focus solely on the immediate issues that come up – repairing or replacing parts when something goes wrong in operations and reacting to other urgent matters. While this form of reactive maintenance is necessary in certain situations, transitioning to preventive maintenance is a strategy that will save both time and money, as well as help operations to run more smoothly. The transition from reactive to preventive maintenance can be a smooth transition to make with the help of the right preventive maintenance software. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at preventive maintenance with a spotlight on how it can save a company or other organization a lot of money over the long term.

What Is Preventive Maintenance?

Preventive maintenance is not about fixing problems. Its focus is on preventing those problems from ever happening in the first place. It includes activities such as cleaning, lubrication, adjustments, repairs, and parts replacement. Each of these activities is performed in order to keep the equipment running in top condition and to prevent downtime and reactive fixes.

Preventive maintenance software is available to help you facilitate a good preventive maintenance plan. Instead of having to keep track of things with paper files, all data can be input into a preventive maintenance software program which then regularly schedules all preventive maintenance tasks and work orders. With preventive maintenance software, you can organize duties, record maintenance information and have everything together in one convenient location.

How Preventive Maintenance Saves You Money

Now that you understand how preventive maintenance is different from reactive maintenance, it’s time to talk about the benefits in terms of how this new system and way of thinking can save your company money.

1. Reduced Downtime

When it comes to production, the phrase ‘time is money’ rings true. Every time machinery goes down for maintenance, you’re losing money both from employee wages (since employees have to wait for the equipment to be fixed) and from products (which cannot be produced when the equipment goes down). Preventive maintenance drastically reduces downtime because the entire purpose is to prevent downtime.

2. Increase Operational Efficiency

When preventive maintenance is properly implemented, equipment is routinely maintained so it can run in optimal condition at all times. When machines run more efficiently, they don’t have to use as much energy and resources. This means cost savings as well as improving your environmental footprint.

3. Reduce the Risk of Expensive Reactive Maintenance

Reactive maintenance is incredibly expensive. When something breaks unexpectedly, you have the costs of your maintenance crew (which can include overtime pay), the cost of the extra time it takes to diagnose the problem, and the cost of the parts (which can include expedited shipping charges). Preventive maintenance can dramatically reduce the risk of these costs. Using preventive maintenance software, your crew will perform routine checks and planned maintenance at convenient times, steps that help you avoid large and expensive fixes down the road.

4. Increase the Life of Equipment

In addition to reducing downtime and expensive fixes, preventive maintenance will also increase the life of your equipment. When everything is up to date and working properly, you will maximize the lifespan of your machinery, helping you get the most out of your investment.

5. Improved Customer Service

Your customers are putting their trust and confidence in the goods or services you provide. They expect that these things will be delivered on time, and no one wants to hear that the products will be delayed because of machinery failures. When you can consistently provide quality, on-time service to your customers, you’ll end up with happier customers, better reviews, more referrals, and ultimately more sales.

Implementing a Preventive Maintenance Program

If you’ve been relying on reactive maintenance but want a solution that will save you money, time and stress, it’s time to turn to preventive maintenance. While there are some initial costs to get started, you will end up saving a lot in the long term.

The best way to get started with a preventive maintenance plan is to first research your preventive maintenance software options. When you choose the right preventive maintenance software for your business, the transition will be a smooth and easy one to make.

You also don’t have to worry about fully transitioning to preventive maintenance right away. After you get your preventive maintenance software, you can work on setting up your equipment one by one on a preventive maintenance schedule. This way you won’t be overwhelmed, and you can work at your own pace.

As you can see, preventive maintenance offers many important benefits, but the most important of which is that it can improve your bottom line. Make the switch today, and you’ll see the cost savings start to add up quickly for your business or organization.