A lot of people often ignore equipment maintenance. While it might seem like an unnecessary effort, it is the complete opposite. Indeed, ignoring equipment maintenance can result in costly issues. That is where preventative maintenance comes in.
Preventative maintenance is a collection of efforts geared towards making sure all your equipment continuously run as smoothly as they possibly can. It is done before the equipment malfunctions. The aim is to detect and rectify possible defects early before they become bigger and more costly issues.
Preventive maintenance accomplishes several crucial goals such as:
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Giving you the ability to identify potential problems early before they become worse.
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It allows you to keep your equipment clean and free from the buildup of debris and dust that could lead to malfunctions.
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Keeping your repair costs as low as possible.
Without it, you will realize how problems begin to mount; most of them being problems that wouldn’t have happened had they been addressed early. There will be more occurrences of unexpected equipment failure, increased downtime, and increased repair or replacement costs.
On one hand, it is impossible to schedule breakdowns and failures. On the other hand, it is possible to schedule preventative maintenance. A planned downtime to have maintenance done can easily fit into your schedule. The question then becomes, how do you manage your maintenance efforts in the best way possible?
Fleet Maintenance App
Effective preventive maintenance starts with knowing your equipment. Determine when servicing is needed, what the servicing should entail, and what parts are required. On top of that, you also need to schedule how regular the maintenance will be.
All this goes towards developing a fleet maintenance program. Having a detailed schedule ultimately helps to streamline your maintenance. Sticking to and managing the program, however, is another issue entirely.
Service supervisors walk a fine line between thoroughly maintaining equipment and simultaneously maximizing utilization. Fleet maintenance software and applications are designed to enable them to balance the two aspects effectively. Here are six key benefits of using a fleet maintenance app.
1. Reduce Carbon Footprint by Going Paperless
Though more and more companies are making the use of some software to handle their day to day operations, they still use a paper-based system for some of those operations. With a fleet maintenance app, all your maintenance efforts, from scheduling to reports, can be handled without the need to print a single piece of paper. It, therefore, doesn’t only save you money but also reduces your carbon footprint.
2. Reduced Downtime
Machinery that is out of commission is a financial burden with the downtime costing the automotive industry as much as $22,000. Hiring fleet vehicles to replace those being attended to or reducing driver workload can not only lead to financial loss but customer dissatisfaction as well.
Implementing a fleet maintenance app can enable you to have vehicle data such as mileage and engine hours be fed to you. This allows you to easily identify which vehicles are in urgent need of service and which ones still have a bit more use to go.
You can also schedule alert reminders when certain thresholds are met. The alert notifies you to schedule maintenance beforehand, further minimizing possible operation disruptions. This also comes with the bonus of having preventive maintenance done at the right time.
3. Reduce Costs
In addition to the reduced expenses through preventive maintenance, there are additional ways implementing a fleet maintenance app can help minimize costs even further. The application can maximize efficiency, helping you identify the cost-saving areas often difficult to discover through paper-based practices.
The fleet maintenance app comes with reporting procedures meant to provide transparency, ultimately improving efficiency and reducing costs. On top of its ability to reduce downtime, it allows you to schedule preventive maintenance for all equipment efficiently.
The application is capable of easily integrating with other software applications such as account management and parts suppliers. The capability of updating and collating information in real-time reduces the paper-based administrative duties and increases productivity, which ultimately reduces the costs incurred even further.
4. Makes It Easy to Meet Compliance Requirements
Meeting all necessary compliance requirements can sometimes be cumbersome. They are, however, crucial to making sure that your fleet is safe not only for your employees but for other motorists on the road as well. There are compliance standards set out for the vehicles, operations, drivers, as well as the management.
With 5 million bus and truck drivers along with more than 250 million motorists on the road, safety is crucial. For Instance, the DOT and DVIR requirements ensure that both the driver and the truck have met certain safety standards that deem them both safe for the road.
Scheduling maintenance checks can help you avoid the risks and the fines imposed on vehicles found to be in breach of such compliance regulations.
5. Boosting Accountability
The larger the fleet, the more difficult it is to manage; making it challenging to get information regarding the use of a specific piece of machinery. With the details the application provides; however, you can easily determine which employee was operating equipment, at what time, and in which location; all of this information available at your fingertips.
6. Allows You to Make More Informed Decisions
The real-time information the maintenance app relays to you allows you to be as informed as you possibly can; being able to identify trends and patterns that could impact your business negatively. You can get reports on equipment utilization, labor, service history, and so much more.
Having early warning systems and information about equipment condition got in real-time, you can keep a closer eye on your assets, and make more informed decisions regarding the running of your company. It is the key to a long-term and sustainable business model in an ever-increasing competitive environment whose margins are much thinner.
Find More Benefits of a Fleet Maintenance App
The better managed your preventive maintenance is, the more effective and beneficial it will be to you. With Whip Around, you no longer have to worry about maintenance catching you off guard. The available feature makes it easier for you to manage several tasks related to the maintenance of your equipment. Book your demo today.
