PROBLEM:
Equipment breakdowns and subsequent downtime cause potential delays in manufacturing and threaten meeting due dates to our customers. Further, repair costs often exceed the budgeted amount allocated in our planning efforts.
To move to a system that best tracks our maintenance requirements and prompts us when maintenance tasks are due, we started investigating next-generation solutions.
SOLUTION:
After some research, we found CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) software that also fulfilled our need for document control for ISO certification and other functions. The IMSXpress software is very flexible and easy to use.
We started building our maintenance database with the programs we already had, then we started adding more detail and expanding the programs to include things missing from the old system.
With automatic work order generation and email notifications, it is easier to proactively manage our maintenance needs.
The ability to store documents related to each piece of equipment, each program, and even each work order allow us to keep records without having to store large volumes of paper.
RESULTS:
Since implementing CMMS, we have put the technology to work in other ways:
- Keeping calibrations up to date and recorded.
- Scheduling and documenting details of routine inspections that are infrequent.
- Communicating established standards for housekeeping inspections for individual areas.
- Keeping track of a capital equipment replacement program.
- Tracking DOT inspection details for bulk containers for our customers.
- Monitoring the hours spent performing maintenance VS repairs.
With the automation of the system as well as the ever-evolving robustness of the maintenance program we have reduced our downtime by 98%.
Our repair costs have also had a year-over-year improvement since implementation. This allows us to focus on what matters most to us, exceeding customer expectations.