Industrial equipment is a significant capital investment. In addition to paying for the initial costs of equipment, there can be additional costs associated with insurance, licensing, repair, replacement, and maintenance (both planned and unplanned). Because costs quickly add up, regular maintenance is essential for budgeting, equipment longevity, and operational efficiency.  Beyond cost efficiency, industrial equipment maintenance is essential for ensuring workplace safety, regulatory compliance, and sustainability. Poorly maintained equipment can lead to operational hazards, environmental risks, and regulatory penalties. By investing in proactive maintenance strategies, companies can future-proof their assets and create a safer, more sustainable working environment. Proactive maintenance...

When your maintenance or service team heads out to address a machine breakdown, how often do they resolve the issue in just one visit? That measure is called the First Time Fix Rate (FTFR), and it’s a critical performance metric for service-oriented operations.  But what does FTFR mean for your business? In this context, FTFR directly reflects your technicians’ effectiveness and preparedness. Understanding FTFR’s meaning and how it influences your bottom line is a foundational step in optimizing how you handle maintenance calls, service work orders, and equipment repairs. At its core, FTFR gauges the percentage of issues solved successfully...

Work order management solves the confusion and inefficiency caused by scattered task assignments, missing tools, and unclear priorities in manufacturing.  Without it, workers often rely on verbal instructions, handwritten notes, or scattered communication, leading to delays, mistakes, and frustration. Tasks may stall because the necessary tools or materials aren’t ready, and managers waste time chasing updates instead of focusing on productivity. With work order management, everything is straightforward. Tasks are digitally assigned with clear instructions, priorities, and deadlines, ensuring workers know exactly what to do and when.  A software can track progress in real-time, to ensure materials and tools are...

Integrated Facility Management (IFM) is a comprehensive approach to managing all assets and operations in a building or facility so the work can go on uninterrupted. It coordinates different sectors, from maintenance, cleaning, security, and space management to energy efficiency, under a single system. Picture a common situation in a facility where an employee encounters several problems, such as a leaky machine, a computer error, and an HVAC malfunction. In a classic facility management setting, an employee would call maintenance for the machine, email IT for a computer issue, and fill out a separate form for a cleaning request.  This...

Every potential machine or process failure has to have a root cause, or the reason why it occurred. The source of potential failure can stem from equipment malfunction, such as a loose electrical connection that could lead to unexpected overheating or human factors like operator errors resulting from inadequate training. Figuring out the root cause of a failure after it occurs matters less than knowing, anticipating, and potentially preventing it before it occurs. Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA) is an analytical tool that helps with new process introduction, quality risk assessments, and process adaptations. With PFMEA, businesses can...

We wrote this guide with healthcare facility managers in mind. Our goal is to provide a practical solution that helps alleviate the myriad daily challenges you face – from balancing patient care, staff satisfaction, and financial constraints to ensuring patient safety, upholding stringent compliance requirements, and controlling costs. In it, we'll explain what operations and maintenance (O&M) entails in the context of a healthcare setting, and why it is such a critical priority. We'll explore the different types of O&M strategies available, along with their key components and best practices for effective implementation. Ultimately, we aim to equip you with...

Equipment malfunctions on a construction site can bring daily operations to a screeching halt. Construction project delays, whether big or small, can have drastic financial consequences in terms of emergency repair costs, delayed project deadlines, and damage to a company’s reputation. This is why construction asset management is critical for successful project outcomes. Asset management in construction has a very specific scope. Its purpose is to track, maintain, and optimize the distribution and use of assets, equipment, and other resources. This can encompass everything from heavy machinery to small tools, as well as intangible assets like data and licenses. Effective...

What is Mean Time to Failure (MTTF) and How to Calculate It? In a busy facility or manufacturing factory with ten thousand products handled every day, downtime can translate to significant financial losses. Equipment downtime is the period during which a machine, system, or piece of equipment is non-operational due to a failure, maintenance, repair, or other unplanned interruption.  This unproductive time can be caused by mechanical breakdowns, software malfunctions, power outages, human error, or scheduled maintenance. It is an important indicator for businesses seeking to optimize operations in food and beverage manufacturing (or other industries), reduce economic impact, and...

What Is Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis? Imagine launching a product that customers love for its reliability and performance, only to discover hidden flaws that lead to costly recalls or damaged trust. This scenario is every engineer’s nightmare - exactly what DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) aims to prevent. In this guide, you’ll learn what DFMEA is, how it works, and why it’s a step you can’t skip in your product development process. You’ll get actionable tips followed by industry-specific examples, and we’ll break down the DFMEA process that will help you design reliable products from the...

What is Fault Tree Analysis? Trying to figure out the root cause of a system failure or problem using just your intelligence can sometimes feel like solving a complicated math problem. However, it doesn’t have to, especially if you make use of something like Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). It’s a method that’s known to identify the exact problems within your system and notify you of potential failures before they happen. In this post, you’ll learn what Fault Tree Analysis is, how it works, and why it’s incredibly important. Let’s jump right in. To put it simply, Fault Tree Analysis is...