4 Tips to Keep Your Plant Running When Equipment Breaks Down

Whether your plant produces food, paper, vehicles or electricity, your business relies on various types of equipment. From a problem with the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to a failure of a major piece of machinery, malfunctions can cause delays of hours or days, costing you time and money. Of course, incidents are bound to happen, so keep your plant running by following these four tips for when your equipment breaks down.

1. Carry Insurance or a Warranty

The best method for solving problems is preventing them from becoming crises beforehand. If your plant relies on machinery to run smoothly, always carry insurance or a warranty for this equipment. By doing so, you can guarantee that should the equipment fail, you can get a replacement as soon as possible.

2. Know Where You Can Get Replacements Quickly

If you do not have insurance or a warranty, you must know the best way to get your equipment repaired. Keep a list of all the machines in use, reliable suppliers who carry parts for your equipment and trusted professionals who can work on your machinery in a pinch. When specific items like rotary-screw air-compressor parts are required, you do not want to be left wondering where to get them. If you know beforehand where to find what you need, you can save valuable time when you are already in crisis mode.

3. Have a Backup Plan for an Emergency

Even without having the equipment on hand, the show must go on. Create a backup plan for what you would do if your machinery broke down. This may mean making sure you have alternative methods of accepting payments should your point-of-sale system fail or forming relationships with nearby shops for the use of their equipment. Whatever you must do, develop a backup plan for anything that could go wrong, because it likely will at some point.

4. Train Employees on Contingency Plans

For any backup plan that you create, ensure that all employees are properly trained and onboard. After all, the last thing you need when trying to handle an equipment breakdown is an employee who doesn’t know what to do.

Finally, remember that no matter your business type or the machines you use, being prepared is the best way to keep your operation running smoothly when your equipment breaks down.