{"id":195207,"date":"2023-05-24T15:59:39","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T19:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fiixdev.wpengine.com\/?p=195207"},"modified":"2024-10-18T11:33:56","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T15:33:56","slug":"maintenance-and-manufacturing-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fiixsoftware.com\/blog\/maintenance-and-manufacturing-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"The six biggest challenges facing manufacturers and why investing in maintenance is the secret to overcoming them"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is article is part of a series exploring the results of the 2023 State of Smart Manufacturing<\/a> and how maintenance teams can use them to strategize, plan, and add value to their operations. Get your copy of the report<\/a>.<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n

One of the longest-running debates about maintenance is whether it\u2019s a cost or profit center. But everyone might be asking the wrong question.<\/p>\n

In a world where risks to manufacturers are rapidly multiplying and evolving, the real question might be, is maintenance a problem solver or a problem maker? If we find the answer to that question, the value of maintenance becomes clearer.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s look at the six biggest challenges for manufacturers and the strategies maintenance teams can use to overcome them.<\/p>\n

*All data comes from the 2023 State of Smart Manufacturing report, which surveyed 1,350 manufacturers. Check out the results for yourself here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Three big external challenges for manufacturers<\/h2>\n

Manufacturers identified inflation, supply chain disruptions, and raw material shortages as the three most dangerous external threats in 2023. Maintenance plays a role in navigating these challenges and helping businesses take back some control in an ocean of unpredictability.<\/p>\n

\"External:<\/figure>\n

1. Inflation<\/h3>\n

The challenge:<\/strong> Inflation exceeded 7.5% in the US by the end of 2022, according to the Federal Reserve<\/a>. This has driven up costs for manufacturers while shaving valuable percentage points off their margins. Finding out how to stretch budgets and reduce waste will be a main priority for manufacturing companies facing a crunch from inflation.<\/p>\n

How maintenance can help:<\/strong> Maintenance teams spend a lot of money on parts, which makes inventory purchasing a prime battleground for fighting the effects of inflation. Everything, from lubrication and bearings to motors and pumps, is more expensive these days. Maintenance teams that reduce the number of parts consumed and the price of these parts will help manufacturers cut or maintain the cost of production.<\/p>\n

One way to reduce inventory purchasing is to cut the use of parts in troubleshooting<\/a>. Replacing parts unnecessarily leads to huge spends. To avoid these costs, focus on the fundamentals of logging proper work order notes, including which parts were consumed, when, and why. There should also be an easy way to access or reference an asset\u2019s repair history to reduce troubleshooting with parts and easily forecast which parts need to be reordered.<\/p>\n

Create strong maintenance records with this equipment maintenance log template <\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Supply chain disruption<\/h3>\n

The challenge:<\/strong> The supply chain is in disarray. Shipping containers are stranded at port. Microchips are in short supply. Shelves have been empty for years. This chaos has put manufacturers in a double bind: They can\u2019t get materials to fuel production and the products they do make are unlikely to be delivered on time. Reducing the impact of these disruptions will be an ongoing puzzle for companies to solve in 2023 and beyond.<\/p>\n

How maintenance can help:<\/strong> An unpredictable supply chain means production is unpredictable. Equipment can suddenly be needed ASAP after laying dormant for weeks. Any production delays can mean even more losses. Maintenance teams can make sure this doesn\u2019t happen by maintaining assets while not running and creating detailed procedures for cold starts<\/a> so asset availability is high, even in less-than-ideal conditions.<\/p>\n

Avoid production stoppages with this facility start-up checklist<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Another way maintenance can reduce the impact of supply chain disruptions is by building contingency plans for vendors. If parts or supplies can\u2019t be delivered on time, these plans help maintenance teams source materials from other vendors or sites within the company.<\/p>\n

3. Raw material shortage<\/h3>\n

The challenge:<\/strong> Manufacturers that can\u2019t get materials to make their product can\u2019t fulfill orders and make money. The consequences are amplified in businesses where raw materials spoil quickly. Unfortunately, the shortage of raw materials is caused by circumstances manufacturers can\u2019t control, like global conflicts, climate change, and labor shortages.<\/p>\n

How maintenance can help:<\/strong> Maintenance has very little control over the availability of raw materials, but it can help manufacturers maximize what they get from the materials they can obtain. One way is to increase clean start-ups out of maintenance windows. If equipment can run cleaner from minute one, quality goes up, and both waste and the risk of production stoppages go down.<\/p>\n

Maintenance teams can also create processes to avoid waste from spoiled product, including:<\/p>\n