Benjamin Franklin was quoted repeatedly as saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Most people probably think of health and wellness when they consider what Mr. Franklin meant. In fact, many doctors and other healthcare professionals regularly repeat this line to remind patients to take care of themselves in our busy society. When Franklin made this statement in the Pennsylvania Gazette, he was actually referring to fire safety. Our technological advances are probably unlike anything Ben Franklin could have imagined all that time ago. Regardless of the intended meaning though, this statement proves even more true today in our busy society than it did in 1735, when it comes to being proactive to prevent dilemmas.
Planning for and scheduling routine maintenance can prevent and alert you to potential issues before they emerge; This is a simple and cost-effective investment that can reduce unexpected expenses and minimize downtime. Just as medical specialists, dental providers, and even veterinarians want to see their patients on a regular basis for well-visits or check-ups, so too does a maintenance technician prefer to see their clients consistently for routine support. When time and energy are invested to provide equipment with preventative maintenance, a person can guarantee equipment will be less likely to fail, due to negligence.
Preventative Maintenance Keeps Businesses Grilling
A food truck business can be a cheaper and easier option to a traditional restaurant storefront. The initial startup and overhead costs are lower, and there is clearly less to maintain. Location is definitively more flexible when your kitchen is mobile, and having a smaller working space means fewer staff are necessary to keep this type of enterprise running smoothly.
Saving money on operations makes this seem like a lush deal, though food trucks will still need regular maintenance and inspections, just like a brick-and-mortar restaurant. It is also imperative that a food truck vendor ensures their vehicle’s engine is running well, and those with a grill or other type of cook top require some sort of ventilation, grease traps, refrigeration, a washing station, a good power supply or generator, corrosion monitoring systems, and waste management. When there are so many variables at play, it is easy to see how quickly problems can arise, and how quickly expenses can be increased unexpectedly.
These systems require routine maintenance to ensure they are in working order and will need regular inspection to keep the Health Department and customers happy. This type of business relies on well-functioning equipment to thrive; Focusing on preventing issues before they begin can make or break this and other types of small businesses.
Unexpected Downtime
Keeping up with a preventative maintenance schedule goes a long way toward reducing unexpected downtime. Avoiding disturbances in operations is crucial to productivity, and resolving recurring or unresolved maintenance can increase the likelihood that you will be alerted to problems before they arise. Companies are increasingly using technology to help them prevent troublesome and pricey delays.
For example, a case study performed by Decisiv and Oakley demonstrated that if a fleet can reduce its downtime to 25%, they could achieve a monthly growth of $1,123 in revenue per vehicle ($13,476 per year!). This is a 5.5% improvement in asset utilization, and an increase of $438, or 45% in profit per truck, per month. Looking at this example gives a good understanding of how quickly unchecked issues can add up.
Unexpected downtime can and will significantly reduce profits. While consistently monitoring problems and scheduling maintenance can’t remove all unseen variables, it can significantly improve the bottom line for proprietors.
