Cut Costs And Improve Efficiency With Outsourced Facility Maintenance

As a plant or facility manager, there are many decisions to make that will determine how efficient and profitable your business is. The current economy has made these decisions even more challenging, with certain sectors not performing as well, an aging work population, high levels of unemployment, budget crunches, and the desire for better work at less pay. Outsourcing facility maintenance duties is becoming more of a trend than ever, as management seeks the most efficient way to cut costs without sacrificing quality of work.

Flexible Arrangements Tailored To Your Needs

When using in-house employees for facility maintenance, specific people are hired who have specific skill sets, and put on tasks that are needed at that time. However, as a plant or manufacturing facility grows and changes, the required tasks might shift beyond or away from what the employee's capabilities are. This is one area where outsourcing facility maintenance is beneficial, as you can change and adapt the type of services you receive based on your needs at that time. Complete customization is within your means, without having to struggle with human resources or getting sub-par results from someone who isn't trained in that area.

Preventative Maintenance Solutions

Preventative maintenance solutions are often overlooked as there are more pressing issues to be attended to. Outsourcing these tasks means that your employees can focus on what they're good at, while a facility maintenance crew quickly completes equipment checkups. Having periodical inspections of all manufacturing or plant equipment could identify safety hazards, code violations, and inefficiencies. Finding these deficiencies and addressing them can not only save money, but potentially save employees from being injured.

Specialized OEM Repairs

Another benefit to outsourcing facility maintenance is that when a high-tech piece of equipment stops working, you'll have someone specifically trained for that particular machine address the issue. Instead of having a jack of all trades, you can receive certified and specialized repairs every time, on every piece of equipment. This means less down time and more efficient production.

Service Level Agreements Save Time And Provide Clarity

There is an implied level of responsibility with an in-house employee. However, when outsourcing, there is an official and defined Service Level Agreement, which dictates what is expected in terms of timelines and quality of work performed. This leads to effective communication regarding expectations, and gives facility maintenance companies a guideline as to what they need to do to keep a contract. It provides a sense of security for the institution doing the outsourcing as well, since if a contract is not adhered to, they have the right to seek out alternative companies.

Lower Maintenance Costs Result In Higher Profit Margin

In the end, with more efficient repairs and less downtime, production will be higher for the same length of time. This means a larger profit margin, which is becoming more and more essential to survive in today's competitive economic climate. Having a specialized company assist with creating an effective maintenance solutions plan is an intelligent strategy to streamline costs and improve efficiency.

About the Author

Chris Harmen is a writer for Tru-Serve, a building maintenance facility maintenance company that also provides professional facility maintenance maintenance solutions throughout the Twin cities (Minneapolis, MN and St. Paul, MN.)