Time. It doesn't matter what type of business you're running - it's absolutely one of the most valuable assets you have. Indeed, that's a big part of what makes tracking machine downtime so appealing to so many - it helps identify problems quickly so that you can take corrective action just as fast.
But at the same time, some people don't seem to lean into the "real-time" nature of equipment downtime tracking quite as much as they should. They get the insight they need right away, but they're still reacting in the same way they used to. Instead, they need to be as proactive as possible. Getting to this point will require a bit of a perspective shift and will likely require you to keep a few key things in mind.
Instant Insight Empowers Instant Action
If you're only investing in a downtime tracking solution so that you can instantly know A) when a machine is running, and B) when it isn't, you're only tapping into a fraction of the potential on display.
After all, you have operators. Those operators have eyes and ears. They can be trained to immediately report a problem that has already occurred.
Instead, you need to embrace best practices like condition-based monitoring with parameter thresholds. Do you know what temperature a machine should be under normal circumstances? Terrific - then you also know what temperature it shouldn't be. That's the type of thing you need to be alerted to instantly so that you can take corrective action before a small problem becomes a big one.
The same is true of qualities like speed, feeds, vibration levels, and more. All this information should be used in the short-term, yes - but it's equally valuable over the long haul. A long-term analysis of machine failures and the reactive maintenance that you've performed can help you lay the groundwork for a more proactive, preventative strategy.
This all becomes especially critical if yours is a business that runs multiple locations. Obviously, individual equipment downtime monitoring is paramount to keep things running smoothly. Unplanned downtime is something that you should avoid whenever possible. But you also want to take a "bird's eye view" of your enterprise.
If you've experienced, diagnosed, understood, and corrected a major issue in Factory A, you have everything you need to prevent it from ever becoming an issue in Factory B. At the very least, you now know what it looks like when that problem is on the horizon, allowing your preventative maintenance in Factory B to become more effective before you've ever even experienced an issue at all.
That's the full potential of the real-time nature of downtime tracking on display and that is the ideal you should always be striving to achieve.
If you'd like to find out more information about how to lean into the real-time aspect of equipment downtime tracking, or if you'd just like to see what a tool like Thrive can do for your organization up close and personal, please don't hesitate to contact us today.
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