Keep Machines Running With a Maintenance Checklist

Why Use a Maintenance Checklist?

Whoever neglects the maintenance of their equipment is taking an unnecessary risk. Usually, it’s by far cheaper to perform regular maintenance checks on a vehicle, machine, HAVC system, tool, or building than it is to replace it entirely. Any businessman worth their money would jump on a chance to reduce unnecessary expenses—and that’s just one of the advantages that regular maintenance offers. A maintenance checklist is used by technicians or mechanics to perform error-free repairs and replacements while leaving a paper trail in case of customer complaints, insurance, safety, or quality reasons. In addition, the documented knowledge will serve as a reference guide and learning tool for future repairs.

Equipment requires a lot of upkeep; it’s a continuous process that includes inspection, repair, and maintenance on parts to increase their useful life. This prevents breakdowns and keeps machines in working order while eliminating unnecessary waste. For this reason, it’s considered a preventative measure whose tasks can best be mapped out with the help of a machine maintenance checklist template.

This article provides information on the following topics:

1. The benefits of regular maintenance

2. 4 tips for creating a maintenance checklist

3. A mobile app for maintenance

What Are the Benefits of Regular Maintenance With a Checklist?

The regular maintenance of a company's operating equipment brings numerous benefits that have a positive impact on the company's overall success:

• Serenity
  Those who have their machines checked according to the recommended maintenance intervals find themselves on the safe side; they do not have to fear unexpected breakdowns.
• Reliability
  Regular maintenance with a checklist ensures that the operating equipment is always available and in good working condition.
• More Safety
  Maintenance of operating equipment reduces the danger to employees handling the equipment. Regular maintenance ensures hazard-free operation and compliance with locally applicable laws and regulations.
• Increased System Efficiency
  Routine maintenance such as inspections, oil changes, replacement of worn-out parts, and minor repairs help systems operate much more efficiently. Operating costs can be greatly reduced by keeping the system running optimally.

• Cost Savings
  In the long run, regular maintenance pays for itself, reducing overall costs and associated operating or emergency expenses. The cost and commitment to preventive maintenance can be budgeted and planned in advance. Reports can be generated that provide information on future requirements.
• Avoid System Downtime
  Maintenance windows are easy to plan for and do not come as a surprise. With a maintained plant system or equipment, the likelihood of failure decreases. When maintenance schedules are met, the concern for malfunctions and failures falls away.
• Maintained Documentation
  Consistent documentation of repairs and diagnostics identifies trends early, prevents malfunctions and failures, and lays the data foundation for future maintenance.

What Are the 4 Tips for Developing a Maintenance Checklist?

With the help of maintenance checklists, a team can work more efficiently. They serve both as a guide for technicians performing the work and as a means to gather useful information for analysis and operations. Regular maintenance combined with an effective checklist will help prevent breakdowns and failures and extend the life of equipment and facilities.

That’s why it’s important to create quality checklists that have received the care and attention to detail they deserve. The following four tips should be reflected in any maintenance checklist:

1. Tip: Simple, Concise, and Effective

A checklist will only be an effective reference document for the user if it is clearly worded and free of unnecessary content. It should list only those instructions that are necessary to complete the maintenance tasks. This makes them easier to understand and avoids misinterpretation and their associated mistakes. Concise sentences and relevant content will best guide the employee through the list.

2. Tip: Establish Criteria in Advance

Whoever creates a maintenance checklist needs to know the company, the equipment in question, and the needs of the maintenance staff. The latter are the users of the checklist, so it must meet their requirements in terms of content and form.

The first thing to do is to determine the items or areas to be covered. Once the details of the maintenance plan are determined, the items or areas meeting the maintenance plan’s criteria can be identified. The first step is to evaluate the environment, using SWOT analysis as the evaluation criterion. A comprehensive understanding of the environment helps to create a checklist tailored to the maintenance work.

3. Tip: Design a Maintenance Checklist

When all the above information is complete, the checklist can then be created. This should be able to answer the following questions for later completion:

• What is the visual and physical condition of the equipment, machinery, or plant?
• What physical defects are present?
• What measures need to be taken?
• Were there any other abnormalities during maintenance?
• What is the overall assessment of the maintenance?
• When must the next maintenance be performed?
• Who performed the maintenance and when?

4. Tip: Use Data for Upcoming Maintenance

It must be possible to use the checklist to record readings from various sensors, indicators, and display elements that warn of a future failure: noise, temperature fluctuations, pressure levels, vibrations, and so on. Those who properly use the collected data from a maintenance checklist can intervene at an earlier stage.

How Can a Mobile App Be Used for Maintenance?

Paper-based maintenance checklists are cumbersome for data collection. Paper documents can easily get lost in the hustle and bustle of the everyday business shuffle, which can lead to unresolved cases. What’s more, is there’s no easy way for an inspector to attach photographic evidence whereas a digital tool would allow them to both take the picture and upload it immediately to the cloud.

Lumiform is a powerful inspection application that replaces all paper-based maintenance checklists and logs with digital ones. Because the checklists can be instantly annotated with photos and notes to highlight key findings, the completed digital maintenance reports are more detailed and data-driven.

Benefits:

• Generate real-time data on internal processes. This makes quality and safety measurable and constantly optimizes data-based processes.
• Get an overview of everything on site.
• Reports are created automatically - that saves you from the time-consuming process of having to write them up yourself..
• Save time by making it easier to analyze all data and more quickly identify areas that need attention.
• Continuously increase quality and safety: Through the flexible checklist toolbox, maintenance is constantly optimized. Since Lumiform guides the inspector through the inspection, no training is required.
• The very simple operation offers no margin for error for inspectors on site. The app offers less complexity in documenting or filling out checklists than complicated paper or Excel lists.
• Maintenance is performed approximately 30%-50% faster overall, depending on the use case.