June 13, 2012
Streamline Maintenance Service Requests for Improved Service and Happier Building Occupants
“My office is too hot.” My room is too cold-it’s freezing in here!” How do I get maintenance to come in and fix the broken toilet?
I left a message with somebody in the maintenance department last week that the light bulbs are out in the warehouse and they're still not replaced!”
Sound familiar? Just dealing with HVAC issues alone during summer months can bog down your maintenance department, cause havoc with employee schedules, and force maintenance managers to deal with unhappy tenants and employees… who are too hot, too cold, and never “just right.” Add all of the other maintenance challenges on a day-to-day basis, and it feels like you’ll never catch up.
The solution is easy: Eagle Technology’s ProLink Service Request module for Proteus CMMS and EAM software. ProLink is a web-based application that allows non-technicians like tenants, employees, and non-maintenance staff to send remote service or repair requests either to a ProLink Service Request Administrator or directly into the Proteus database simply by accessing a URL. More on Streamline Building Facilities Maintenance...
April 17, 2012
Facility Managers-Are you Listening to Your CMMS?
Consider this sobering statistic from a survey conducted by Kris Bagadia of Maintenance Solutions: “My national survey of CMMS users indicates 94 percent of them use only 10 percent of the software’s capacity and features.”
Using only ten percent of your CMMS is like sitting on an unopened box of money. That’s why smart facility managers capitalize on the wealth of CMMS data and features to help them save money and time. So let’s open that box of money and focus on all of the ways that listening to your CMMS can help increase your organization’s productivity and profitability. More on Using Your CMMS...
April 3, 2012
Using Key Performance Indicators to Track Asset Criticality
Smart facility managers know that all assets are not created equal. But determining which assets are critical to the workflow and operation of your company can be a challenge. Using key performance indicators (KPI’s) will help you rank asset criticality and create a maintenance strategy that will optimize asset performance, and reduce costs and risks.
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March 6, 2012
Steps to Assessing Run to Failure (RTF) as a Maintenance Strategy
Run to failure, (sometimes known as reactive maintenance) means doing zero preventive or planned asset maintenance and letting the equipment run until it fails. Although most industry experts agree that preventive maintenance (PM) or predictive maintenance (PdM) results in lower operating costs and increased asset productivity, run to failure can make sense in certain situations. However, the decision to let equipment run until it breaks should be a conscious decision based on data analysis and strategic maintenance objectives, and not a lack of planning on the part of facility management. More...
January 31, 2012
Save Time and Money with RFID Asset Tracking
One of the primary challenges for large organizations is to effectively track and maintain assets. Think about the last time you were in an airport, hospital, or large retail mall. The number of equipment, supplies, and parts necessary to keep large complexes like these maintained and running smoothly is mind-boggling. That’s why more and more facility managers add RFID technology to their computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) to improve fixed and mobile asset management. More...
January 10, 2012
Take Control of Your Airport Maintenance with a CMMS
Challenged by the increasing complexity of airport maintenance management? Integrating a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is an essential tool for today’s facility and maintenance managers, and airports are no exception. Airports cover acres of land; have multiple buildings, and varied types of equipment to maintain from conveyer belts to HVAC for their patrons’ comfort and safety. By using a CMMS, airport facility managers can reduce labor and energy costs, manage inventory, optimize asset performance and longevity, and insure safety. Here’s how a computerized maintenance management system can help... More...
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
Schedule Your Way to Asset Maintenance Cost Savings in 2012
What’s on your “Maintenance Wish List” for 2012? If you’re like most facility managers, it includes: • Less equipment down time, • Better management of labor resources, • More preventive maintenance scheduling, • Improved inventory management and cost control, • Fewer emergency repair and demand maintenance tasks, • Machine availability for peak production times
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Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
Add “Asset Management Plan” to Your New Year’s List of Resolutions
The cost, longevity, and operational efficiency of facility assets affect most or all business units and processes, affecting bottom line productivity and performance of the overall organization. That’s why an Asset Management Plan (AMP) should be part of every organization’s 2012 strategic plan.
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Thursday, November 10th, 2011
Take Your Maintenance Mobile
Why You Should Integrate Mobile Technology with your CMMS Now.
Want to get the most productivity and performance from your work crew and equipment assets? Take your maintenance management mobile now.
Mobile technology and mobile computing have transformed the way the world communicates and conducts business. How has it impacted the world of facility maintenance management? More...
Monday, November 7th, 2011
Cloud-Based vs Client/Server
CMMS Options -- which one is right for you?
Computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) has been in existence since the 1980s. Until recently, most CMMS software were client/server software run on in-house computers. With the advent of cloud-based solutions, managers can now opt to use a cloud-based system that is hosted externally by a third-party vendor. Both client/server and cloud-based systems have their pros and cons. Which option is right for you? Here are some important considerations to help you decide.
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Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
Equipsoft Transforms Maintenance Department at Harwood Place
Harwood Place is a 330,000 square foot retirement community and assisted living facility in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. When Neal Manske, the new maintenance manager took over, the department was a mess—and “managed” with a whiteboard and note cards. Clearly, something needed to change. More...
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
Using CMMS Data for Year-End Reporting and Strategic Planning
When you add up the true costs of maintenance for any size or type of plant or facility—it’s easy to see that maintenance management makes up a big piece of the financial pie. Financial performance drives day-to-day operational decisions, organizational business management, and long-range strategic planning.So with end of the year reporting and budgeting just around the corner, now’s the time to ensure that your CMMS/EAM system is giving you and your organization the critical data you need to make sound maintenance management decisions for 2012 and beyond.
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Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
How Smart Maintenance Management Drives Business Success
If you’re reading this article, chances are you own a car. And that car has a regular maintenance program—from regular oil changes to complete tune-ups, as well as recommended replacement of worn-out belts, brakes, tires, etc. (hopefully before they fail completely and cause a problem). The point is, preventative maintenance (PM) and predictive maintenance keeps your car running longer, saves you money, improves gas mileage, and allows you to enjoy the full use and benefits of your asset. More...
Thursday, July 14th, 2011
PAS 55 for Asset Management - Why Should You Care About It
A recent cover of Maintenance Technology challenged maintenance managers to understand the implications and prepare for the impact of PAS 55. If the issue is still sitting on the corner of your desk unread, here’s a quick snapshot of why PAS 55 can help facility and maintenance managers develop ‘best practice’ asset management strategies. .More...
Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
Closing the Knowlege Gap
What’s inside your retiring employee’s head? It’s years of collective knowledge, including repair and maintenance tips, vendor knowledge, and equipment quirks that nobody else knows. When workers retire, that valuable facility information often goes with them. You can’t afford to lose this critical business asset, but with the right CMMS (computerized maintenance management system), you can capture, track, manage and share asset data to be used for the entire lifecycle of your equipment. This allows for maximum performance and productivity, and minimal downtime. More...
Tuesday, June 6th, 2011
Seasonal Predictive Maintenance Can Protect Equipment AgainstSummer's Demands
Rising costs and increased environmental awareness have created a shift in thinking from Reactive Maintenance (the Break/Fix method) to Preventative Maintenance (regular scheduled maintenance based on days/run time), and most recently, to Predictive Maintenance. Predictive Maintenance is based on the collection, management, and intelligent use of historical and current asset data. This method focuses on “asset health,” performing services and repairs based on the asset’s failure to meet prescribed performance objectives.
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Monday, March 7th, 2011
"ESI" makes Leeding "easy"
When ESI (Environmental Systems, Inc.) began discussing what they needed in a new facility, it quickly became clear that building new would be the only way to assure their needs were met. In an interview with Paul Oswald, President of ESI, we discussed what those needs were. Energy efficiency, sustainability, comfort, and LEED certification were just some of the goals ESI was looking to accomplish. “Most importantly we wanted this building to be a reflection of ESI’s culture as a company; open, collaborative, team driven. The space layout, everything in there had to be a reflection of that which we are, that which we do, and to be an example to the community and to other businesses about how this can be done”, states Oswald. More...
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thanks to LEED, more and more buildings are going green and it’s paying off for everyone.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)is an internationally recognized voluntary green building certification system, first created in 1999, designed to help building professionals and owners improve the performance and sustainability of their buildings while reducing their impact on the environment. In the United States, buildings transform land use; consume one-third of our total energy, two-thirds of our electricity, and one-eighth of our water supply, so their impact on the environment is... More
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Shut the door, you're letting the penguins out
What do most people think of when you say “energy management?” The usual answers are turning off the lights when you walk out of a room, using different lightbulbs, and digital thermostats with scheduling capabilities. Behavior changes aren’t enough for a thirty-floor office building or a manufacturing facility that spans four blocks. Today there is so much more a business can do. Every facility is different, and solutions should be individually tailored to fit.
With energy prices on the rise, there is no question we all need to consider better solutions for energy management. Eagle Technology’s Vice President of Business Development, Harry Kohal, attended this year’s AHR Expo in Las Vegas where the issue of energy management for business got a lot of attention. “It seems everywhere you look things are going green,” says Kohal, “everything from equipment components to software are focusing on reducing energy usage.”
What is so important about energy management? More...
Friday, February 02, 2011
Preventive Maintenance / Energy Savings
The single best way you can achieve Return On Investment (ROI) from your heating and cooling system, is for it to run efficiently. Regularly scheduled preventive maintenance not only improves efficiency, it can cut back on man hours, and extend the life of your system.Through the use of an expert preventive maintenance program, you can avoid future problems and unwanted costs, like breakdowns and costly repair bills. More...
Monday, January 31st, 2011
Questions about Energy Managment, Maintenance and the Smart Grid?
Harry Kohal, VP of Business Development, will be in Las Vegas next week for the AHR Expo to get a better understanding of how Eagle Technology’s products can be utilized in emerging maintenance systems and the much-publicized Smart Grid. More...
Monday, January 17th, 2011
Steps for Implementing Data in CMMS
To ensure that all plant equipment is properly maintained through defined procedures. All of the data and information that is necessary to populate the Assets/Equipment section More...
Monday, January 10th, 2011
Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs with RFID - Part 4 of 4
The goal of this blog series is simply to engage and educate a broad audience and share some insights on how RFID can be utilized with a maintenance management solution to improve efficiency and lower costs. More...
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs with RFID - Part 3 of 4
What is the five-node system? The five-node system is a method of visioning what we call a location tree. When Eagle Technology and Dataflo develop a strategy, the team develops an organizational structure More...
Friday, December 17, 2010
Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs with RFID - Part 2 of 4
The use and implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has been spreading like wildfire. Its use allows executive management from numerous industries to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Facilities management is a perfect industry in which the exploitation of RFID technology is extremely valuable, offering a high return. Enjoy the second portion of our four-part blog series. More...
Friday, November 19, 2010
Improving Efficiency and Reducing Costs with RFID - Part 1 of 4
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been been in existence or some time, however it isn’t until recently that RFID is being utilized in facilities management. Misconceptions of high costs or complicated implementations have kept this technology from being effectively utilized to its fullest potential. More...
Monday, August 30, 2010
Success or Failure
Believe it or not training has a lot to do with whether or not your CMMS program will be a Success or a Failure.
A few key points on what happens without proper training: More...
Friday, June 18, 2010
Healthcare & Facilities Management software...
Whether your facility is part of a Hospital Group, a Treatment Center, or a Long-Term Care Center - no matter what the size of your organization, the use of a Maintenance Management software solution will help meet your tracking needs. Such software will provide you with the necessary tools to protect your assets and extend the life of those assets. More…
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Oh and HOW time flies...!
Time flies...
Back in January, I made a resolution that I would build-up my CMMS database and get to adding the information that has been sitting on my desk (or in a drawer). So, as you can tell, that information never made it into the CMMS system. Now, it's Spring and that old saying came to mind, "Spring cleaning" (my desk and drawers, first?). More…
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Looking for Cost-Savings?
Have you ever thought about taking advantage of the incentives that are out there - for you to get your assets running more efficiently - and find ways to shore up that bottom line? This is but ONE example that could save you maybe ... 20% to 30% (or more) in heating and cooling energy costs. More…
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Foretell the Future? - Predictive Strategies
If you could "look into the future" at your Facility, what would you want to see in the area of maintenance? More…
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
ProTeus V & Asset Management ...
Today the key (for any company desiring to achieve a high-standards set for Asset Management): they must look at the whole picture! And this includes, but is not limited to: Health and Safety, CMMS, Root Cause Analysis, Plant capability and criticality, Operational and Maintenance practices and behaviors, Support services. The organization and leadership at any company needs to be 100% behind any program from cradle to grave to achieve success. More…
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Mobile & CMMS
Wow! When I think back to when I started in Maintenance using a paper calendar and index cards, I thought THAT was "High-Tech" for our company, at that time, a few shots of grease was PM! Worse yet, we did not even have a work-order system. More…