A piece of equipment on the production line stopped working unexpectedly, just when you managed to close a big sale to one of your biggest clients. This is the reality that happens in dozens of factories that, even today, do not carry out preventive and predictive maintenance plans, much less execute control scripts in their companies.
One of the big problems of this lack of planning is the increase in industrial maintenance costs, which causes financial problems for your company and reduces your competitive advantages. This problem can be avoided hiring a complete ERP, that is, a management system with functionalities that help you analyze and propose corrections much faster and avoid high costs.
To explain how an ERP solution can be the main ally in cost management, we spoke with two TOTVS specialists: Marcelo Gramigna, Product Manager, and Umberto Tonin, Digital Manufacturing Bid Architect. Verify!
The importance of planning to achieve cost reduction
When companies do not work with a specific maintenance control solution and do not plan properly, it is even possible to have an idea of how much was spent at the end of the month. However, it is much more difficult to know which machines are placing an excessive burden on your finances and which processes can be optimized to reduce costs.
«He The type of maintenance that generates the most expenses is corrective maintenance, that is, maintenance where a problem has already occurred and the factory did not perform preventive maintenance.”says Marcelo Gramigna. This is because a machine that does not work not only generates the expense of parts that must be changed in an emergency: there are also the costs of stopping part or all of its production.
«Is It is important to know how much each piece of equipment costs, from acquisition to maintenance, because the product that passes through that machine receives a portion of the cost of these processes. If you just do a proration, sometimes you are charging the cost of a product for maintenance, and that machine didn’t even have to go through that process for a long time,” explains Umberto Tonin..
By adopting an efficient preventive and predictive maintenance plan, your company can, in addition to reducing costs:
- reduce the number of corrective maintenance occurrences;
- improve the predictability of expenses;
- buy in advance and at better prices all the materials necessary to repair the equipment;
- gain more agility in repair and repair processes;
- and, above all, minimize impacts on production.
The main advantages of ERP to manage maintenance costs
Ideally, your company should manage maintenance costs, from planning to recording day-to-day information, using a complete management system. The automation of these processes brings some benefits that can generate new differentials for the business. Check out these benefits!
Receive automatic notifications and service orders
The management software will help, according to the manufacturer’s manual and the process used on the machine, to inform you how often your team should perform maintenance on each piece of equipment, reducing costs and making much better management of the company as a whole. . . «He system counts operating hours, in addition to providing a complete view for maintenance planning and material purchasing”, denotes Marcelo Gramigna.
Organize inspection routes more easily
Ideally, at most weekly, plant operators should check each piece of equipment. This process must follow an inspection script, which can be prepared with the help of the data recorded in your ERP.
Gramigna emphasizes that with this, you and your team will be able to understand if the machine is really working according to the supplier’s information or if it is already having a problem even before the scheduled maintenance period.
Have all the history of your machines
Unfortunately, manual notes cannot completely record all the information about your machine. With the management system, combined with Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Big Data, the history of changes and inspections made to each of the equipment can be stored.
«With access to old notes, a strategic stock of spare parts can be made to avoid having a very long stoppage of the machines. You have to be careful, because sometimes the maintenance cost is low and will be done with a simple part. But what will make this process more expensive are other factors, such as the time the machine and production will be stopped, costs not related to the service, worsening customer satisfaction and even loss of sales,” warns Umberto Tonin..
Learn about TOTVS solutions
TOTVS’s ERP They are specialized solutions in the manufacturing segment, which offer the best functionalities for you to manage all the processes that involve the maintenance of your production floor, in addition to the administration and monitoring of costs that involve this very relevant part of your business. .
The management systems have integrated modules, which allow you to have a complete view of your business. You can track costs not only in the view required by the maintenance sector, but also in the accounting and management reports related to these financial transactions, all in one place.
The digital transformation and the opportunity to increasingly insert itself in the context of Industry 4.0 It is one of the great advantages that TOTVS offers. You can access the main functionalities of the ERP directly from your tablet or cell phone. «He Maintenance depended on processes done on paper and then transferred to the system. With mobile solutions, we provide more agility and, consequently, reduce errors and costs”, disappoints Umberto Tonin.
In addition to ERPs, you can also have complementary and specialized solutions, such as TOTVS MES, where you can manage all the production of your factory. It is also possible to hire Artificial Intelligence and Big Data technologies to study the behavior of the production line based on variables and data, identifying patterns and problems.
Increasingly better management of industrial maintenance costs is an important initiative so that your company has more resources to invest in its core business and obtains new advantages in terms of price, agility and quality compared to other companies in the market. To do this, trust ERP solutions specialized in your segment, such as those offered by TOTVS.
