Are You In Break-Fix Mode With Your Machines?

Are you in a break-fix mode with your machines?

Many companies are, and that model fits them just fine – for a while. There’s a limit to the number of fixes you can apply before this reactive methodology ends up costing more in downtime than you can afford.

I know. I’ve been there.

At some point you have to ask yourself the question, “Would I rather wait until my machine breaks down to fix it, or prevent the problems from happening in the first place?”

Money Matters (But So Does Time)

We all would prefer to prevent the problems from happening, but it’s not always that easy. Mostly because a proactive approach can require a sizeable upfront investment.

However, you should not forget that time is money, so all the stoppages and break-fix situations can add up quickly.

Our food producer client had a challenge. An obsolete, light-on-documentation DCS system was controlling their fermentation process. The backbone of the system was running on unsupported platforms. A complete system failure was a real possibility.

Even if the worst case scenario didn’t happen, the system was limited in memory and communication, and with inadequate spares, the process could not continue to be supported.

Break-fix was no longer an option. The downtime alone was threatening to outweigh the cost to replace the system.

Business Justification

Three main drivers helped them justify the capital expense of migration:

1. Operations: Improve processes, efficiency and productivity. More output, more money.
2. Financial: Stop the continuous drain simply to maintain. More uptime, more money.
3. Strategy: Implement corporate standards for consistency and ease of use. More comfort, better results.  

In this case, with 24/7 operations and a 30-year-old system, the first two drivers easily justify the effort. Corporate strategy can also be an easy discussion because it is the future of the company. But the underlying factor, and it’s one that companies cannot afford to underestimate, is people.