Exorcise the Factory Downtime Demons: How IM Supply Implements Preventative Maintenance

Downtime—it’s a word that drives fear into every plant manager’s heart. We all know that downtime means not only lost time, but lost money as well. This is especially true if you’re dealing with perishable products or hazardous materials, but still a concern no matter what you’re producing.

The best way to combat this nightmare is to team up with a trusted electrical and lighting MRO solution provider to keep plants fully operational at all times. Turn over your stress to a company on which Fortune 500 companies rely. IM Supply and its network of more than 780 distributor locations across the United States and Canada handle nearly $1 billion worth of electrical and lighting product inventory at any given time.

Here’s How IM Supply Can Mitigate Downtime at Your Plant:

Establish predictive analytics

“We believe if something can be measured, it can be improved,” said Jared Hoover, president of IM Supply. That’s why IM Supply will evaluate a plant’s procurement and spend reports to determine a product’s average life in a plant. If the analytics show, for example, that the average plant high-bay fixture bulb is replaced after five years, it’s safe to assume that nearly half of the bulbs will be out of commission by the five-year mark.

Set preventative maintenance schedules

With predictive analytics, IM Supply can determine the optimal time to conduct repairs and service without interrupting the factory’s production.  Instead of waiting for things to break before fixing them, IM Supply will recommend a service and/or replacement schedule to avoid any equipment failures that could affect plant productivity. Local distributors work with plants to have critical parts in stock before you need them. IM Supply distributors have deep expertise in manufacturing and can recommend products that last longer, work better or offer better energy efficiency. “For example, a higher quality product might be guaranteed for a year instead of six months and that would eliminate maintenance and downtime during repairs,” said Keith Jack, vice president of IM Supply.

Streamline inventory

Do you know the optimal amount of lighting and electrical inventory for your plant? Some plants accumulate large quantities of non-critical inventory or excess inventory from multiple suppliers. IM supply works with plant engineers to determine a realistic inventory and minimize duplicate SKUs. Simplifying inventory will help minimize human errors as well. “If we are working on site, we offer vendor-managed inventory because we are often more efficient and quicker since we know our products better,” Jack said.

Set realistic inventory levels

Hoover says IM Supply reduces a plant’s inventory by only stocking a certain quantity of critical items onsite. IM Supply distributors will stock the non-critical inventory items and additional critical parts nearby at a distributor, so they can be delivered, as needed. Local distributors can deliver these parts in 24 hours or less, so you lower operating costs and free up on-site storage space.  Distributors will automatically reorder supplies to maintain set levels at your plant location to minimize downtime and simplify inventory management.

When you partner with IM Supply, you gain a trusted partner and adviser. Together, we will make your processes more efficient and reduce operating expenses through cost savings.

 The right MRO supplier can keep the manufacturing lines running on time, which is why Fortune 500 companies choose IM Supply.