Traditionally, we think of repairs as what you do to restore equipment to its normal condition. For example, a palletizer stops working because its drive motor throws a bearing. You replace the motor.
But what if your plant had a policy that says every time you replace or service a motor, you ensure it has remote sensors on it? The next time that palletizer motor is overheated, vibrates excessively, or exhibits any problems that your Internet of Things (IoT) system is monitoring for (or maybe you're not with IoT yet but have something that still monitors), someone can fix the problem before expensive downtime is incurred.
Stop thinking of repairs as just a means of restoring operation. Start thinking of them as a means to increase reliability.
In some cases, it won't mean adding remote sensors and monitoring when directly replacing equipment. It will mean adding those to equipment upgrades or it will mean upgrading the equipment to a version that has connectivity (“smart breakers,” for example).
You can't expect the repair tech, who is usually under time pressure, to think of these enhancements on the fly. They need to be planned, one asset number at a time. Plan in the CMMS and have the necessary parts in the stockroom.
