Cultivate a smart culture. Stop for a moment and think about all the training today’s maintenance techs must complete to be qualified for the job. It’s pretty impressive. They have to be smart to be qualified. But are you using that brain power?
If your maintenance department leans toward a top-down system, you're leaving valuable brainpower out of the loop. Learn some ways to tap in to this knowledge source.
- Seek out suggestions. Something passive, like a suggestion box, isn’t enough. Ask individuals for specific input, even if that means assigning them a small research project.
- Improve procedures. Assign a work analyst or other person responsible for maintenance procedures to go on a repair or PM job and get immediate input from the tech(s) performing the procedure. What is not clear? What steps should be added, removed, or restated?
- Pose problems. If you’re a manager, don’t just respond to problems maintenance techs bring to you. Discuss your problems with them and get their input. You may be delightfully surprised.
