How To Decide Between In-House And Outsourcing Equipment Maintenance

In an effort to maintain cost-efficiency and keep their companies competitive in a challenging economy, many executives at manufacturing and other industrial facilities are taking a closer look at the best way to conduct equipment maintenance. Like many other services, outsourcing is becoming an increasingly popular option. But before you make your final decision, here are some factors to think about when deciding between in-house or outsourced equipment maintenance.

Saving Money

When you choose to outsource your equipment maintenance, there is no doubt your company will save money. Rather than having to pay employee salaries and also provide health insurance and other benefits, you can pay a third-party contractor a flat fee to perform these same services.

Slower Response Times

When your facility has equipment that starts to experience problems or breaks down altogether, it needs to be fixed as quickly as possible. Since time is money in the business world, a piece of equipment sitting idle means lost production time and lost profits. If you have an in-house maintenance staff, the problem can get corrected quickly. However, if you have outsourced your equipment maintenance, response times for repairs and installations may be delayed.

The Latest Training and Technology

Since you have so many areas that demand attention at your business, it may be hard to provide in-house maintenance staff with the latest training on equipment and technology. Since these areas are constantly changing, costs can add up to keep in-house staff well-trained. However, you may not experience that problem by outsourcing. Since a contractor will need to always possess state-of-the-art training to satisfy customers, chances are they will have the knowledge and expertise to handle the most complex problems.

For example, burner service is something that can be serviced in-house or by outsourcing. However, a burner may not be a full-time position and therefore require that person to also maintain other equipment. The concern with this is that they wouldn’t be specialized in burners and may not have the expertise needed in some situations. If you outsource burner services, you’re more likely to have someone specialized in, or at least have a team of people that can address the issues that need to be resolved.

A New Technician Every Time

If you rely on in-house equipment maintenance personnel, it is likely they will become long-time employees who not only have many years of experience but are also people you have come to know and trust to get the job done right the first time. But should you opt for outsourcing, you may not be so lucky. In fact, you may find yourself dealing with a new maintenance technician on each visit. In these situations, you may get someone who can handle the problem, however, you may feel like there is little rapport between you and the new technician that comes every time.

Whether you ultimately choose to use in-house maintenance personnel or try to save money by outsourcing, always make sure your final decision is based on what will be best for your company in the short and long term.