What’s the biggest obstacle keeping maintenance teams from modernizing?

Modern maintenance teams rely on data. They don’t plan using guesswork, manuals, or “That’s how we’ve always done it.” They use all the information they get their hands on to decide what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.

However, collecting and analyzing this data takes time. Every minute spent crunching the numbers is a minute not spent doing what the data tells you to do.

This is a huge problem when the manufacturing and maintenance industries are hurtling towards a skilled labour shortage. With fewer workers to go around, the maintenance team will be stretched thin. That makes it almost impossible for it to do both things needed for modern maintenance: Data analysis and safe, consistent, and highly technical work.

There is one way around this roadblock: Artificial intelligence. AI doesn’t replace things like equipment sensors or CMMS software. It works with these systems to do the dirty work of untangling data. This frees up the maintenance team to do what it does best. It also helps you avoid the pitfalls on the road to modern maintenance, like skipping over data in the interest of time or rushed execution of a plan.

Combining the skills of your maintenance team with AI tools embedded in everyday technology allows you to jump over the largest speed bump of modern maintenance. That doesn’t mean it will be quick or easy. But it’ll be worth it to lead the pack instead of falling behind it.