How do I Plan an Audit & Maintenance?
Operational audits review a company's equipment and often include recommendations for maintenance to ensure the production process does not experience any disruptions. Maintenance schedules increase operational efficiency and help ensure that equipment runs at maximum efficiency. Regular audits can help a business reduce overall costs and maintain a competitive advantage in the business environment. A maintenance audit can also test benchmarks for performance measurements. This enables business owners and managers to determine whether their company's production process meets predetermined production output expectations.
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Instructions
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Create a list of equipment to check for maintenance purposes. Determine which employees will need to be available for the audit, such as department supervisors or repair personnel. Companies may need to contract repairs out to third parties.
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Develop an audit scope that reports the depth and breadth of the audit, and implement a control process that ensures the audit covers all important issues and equipment.
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Conduct fieldwork, testing and reviewing the previously listed equipment. Ask employees who regularly use the equipment about operation and any issues that may exist so auditors can determine recommendations for repair.
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Review audit results and set goals for the next audit. Regular maintenance checks should result in equipment that works more efficiently, and in less-frequent service calls.
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Develop a maintenance schedule based on manufacturer and auditor recommendations. This schedule will enable auditors to decide which items need maintenance first and how the schedule will continue in the future.
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Schedule the next maintenance audit and inform all parties involved. Continuous audits can reduce the amount of time spent on the overall maintenance process.
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Tips & Warnings
Train employees to recognize maintenance issues and keep track of day-to-day equipment issues. This allows repair personnel to easily identify maintenance issues. Document pertinent information for future audits, such as error codes, time of the problem and the activities performed by employees using the equipment.
Failing to prepare and audit equipment for maintenance issues can increase a company's operating costs. Having to prematurely replace equipment or shut down operations to overhaul equipment can reduce revenues and profits.
