It is that time of year again. Whether you are enjoying visions of sugar plums or stressing about the in-laws, it can be easy to forget about the holiday preparation that may be necessary at work. The holiday season is a great time to revamp your shop and get it ready for the new year. It is best to start planning for these shutdowns early so that your shop can be well equipped even when holiday demands are high.
Things to consider before during the planning stage:
- Inspect the stock of supplies you have
- Assess your supply needs
- Order your supplies before the holiday
INSPECT
Take a moment to walk around your shop floor and inspect the equipment, quantity of consumables, and general supplies at your location. This has a broad range of possibilities. You know your shop best, so we will just name a few examples:
- Cleaning supplies
- Lubricants for servicing equipment
- Wearable parts on your equipment
If you notice you are running low on something, take note of it during your inspection.
ASSESS
Assess the condition of the equipment and inventories you have on-premises. For example, you might have all the sump cleaners you need, but not all the consumables. This scenario fits many different pieces of equipment in your shop. How about the supplies to run your floor scrubber? Downtime is a great time to do the tasks you do not have time for during your busy season. It is also a good time to verify that your equipment works properly. Startup your equipment and make sure everything is running smoothly. Check the gaskets, hoses, or any other consumable parts to make sure they are in good working order. You may also notice that you are missing parts to equipment or that certain parts are damaged. This is also important to take note of as you may need to order new ones to replace them before you begin your holiday maintenance.
ORDER
Now that you have assessed the needs of your equipment, supplies, and damaged parts, it is time to contact your vendors to get the products in your shop. No matter what parts you need to order or re-order, it is important to do it early. This is especially true with specialized industrial equipment. If you need these products sooner than later, it may be a good idea to place your orders before Thanksgiving. This is important as many of these specialized products are made to order. By ordering early you are placing yourself in the best position to complete your holiday maintenance in a timely manner.
The holiday season brings added demands to you and your fellow employees. To ensure your shop works smoothly through the holiday maintenance, make sure to Inspect, Assess, and Order now!