May 2019 Maintenance Insights: Fiix News & Global Trends

Discover this month’s curated maintenance updates, featuring industry‑leading insights, actionable strategies, and Fiix expertise.

Global Maintenance Highlights

Upgrade Your Maintenance Plan: Aligning Strategy with Business Outcomes (Steve Gahbauer, Plant.ca)

Designing or revamping a maintenance program is complex. A major hurdle is reconciling the maintenance team’s goals—minimizing downtime and reducing backlogs—with the company’s broader objectives of cost control and profitability. This article explains why these seemingly opposing agendas can converge and presents a real‑world case study that demonstrates how to integrate them effectively.

Bridging Digital Manufacturing Gaps (Christine LaFave Grace, PlantServices)

Digital maintenance remains a nebulous concept in many operations. The absence of a shared definition, siloed communication, and a tendency to chase fads delay progress. Industry leaders outline actionable steps to clarify the vision, foster cross‑functional dialogue, and accelerate the transition to a truly digital maintenance ecosystem.

Six Proven Heavy‑Equipment Maintenance Tactics to Extend Asset Life (Vernon Glick, MachineDesign)

In mining, automotive, and other high‑intensity sectors, unplanned downtime costs millions and erodes client trust. Heavy machinery is especially susceptible to age‑related wear. This post details six evidence‑based practices that extend machine longevity and prevent costly failures.

Accessibility Challenges on the NYC Transit System: A Maintenance Perspective (Sarah Kim, Forbes)

Maintenance plays a critical role in ensuring safety and accessibility. In New York City’s subway network, lapses have left stations out of service for disabled riders and caused injuries. This article examines how maintenance shortcomings contribute to accessibility gaps and proposes solutions.

Fiix Maintenance Insights

Decoding Maintenance Metrics & KPIs (Podcast with Stuart Fergusson)

Measurement drives improvement, but selecting the right metrics is daunting. In the Rooted in Reliability podcast, Fiix Solutions Engineering Lead Stuart Fergusson explains how to differentiate leading and lagging indicators, align KPIs with business goals, and cultivate a culture that celebrates metric milestones.

Three Sectors Beyond Manufacturing That Thrive with CMMS

Paper records and reactive repairs stall operations, damage reputations, and inflate costs. Any business with significant physical assets should adopt a CMMS. This article identifies three industries—healthcare, hospitality, and energy—that stand to gain from structured maintenance planning and modern CMMS solutions.

Seven Inventory Management Techniques to Slash Costs

Effective spare‑part inventory is the backbone of any maintenance function, yet it often goes unnoticed. This guide reveals seven practical tactics—spare‑part lifecycle analysis, demand forecasting, automated replenishment, and more—to reduce excess, lower overhead, and boost asset uptime.

Getting Started with Fiix Integrations

Software integrations unlock new collaboration layers, uncover hidden data patterns, and drive efficiencies. Once laborious, integration is now streamlined. This article explains the benefits, key considerations, and how integration transforms maintenance workflows.