Fiix October 2018 Maintenance Digest: Industry Insights & Fiix Updates

Get your monthly briefing of the most relevant and actionable maintenance stories from across the industry.

Global Maintenance Highlights

How Do We Fix the Manufacturing Skills Gap? Lots Of Ways! (Jim Vinoski, Forbes)

Manufacturers increasingly fear a looming skills gap that could jeopardize productivity and competitiveness. Jim Vinoski explores the root causes and outlines a range of initiatives—from targeted training programs to cross‑functional collaborations—that are helping factories secure the talent they need in skilled trades such as electrical work, welding, machining, and general manufacturing maintenance.

From Pokémon to Power Plants: The AR and IIoT Revolution (Aimee Xia, Electronic Design)

Industry analysts predict that by 2020 there will be 50 billion connected devices worldwide, reshaping every facet of industrial operations. Aimee Xia examines how augmented reality and the Industrial Internet of Things are driving smarter monitoring, predictive maintenance, and more efficient workflows in modern factories.

Environmental Footprint of Maintenance (Erika Mazza, MRO Magazine)

Maintenance practices directly influence the environmental health of manufacturing sites. Erika Mazza breaks down the three key areas—resource use, equipment efficiency, and waste generation—where maintenance strategies can reduce a facility’s ecological impact.

The State of America’s Transit Infrastructure (Paul Comfort, Reliabilityweb.com)

Paul Comfort provides an insightful overview of U.S. transit infrastructure and the critical role that rigorous maintenance plays in keeping trains, subways, and roads safe and reliable. The article underscores the need for significant investment in upkeep to safeguard public safety and economic vitality.

What’s New at Fiix

Unplanned Maintenance: Necessary Evil or Avoidable Inconvenience?

While many organizations strive for proactive scheduling, unplanned repairs often derail even the best plans. A recent Fiix survey found that over 25 % of respondents still rely on reactive maintenance, yet none intend to continue this practice. This piece explores whether reactive maintenance can truly be eliminated and outlines strategies to reduce its impact.

Time is Money: Tips for Using Maintenance Software to Save Time and Spend More Efficiently

Time is a critical resource in maintenance. In this entry of our Digital Transformation blog series, we demonstrate how advanced maintenance software can cut backlogs, improve spending decisions, and elevate preventive maintenance performance. We contrast the inefficiencies of legacy pen‑and‑paper and Excel workflows with the streamlined capabilities of Fiix, showing how our platform frees staff to focus on high‑value tasks.

Mobile Maintenance: More Than Just an Industry Trend (PODCAST)

Scott Deckers, Fiix Manager of Customer Success, joined the Rooted in Reliability podcast to discuss why mobile maintenance is a permanent shift, not a passing fad. The conversation covers the historical ubiquity of mobile work, the transformative power of cloud computing, common misconceptions about mobile adoption, and the importance of standardization when implementing a mobile CMMS.