In the United States, there are around 4.9 million maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) professionals. They protect and support invaluable assets for commercial, residential and public facilities. These maintenance technicians are vital to keep operations running smoothly, but several challenges commonly influence their performance.
Healthy and happy workers will produce great results for any business. Here are the top three MRO challenges and how to solve them with efficient practices.
1. Physical Strain and Injuries
Pain Points:
- Heavy Lifting & Repetitive Motions: Regular tasks that include lifting awkward and heavy objects can cause recurring discomfort and physical muscular issues. Additionally, crouching or kneeling in cramped spaces can result in chronic joint pain.
- Hazardous Materials: Exposure to chemicals such as paint, adhesives and other hazardous substances can create long term health risks.
- Environmental Hazards: Poor lighting, slippery surfaces, and cluttered work areas increase the risk of accidents.
Solutions:
- Ergonomic Training & Regular Breaks: Educate workers on proper lifting techniques and ergonomics to prevent injuries. Managers should encourage regular breaks to help workers recover and reduce strain.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Provide appropriate PPE such as gloves, safety glasses, masks and knee pads to properly protect worker health.
- Workplace Improvements: Enhance lighting, ensure safe walkways, and use organization straps and tools to reduce clutter and minimize tripping or slipping.
2. Inadequate Tools and Equipment
Pain Points:
- Lack of Proper Tools: Without the right tools, workers may improvise, leading to complications and safety hazards.
- Malfunctioning Equipment: Using broken or outdated tools can slow down work and increase the risk of accidents.
- Outdated Technology: Relying on obsolete tools makes tasks more difficult and time-consuming.
Solutions:
- Investment in Tools: Regularly update and invest in high-quality maintenance tools and equipment to ensure efficiency and safety.
- Routine Maintenance and Inspections: Implement a schedule for regular maintenance and inspection of tools and MRO products to prevent malfunctions.
- Training on New Equipment: Provide training sessions on new tools and technologies to help workers adapt quickly and use them effectively.
3. Lack of Spare Parts and MRO Inventory Control & Management
Pain Points:
- Lack of Spare Parts: Delays in obtaining necessary parts can extend downtime and increase operational costs.
- Overstocking: Excessive inventory ties up capital and creates storage issues.
- Stockouts: Running out of critical parts halts maintenance activities and affects productivity.
- Poor Inventory Tracking: Inefficient systems can result in misplaced parts and inaccurate stock counts.
Solutions:
- Inventory Management Systems: Implement robust inventory systems to track stock levels, forecast demand, and ensure timely reordering of parts.
- Just-in-Time Inventory: Adopt just-in-time inventory practices to reduce overstocking and ensure parts are available when needed.
- Vendor Relationships: Develop strong relationships with suppliers to ensure quick replenishment of parts and better bulk purchase negotiations.
- Regular Audits: Conduct frequent inventory audits to identify needs, optimize stock levels and improve accuracy.
Ease These Common Challenges with VELCRO® Brand Straps & Fasteners
VELCRO® Brand solutions offer MRO professionals a wide range of fasteners and straps to greatly improve performance. This covers cable management, reusable pallet strapping, carpet attachment and adhesive backed fasteners to hang signage and material.
VELCRO® Brand adhesive-backed fasteners are easy to position and replace, without the risk of damaging valuable materials, walls and surfaces. Damage free adhesives are available for simple temporary fixtures such as signage, racks, electronics or tool storage.
VELCRO Brand® SOFT HARDWARE™ Products include rigid backing and studs that can be applied to various surfaces, similar to traditional hardware, but with hook and loop attachment points. These products can secure paneling or objects using the strength of mechanical anchor points. The hook & loop attachments provide quick and easy removal of temporary fixtures.
VELCRO® Brand EASY HANG™ Straps and all VELCRO® Brand products are available in different sizes to organize tools and materials in the shop or on the job site.
These durable straps provide physical relief using a method to bundle large quantities of tools together in a vertical space. There is no need to wrestle with messy hoses or cables when they are neatly bundled and ready to grab and carry.
Keeping tools and materials organized on the job reduces the risk of missing equipment and overstocking supplies. The improved organization also enables professionals to manage inventory so they can get the job done sooner.
Boost Your MRO Efficiency using Ergonomic Practices with the Support of VELCRO® Brand Products
MRO professionals face challenges like physical strain, inadequate tools, and inventory management issues. Companies can eliminate these difficulties and maximize productivity using ergonomic training, investing in quality tools, and efficient inventory systems. Adding VELCRO® Brand products to your MRO supply can help alleviate some common pain points for professionals at work.
