How do you decide to keep labor in-house versus outsourcing to a vendor? Several factors come into play, such as the quality of work, the expense of maintaining employees, and the type of tasks you need to be done.

Today’s blog from Omnia360 Facility Solutions answers if you should outsource your equipment maintenance. 

FM companies often work with different sourcing models: in-house, in-source, co-source, or outsource. In certain circumstances, it’s far better to simply outsource a task. But first, you’ll need to ask some questions:

What Equipment Do You Have?

Do you have specialized, proprietary equipment found nowhere else in the world? What about machines made in a factory? 

For specialized or proprietary equipment, you probably have on-site mechanics who know the day-to-day operations better than anyone else. It makes sense to keep these equipment maintenance specialists in-house.

However, if you have factory-made equipment that has manuals and standard parts that anyone can research, you might consider outsourcing your equipment maintenance needs. A good mechanic knows the basic operations of many types of machines, and a facility management company like Omnia360 has connections to these specialists.

How Much Equipment Needs Regular Maintenance?

Not all of your machines run all of the time. Some operate daily. Others weekly. Maybe some machines only power up once or twice a year. Machines that run daily may require weekly maintenance.

That means you’ll need the staff to take on that type of routine. If not, outsourcing your equipment maintenance makes sense if you can’t take the staff time to perform regular maintenance.

A robust maintenance regimen makes your equipment last longer, improving your ROI the longer you own it.

Can Current Staff Fix It?

You have a dedicated staff who knows your facility inside and out. But can they perform regular equipment maintenance and repairs? 

Let’s say you have some specialized equipment that needs monthly maintenance. However, you only have one or two staffers able to fix any problems with it. What happens if that staff is on vacation or out sick? What if those people leave? Who do you train for that type of equipment maintenance now?

Omnia360 can alleviate the concerns of staff absences. If you don’t have enough people with the know-how to maintain or fix your equipment, outsourcing to the right company makes sense for supplementing your in-house workers. Besides, deferring maintenance on your equipment or building, in general, can negatively impact your facility. 

Are Workers Cross-Trained?

Cross-training offers a fantastic way to have in-house staff perform equipment maintenance at your facility. In many production facilities, line workers are trained to handle basic maintenance on equipment.

What happens if you have a major malfunction? Can your line workers or facility manager take care of a major breakdown that leads to hours or even days of downtime? Equipment maintenance specialists and contractors, like those supplied by Omnia360, can supplement already-trained staff when your maintenance crew needs extra help.

Contact Omnia360 for Equipment Maintenance

Omnia360 Facility Solutions can supplement your current equipment maintenance teams or outfit your entire crew. Whatever your needs, we provide a range of options for your facility. Contact Omnia360 online or call toll-free 1-833-360-6642 for more details on how we can help your team.

Janitorial inspections are a vital tool in your facility management arsenal. You may not think about janitorial services or inspections as important parts of your business. But implementing regular janitorial inspections can save you money in the long run. Omnia360 Facility Solutions explains in today’s blog.

Create a Checklist

First things first. Create a comprehensive checklist of things that your janitorial staff needs to keep an eye on during their rounds. This checklist focuses on all areas for cleaning, maintenance, and inspection. Why should you have regular inspections? Checklists are one sure way to get a true picture of the shape your facility is in.

What’s on your checklist? Quick-and-easy items. Paper towel dispensers filled and working? Check. Toilets not clogged or dirty? Check. Break room trash can empty? Check. Checklists should follow along with your janitorial staff’s ordinary course of duties. Once you create the checklist, it’s a standard tool your janitorial staff can use for years to come, and it can be updated as your needs change.

Train Janitors to Look for Problems

Janitors typically know when something is amiss because they understand what your facility should look like. Train your janitorial staff to look for problems. If there is a leak, sagging ceiling, misshapen pipe, or wrong temperature in a room, janitorial crews will notice. Then they’ll talk to the right personnel to correct the problem. 

A drafty window frame might not need attention right away, but a constantly dripping pipe does. Omnia360 can take care of these types of plumbing problems and maintenance issues.

Checklists Can Uncover Larger Issues

That small oil spot on the floor? It might uncover a larger issue. Perhaps an expensive piece of machinery passed that spot a few hours before a janitor spotted it. No one knew it had an oil leak until your janitorial crew noticed it. Your maintenance techs take a look at the equipment and correct the problem immediately before the oil leak causes overheating or large concerns that require the replacement of an engine, crankcase, or the entire machine. 

Omnia360’s team can look for these types of issues so you can prevent bigger problems that cost more money, shorten the lifespan of machinery, or cause expensive downtime. 

Contact Omnia360 for Janitorial Staff

Do you need a full janitorial team at your facility? How about a few people to supplement your internal team? Omnia360 can accomplish either one or anything in between. Contact Omnia360 online or call toll-free 1-833-360-6642 for more details on how we can assist with your janitorial needs.

Winter generally means colder weather, snow, and ice. Your industrial or commercial HVAC system requirements change at this time of year, which means your facility manager must pay particular attention to winter concerns for your commercial HVAC systems. Omnia360 explains what to watch for in today’s blog.

Wild Temperature Swings or Inconsistencies

Your staff needs it to be warm inside so they can work effectively. However, your facility may have doors that open and close frequently, or you may have a cargo space that has a docking bay for semi-trailers. Your facility may have wild temperature discrepancies from managers’ offices and break rooms to the production line floor and docking bays. 

If the temperature in one area seems off for no reason or for an extended period of time, it’s a sign you should get your commercial HVAC system looked at. It could be that someone forgot to shut an empty bay door or messed with the thermostat. But it could be a sign of larger issues. Omnia360 can thoroughly inspect your system for potential problems.

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality can affect your employees’ health. Better indoor air can improve breathing, and breathing is especially important during cold and flu season. Omnia360 can send a trained HVAC tech to your place to see if your filters or air cleaners need maintenance or replacement to improve your facility’s air quality.

System Shutdown

Your commercial HVAC system may suddenly shut down due to changing needs. A warm day in the 60s might necessitate a switch to air conditioning, but the following day a cold front drops temps into the 30s, and you have to change the system back to heat. Changing between heat and air conditioning could cause havoc with your HVAC system. Preventive maintenance is the best way to lessen the chance of a sudden system failure that needs to be fixed ASAP.

Higher Utility Bills

You need to save money as much as possible. Omnia360 totally understands. If your winter utility bills rise month to month without a viable explanation, we can come up with a solution. It could be the age of your HVAC system, the new wing you built last year, or it’s time for a better thermostat to control the heating system. An investment in some regular HVAC maintenance from Omnia360 can save on your utility bills over time.

Contact Omnia360 for Integrated Facility Management

Do you have seasonal issues with your HVAC system? Do any of these aforementioned problems sound like your situation? Contact Omnia360 online or call toll-free 1-833-360-6642 for more details on how we can help you with winter concerns for your facility’s HVAC system. Also, take a look at our vendor management platform.

Equipment maintenance is an important aspect of facility management. Whether you’ve got a factory full of specialized machinery or a few pieces of janitorial equipment, you need to incorporate best practices for maintaining your equipment. Omnia360 Facility Solutions explains how to ensure proper equipment maintenance.

Create a Plan

First, you need to make a plan and stick to it. Draw up a plan for your facility management, whether it’s weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Outline what happens on particular days, any closures or downtime, and if you need any specialty facility management staff to come to your site.

Maintain Accurate Inventory

Accurate inventory represents a crucial portion of your facility’s equipment maintenance. You can’t fix or maintain what you don’t know you have. Maintain an accurate inventory of every sprayer, mower, extruder, atomizer, and floor cleaner you have on hand. Then you can dole out the maintenance work to various departments and staffers.

Consider this vital information to include in your inventory:

• Age of equipment
• Date placed into service
• Date of last maintenance
• Model number
• Technical manuals
• Lock-out/tag-out procedures
• Department/personnel responsible for equipment maintenance
• Warranty information
• Parts guide
• Performance characteristics

Make Information Easily Accessible

Every bit of information on your equipment should be easily accessible to those who need it for easy facility management. That’s where an accurate inventory comes into play. Think about having this information behind a secure login accessible via your internal web resources. Make this information available on smartphones, mobile devices, laptops, computers, and even on the equipment display screens. Having a secure login may prevent security threats and/or information leaks.

Schedule Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is absolutely essential when it comes to the longevity of your facility’s equipment. Schedule regular preventive maintenance to check up on every piece of equipment. Preventive maintenance increases the lifespan of your machinery, thereby reducing your overall costs when purchasing new equipment. Make sure your system alerts the necessary personnel when preventive maintenance is upcoming, so you can plan for it.

Contact Omnia360 for Integrated Facility Management

Overall, your maintenance plan should trigger automatic alerts when it comes to scheduling, warranty, and parts ordering/inventory. The more automated your system, the easier it is for your teams to maintain your equipment. Contact Omnia360 online or call toll-free 1-833-360-6642 for more details on how we can help you with facility management.

At Omnia360, we understand your concerns. From day-to-day operations and strategic facility management to bundled services that save money, our team can help your facility work more efficiently while delivering cost-effectiveness. Before you hire a facility management company, ask them these seven questions.

1. How can you save our company money?

In addition to offering a wide range of services, a facility management company must be cost-effective while saving you money. Omnia360 will outline precisely how we save you money versus hiring your own staff or having piecemeal services from several providers.

2. What portion of your services are self-performed versus subcontracted?

Facility management companies often have their own trucks (Omnia360 does) for services they perform in-house. However, we know that some companies do things better than we do. Self-performing work orders lowers overall costs and gives your facility management company more control. However, the teams we contract with are vetted well before becoming part of our bundled services package. We ensure everything is right before anyone takes a step in your facility.

3. What services does your facility management company specialize in?

Specialization is common in facility management. Some companies offer in-house electrical or plumbing services. Others specialize in landscaping or janitorial. The Omnia360 team will go over what we’re best at, what services provide you with the best margins, and which is the best strategy for your facility.

4. How soon can you have someone at my facility for emergency service?

Emergencies happen. An electrical wire breaks. A pipe bursts. How quickly can your facility management company respond with emergency service, even at 3 a.m. on Thursday? Omnia360 prides itself on quick turnarounds, rapid response times, and getting your problems solved as soon as possible. 

5. How do you describe your work order process?

Submitting a work order with Omnia360 means fast, efficient response times. Once you submit a work order through our system, we effectively send the right technician or teams to your place when you need them. Work orders are in addition to regular services we provide daily, weekly, or monthly.

6. Can you help me plan for the future?

Omnia360 does more than just perform regular tasks. Our teams work closely with yours to meet your future needs with a strategic plan aimed to maximize services and optimize costs. Facility management shouldn’t be something you need to worry about in the years ahead.

7. Do you have any references?

Any facility management company should be able to provide you with a list of references who can talk to you. Just a short email or quick phone call can put you in touch with the right person to talk to you about how well a particular facility management firm works with them.

Contact Omnia360 for Integrated Facility Management

Take a look at Omnia360 for integrated facility management solutions for your building. We’ll answer all of your questions, communicate openly with you, and develop the right facility management plan for your team. Contact Omnia360 or call toll-free 1-833-360-6642 for more information.