Gamechanger: How the Cloud Has Altered Manufacturing Maintenance Forever
January 2, 2018
But as we rely more heavily on advanced machines and the data they generate to complete everyday activities, we open ourselves up to risk when those machines fail. An efficient maintenance schedule has always been a necessity for any business, especially warehouses, construction companies, and the like. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a workplace that doesn’t rely on the efficient operation of machines or computers.
That’s where the cloud comes in, especially in the manufacturing sector, for keeping up with the added complexity of maintenance scheduling.
Cloud Services Allow for Real-Time Monitoring
Another advantage of monitoring technology that utilizes the cloud is the tracking of devices that leave the workplace. From vehicles to company-owned handheld devices, a number of assets leave the immediate purview of the people who manage them. Telematics are already entering vehicle fleets as a way of tracking driver behaviour as well as the health of the vehicles themselves. With computing devices becoming smaller and smaller, many companies look for ways to track their devices when they’re used off-site.
Centralizing this influx of data with a cloud service can be useful to the maintenance team as well as managers. When devices are off-site, it’s very difficult for technicians to properly keep an eye on them, and the employees using them may not know the signs that a device needs service. Catching a needed repair early can mean a big difference in cost, but sifting out useful data can be a chore. A cloud service can crunch that data without you investing in the storage and processing power needed to do it.
The Advantages of Hosting Databases Off-Site
The first big advantage of using off-site storage for records, data, and vital software is in the location itself. Not needing to maintain all that computing power frees up time that can be spent on other devices and machines. Tasks like database restores are time and money intensive, require expert labour, and a whole lot more storage space than is feasible for many businesses, so they often go unperformed. Using a cloud service puts that data in the hands of experts who have the time and resources to troubleshoot, perform routine maintenance, and help you recover from technical problems, which frees up your staff.
Once you’ve decided to move to a cloud service, the possibilities become nearly endless. It’s easy to scale when you don’t have to purchase new machines yourself. You can even scale up and back depending on seasonal changes in the use and wear on the items you’re tracking. With more maintenance time, you’re free to implement new display devices into the workplace that present the data crunched by the off-site servers. A number of other teams, not just maintenance, could benefit from productivity and efficiency reports generated by telematics and other sources of data.
Cloud services let you take advantage of the advancements of a tech company without having to become one yourself.
About the Author
Avery Phillips is a unicorn of a human being who loves all things relating to people and their entrepreneurial spirits. Comment down below or tweet her @a_taylorian.