By Kevin Marois

The theme this month is planning and assessing things – and being aware of approaching problems so you can avoid them. Since I am an authority on equipment, let me give you a couple of guarantees. First of all, I guarantee that you will have a machine breakdown this month. Secondly, if you are in business more than five years, you will be replacing at least one of your machines.

You have been warned – so what are you going to do about it?

You need to plan for equipment maintenance and you need to plan for equipment replacement. We have talked about this before. Make a list of all your machines. Note the age of each and the expected life span. Comment on the condition and estimate how much time you have left.

Just because you are making plans to replace a machine in two years doesn’t mean that you have to do it. It does mean that you need to make preparations and be ready to do it.

Why Replace a “Good” Machine?

Your machine is still running. Why would you even consider replacing it? Let me tell you why. Over the years, we have had many emergency phone calls. They go something like this.

“My boiler failed the inspection. I can’t run. You have to come today and install a new boiler.”

I say, “I don’t have a new boiler.”

“OK, I will take whatever you have no matter how old it is. And yes, I will pay whatever the overtime is to get it changed.”

A little planning ahead could have avoided this whole situation, and gotten you a new boiler, not just any old boiler that came to hand.

It used to be that distributors would stock several new machines. That is not happening as much anymore. Now you may have to wait for a machine to be brought in. If you want something special or a larger size machine, things are actually much worse than that. The delivery time on a larger boiler/washer/dryer might be 12–16 weeks. That is a long time to go without a key piece of equipment. You should probably order that machine before you are stuck.

If you replace an operating machine, you can do it on your schedule. Do it during a slow time of year and pick the day of the week that works best for you. Now you are in control.

New Machines

There are a couple of good reasons to replace a machine that is still operating. If it isn’t too old you can probably sell it for a good price. If you wait too long, it’s only worth 7 cents a pound at the scrapyard. We often have people who call looking for good quality used equipment.

Another reason to change your machine is the features on the new machines. Washers, dryers and dry cleaning machines have much better controls now. You can create custom programs to match your requirements. The new machines save energy, solvent and time.

Homework

The biggest reason to make a plan is because you have homework to do before you make a purchase. What options do you want on that machine? What solvent will you use? Where will it fit in the plant? You need to spend some time getting answers so you aren’t forced into a hurried decision.

When you plan ahead you can also involve your staff in the decision. Get them involved and enthused about the upcoming change. A new machine always improves the morale in a plant.

Money

Finances are a key to any equipment purchase. If you are planning two or three years in the future, you may be able to save up some money towards the purchase. Leasing is a good option but it comes with a cost. You need to budget for repairs and replacement.

“I Will Wait“

You may read this and think, “He’s just trying to sell more machines.” Yes, I want to sell machines, but I also want you to succeed – and actually most of our readers are not my customers, so there is no benefit to me if you buy a machine. Planning is the first step towards success. It’s time to take control of this area of your business. Don’t wait till you are in trouble.

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