Preventive maintenance involves much more than simply taking good care of your IT systems. By anticipating equipment and software failures and preventing them before they occur, preventive maintenance offers a whole range of significant strategic and operational benefits to businesses.
It can be difficult for a company to get through a period of crisis. Fortunately, the development of digital tools and technology has made it easier to keep businesses up and running under varied circumstances. Preventive maintenance is an essential part of maintaining smooth operations. Our managed IT specialists explain why.
What is preventive maintenance?
Preventive maintenance can reduce the risk of possible breakdowns affecting the equipment in an IT infrastructure. The idea is to do everything possible to avoid any breakdowns, malfunctions and potential slowdowns.
Although it is always important to do routine preventive maintenance, the benefits become especially obvious during times of crisis. Let’s take a look at why preventive maintenance is essential for companies of all sizes.
Types of preventive maintenance
There are two types of preventive maintenance that can be done to avoid complications and continue delivering efficient managed IT services: hardware maintenance and software maintenance.
Preventive maintenance for hardware
Hardware preventative maintenance is a proactive practice that aims to prevent hardware failures and failures before they occur. Rather than waiting for equipment to fail before taking action, preventive maintenance involves performing scheduled IT maintenance tasks on a regular basis to keep hardware components in good working order. This can include checking the various cables of the computer system, cleaning equipment, replacing aging equipment, checking fans and heat sinks, doing regular data backups, etc.
By implementing regular preventative hardware maintenance, organizations can reduce unplanned downtime, extend the life of IT equipment, and improve the overall reliability of their infrastructure.
Preventive maintenance for software
Preventative maintenance for software is a proactive practice aimed at preventing software problems and failures before they occur. Unlike corrective maintenance, which occurs after a problem has developed, preventive maintenance involves performing regularly scheduled tasks to keep software in good working order. These include, for example, regular data updates and backups, performance and security audits, installing antivirus programming, doing temporary file cleanups, and more.
By implementing effective software preventative maintenance, organizations can reduce the risk of software failures, improve system stability, and ensure continuous IT availability for business-critical applications.
Benefits of preventive maintenance for IT equipment
There are many organizational benefits to putting in place a well-implemented maintenance plan. These include:
Increased productivity
Preventive maintenance also helps companies increase their productivity in times of crisis. By reducing the risk of breakdowns and downtime by detecting and fixing potential problems before they cause major breakdowns, companies benefit from more production time.
With remote work becoming increasingly popular, preventive maintenance allows work to continue efficiently, even in times of crisis. For example, software interventions can provide employees with continuous access to company data via hosted IT solutions. Companies can also configure the Microsoft 365 suite of applications to create a collaborative platform and install a VoIP telephony system.
This allows employees to continue working easily at home and with fewer disruptions.
Major economic advantages
In times of crisis, companies can suffer major economic losses. A reduced number of customers, production stoppages and economic slowdowns are all factors that can cause a company harm. And for a small business, losing a considerable amount of money can sometimes lead to closing its doors.
Preventive maintenance can help minimize the consequences of a crisis by avoiding additional costs related to shutdowns and technical support. It offers a significant economic advantage in times of crisis.
Although preventative maintenance requires an investment upfront, it saves money in the long run by helping businesses avoid the high costs associated with breakdowns and emergency repairs.
Extended equipment life-span
Preventive maintenance plays a crucial role in extending the lifespan of IT equipment. Regular checks and updates of both hardware and software components can confirm that they are working properly and reduce the risk of major or early failures. Extended equipment lifespan brings financial benefits to any company. For example, instead of replacing a component every 5 years, you can replace it every 8 years.
A more eco-friendly IT infrastructure
Preventive maintenance contributes to a more ecological and responsible business model. By extending the life of IT equipment, your business benefits from a more efficient use of resources and avoids the waste associated with premature replacemenst.
This translates into a lower overall environmental footprint for your business. When each piece of equipment is used optimally, you produce less electronic waste (e-waste), which is difficult to recycle.
In addition, by maintaining and updating operating systems and software on a regular basis, your business can benefit from increased energy efficiency.
How to set up a preventive maintenance plan
Are you convinced that implementing a maintenance strategy is important? If so, you’re probably wondering how it can be done. Here are 7 steps to put a preventive maintenance plan in place:
- Establish maintenance plan goals.
- Make an inventory of the most important equipment to maintain.
- Create a list of priorities and available resources.
- Establish a regular maintenance schedule for each piece of equipment.
- Determine who will be responsible for completing each task.
- Define key performance indicators.
- Regularly evaluate and adjust the preventive maintenance plan.
It is sometimes easier to outsource IT management to professionals in the field. This applies to IT maintenance for SMBs and also for larger businesses.
Trust IT professionals with your preventive maintenance
Many companies overlook the importance of preventive maintenance, but putting it in place can help businesses of all sizes avoid significant economic consequences and increase employee productivity. By effectively maintaining both hardware and software, you can keep your IT equipment in top condition and save money.
If you would like to do preventive maintenance, contact us now. At Groupe SL, our team of managed IT specialists can provide SMBs with personalized services tailored to the unique
