How to transcend old maintenance perceptions?

In order to convey the true maintenance perceptions, we need to understand a little bit about psychology. People are used to have a good perception for things that:

• Bring physical benefit
• Lead to a monetary added value
• Known and not mysterious
• Easy to do
• Its cost is accepted and not considered as a burden
• Safe to use

If we manage to implant a new image of maintenance based on the above values we would be able to well accept it in our life and daily routines. When we proclaim our ideas about maintenance from our own belief in its value in our life as well as in our work, it will be well accepted by others.Just then, we can cultivate a maintenance friendly environment in our work place regardless of the business size.

Maintenance brings physical benefit

Here I would like to raise the attention to a typical example in our every day life, that’s our commute facility. Regardless if we are using the public transportation, an owned bicycle or car, company or school’s bus, a friend’s car, or even walking to our destinations, this facility should be maintained properly.

Suppose that the bus you are used to take everyday is not maintained or not properly maintained, how will you be affected?

• Some days it won’t come on time
• Other days it might break in the middle or move slowly so you arrive late
• Seats are not clean and may be broken or cut or vibrating
• Smell is not that good that you think, is it safer to hold my breath?
• Air condition is working the opposite way, it increases the hot summer and freezes the cold winter.
• You feel unsafe when you see how hard it is for the driver to break on time.
• It is noisy inside. Whatever headphones you uses, you can’t listen to your podcasts or concentrate on you book or even fell dead asleep.

Let we think the other way around when it is perfectly maintained. The daily trip is so joyous that you are creative about what you can do in the way. Whatever you plan, you can do. (Physical Benefit)

Now, think same way about the benefits you gain from using a well maintained thing. Even more, whenever you enjoy a bus trip as we used in the example before or any any other tool as your computer, the coffee machine, the toilet, be thankful to the Maintenance Effort behind maintaining it that useful.

Maintenance leads to a monetary added value

How is that? Think of 2 Scenarios. This time we shall point out to a business as a manufacturing one -even it is a bakery- and you can reflect back on your life.

Now you have some orders that keeps your machines busy nearly to their rated capacity.

Scenario One: You fulfill your delivery on time and quality and explore more opportunities to improve the business. (Added Monetary Value on the way)=>(true maintenance perceptions)

Scenario Two: You hardly fulfill the top priority orders and struggle and fight with remaining order after time delays or quality claims.

What differentiates between the two scenarios from your point of view? It is a good maintenance system in Scenario one that supports the business. And, a lose or a missing maintenance system in the second scenario.

Maintenance is easy to know and not mysterious

Everyone can read in one way or the other. Even illiterate can use mobile apps to spell them the words in an image or those with impairments have more tools to reach out to any information they want.

Moreover, every piece of cloth comes with a label of how to maintain it during washing and ironing and even storing. Your oven as well as your dust collecting machine has maintenance instructions and online help lines. There are groups online about everything you may think to ask about. And, you can find the illustrations explaining what you want in video format, text format, or as presentation. Maintenance manuals in any language are available online for download.

If we go closer to business, the manufacturer of your machine brings you some maintenance instructions, initial training, after sale support for free or at cost. Moreover, there are online remote support (What are the foundations for Remote Management?), technical information, others share their experiences and so many different resources. You just need an intention to know and apply. This intention opens all the doors for you. There is no mysterious information anymore in the digital era once you have the intention and persistence to find one. Try one of the below searches and see the specific and detailed results in any form you want

• Siemens actuator troubleshooting of the intake valve of air compressor
• How to maintain my coffee maker?
• How to repair my treadmill?
• Renault periodic maintenance check sheet

So, Maintenance information is available for you to know, never be afraid any more of a mysterious maintenance needed (true maintenance perceptions).

Maintenance is easy to do

Here we need to be clear, it is easy when you do the maintenance activities relevant to you. Let us build on some life examples. Your car maintenance manual shows the maintenance activities that need to be done by the owner of the car. They are easy clear and detailed with photos in most car manuals and online.

However, we shall take the 30,000 miles maintenance of a Ford car as an example of maintenance that is intended to be done by an authorized mechanic. If you think of doing it your self at home without a car mechanics experience, sure it is difficult to impossible

❑ Change engine oil and replace oil filter.
❑ Replace air cleaner filter every 48,000 km (30,000 miles) or 30
months. If operating in dusty conditions, consult your dealer
and/or follow severe duty maintenance schedule.
❑ Inspect each of the following:

• Engine cooling system, hoses, and clamps; check coolant
• strength every 24,000 km (15,000 miles) or 12 months.
• brake lines, hoses and connections.
• front and rear brakes.
• clutch pedal.
• steering operation and linkage.
• front suspension ball joints.
• half shaft dust boots.
• bolts and nuts on chassis and body.
• exhaust heat shield(s)

Maintenance cost is accepted and not considered as a burden

Here I would like to bring a quote from Ford Maintenance Manual

Maintenance: An investment
Maintenance is an investment that will pay dividends in the form of
improved reliability, durability and resale value.
To assure the durability of your vehicle and its emission control systems,
it is necessary that scheduled maintenance be performed at the
designated intervals

FORD Maintenance Manual

There is a due clarification here. Adhering to the Maintenance manual and activities goes hand in hand with the operation activities. So, when the car, the coffee machine, the lathe or mill machines are used as intended to be used within the prescribed working environment and maintained at the manufacturer recommended intervals, the cost will be that of regular maintenance and not breakdown repairs. Those costs are usually a small fraction of the asset cost or a little extra effort and time from the owner over the normal daily usage. The relevance here is important i.e the effort in maintaining . That’s why it is deemed acceptable (true maintenance perceptions).

Whenever maintenance cost is within an accepted range to the owner of the machine -whatever the machine is- and this maintenance brings the benefits we had stated before, then maintenance will be perceived as accepted.

• The so far clarified true maintenance perceptions are:
  • Sustains the physical benefit
  • Adds a monetary value
  • Known and clear
  • Easy to do

Maintenance is safe to do

As we declared above, maintenance should be proclaimed as safe to who is doing it. In other words, the car user maintenance activity should be safe to him/her and causes them no harm. While same car when needs the 30Kmiles maintenance described above, you take it to the car repair workshop. Why? Because those activities can be safely done via a trained technician to do them.

You can easily claim that you do maintenance activities at home when you change the lamp and you climb up the ladder. When it comes to changing an electrical socket -still at home-, you might need to bring an electrician or to learn more how to do it safely and switch off the main electric supply to this socket. Same caution is needed, when you are changing the water tap versus just clearing a clogged water sink. There is a totally different level, when you are doing electric maintenance for high power electrical transmission lines.

Trying to do someone’s else maintenance job without having the knowledge is unsafe. Maybe you don’t need to switch off the main electricity supply to change the light bulb but, surely you need it when replacing the wall socket. Maintenance is safe once you know clearly the hazards about the job you are doing and you are taking the necessary action.