Now more than ever, consumers are squeezing every ounce of utility out of their cleaning equipment. In order to save money and overhead cost by opting for extended maintenance over purchasing new equipment, businesses are making their industrial sweeper or burnisher last longer than ever. What businesses may not be aware of is the real cost of prolonging the life of an obsolete machine to cut costs.
Operations and custodial staff will have to put more time and energy into maintaining cleaning equipment that is dated or in declining condition, even if they are not performing the maintenance themselves. There are several reasons why increasing the life of a failing industrial sweeper may decrease the tenure of a business’ support staff:
First, a custodian charged with maintaining a large surface area of floor needs proper equipment to complete the task on schedule. If a dated or failing piece of equipment is expected to do the job, it will take longer to complete it adequately. Further, the people doing the work need to be able to take pride in their achievements. If a person completes a difficult task like cleaning a large showroom floor, and the floor appears only half clean, then the morale of the janitorial staff will decline. In cases where failing equipment is being used, this can lead to ill will or lower job satisfaction among employees.
Studies show that engaged workers are happier and more productive. If businesses are not willing to equip their workers appropriately, they will grow detached from their positions and their productivity will decline. Finding the right balance between budget and equipment capabilities is the key to maintaining a proper rank of cleaning equipment.
By offering a reasonable alternative to prolonging the life of an out-dated sweeper, businesses can reclaim vigor and productivity in the workforce, increasing satisfaction and long-term retention. Encourage businesses to consider which items may need to be replaced, keeping in mind the organization’s immediate as well as long-term budget. It may be that purchasing a new piece of industrial equipment makes sense right now, rather than later. Guiding each business should be a goal of equipping its staff adequately to complete the work assigned to each member in a reasonable amount of time.
Industrial cleaning equipment is often misunderstood. Many businesses believe they are too small to require such heavy-duty tools. In the cases where it may be recognized that they are necessary, a tendency to rent them temporarily is a tough one to break. Rentals have benefits for businesses with a limited capacity to maintain expensive equipment. If a business decides that it is time to invest in a proprietary piece of machinery, they will require a package that is easy to maintain and that can be replaced before long-term maintenance becomes a problem.