Ask anyone in the business of construction and they will tell you that when it comes to costs, the machinery and heavy equipment they use for their projects are often some of the most expensive pieces of equipment they have to deal with. If you don’t take care to manage them, they can overwhelm and weigh your business down. So, how do you handle them?
Maintenance is vital
First of all, one of the biggest costs associated with equipment is the repairs that come with it or, eventually, the need for replacement parts of machines due to worsening conditions of the existing roster. To that end, creating a maintenance checklist and investing in routine proactive care for your machines is vital. Get to know the most common faults that can affect your machinery, as well as which replacement parts you should keep on hand more often.
Do you really need to buy all of it?
You have to deal with a lot fewer costs if you have less machinery to worry about in the first place. Making sure that you have the machinery necessary to get to work on certain projects is vital, but this doesn’t always mean you have to buy it. If your need for a mobile crane is only temporary, for instance, you should look at where you can hire it out instead. If your need for certain machines becomes much greater then, sure, it can be more cost-effective to have your own. But you don’t want to buy machinery that you use once every couple of years and otherwise leave sitting around.
Have people use them more efficiently
One of the leading causes of downtime is the inappropriate usage of your machinery. It’s not enough to have your team carry the license that they need to operate the machines legally, you should invest in routine heavy machinery training courses to keep their skills sharp and to make sure that they’re always aware of the most efficient ways to use the machinery. Not only do you want to avoid any accidents that can damage the machines, but you want to make sure they’re not being stressed to the point that they’re more likely to need repairs early.
Take the risk of theft seriously
Construction businesses are regularly targets of criminals for good reason. When it comes to valuable materials and equipment, there are few businesses that have more that’s worth taking. As such, you should ensure the best security for your valuable resources, including your machines. This can include having on-site security to keep an eye out for crime when you’re on the job, as well as security technology for any warehouses or property you keep your machines on when they’re not in use.
It’s not always an easy question: how to balance your equipment costs. You want to make sure that you have access to equipment to be able to cost-effectively take on new jobs, but you don’t want to pay for machines that are simply sitting and degrading over time. The tips above can help you find your balance.
