Park maintenance is a multi-tiered industry. There are many steps and phases involved in property care. One of the most advanced aspects of the industry is predictive park maintenance. Predictive park maintenance aims to determine when the functionality of various systems begins to lose efficiency. By identifying issues in their early stages, predictive maintenance can be performed before catastrophic system or equipment failure has the chance to occur. Here is a brief overview of how predictive park maintenance works.
The Origins of Predictive Park Maintenance
Predictive park maintenance is, of course, made possible by technology. Therefore, it has only been a major branch of park maintenance since approximately the year 2000. Early on, periodic monitoring was used for certain systems. However, today's technology allows for the constant monitoring of many types of machinery and systems common to parks, historical buildings and recreational facilities. Every park or facility is different, but general steps common to most facilities' predictive park maintenance plans are outlined below.
Baseline Monitoring
Predictive park maintenance is dependent upon baseline monitoring. That means systems must be monitored for a certain amount of time to gather data. That data helps maintenance staff determine what “normal” is for the given machinery or systems.
Sensor Setup and Monitoring
Once awareness of what is normal is established, it becomes far easier to catch abnormalities quickly. To do so, sensors must be set up. Those sensors monitor systems continuously. When any anomalies are detected, a predetermined response is initiated.
Work Order Creation and Maintenance Performance
Whenever any type of abnormality is detected in a monitored system, a work order must be created. Technicians assigned to investigate via the work order must complete any required diagnostics and repair each issue. Completion of such early repairs prevents systems from requiring prolonged total shutdown. Lengthy shutdowns must be avoided as much as possible because they are costly, both in terms of costs for repairs and income lost when facilities are shut down.
Reset of Predictive Maintenance System
After each repair is complete, maintenance staff must reestablish the baseline for each given system. In other words, staff must make sure there is not a “new normal.” If the baseline has changed due to the repairs, sensors need to be adjusted accordingly.
Maximizing Predictive Park Maintenance Efficiency
Typically, predictive park maintenance is thought of as initial monitoring and subsequent adjustment of equipment or systems. However, with the proper maintenance plan in place, you can take the process even further. The most efficient predictive park maintenance practices involve the recording and ongoing analysis of repair records. By finding and noting patterns in inspection, work order and labor tracking histories, you can make certain assumptions regarding future repair needs.
Both initial predictive maintenance and long-term predictive park maintenance require planning, coordination and easy ways to monitor changes. Productive Parks has been designed to help you create and maintain the best possible predictive park maintenance plan.