Discovering that their business operation has come to a grinding halt is the worst nightmare for many business owners. Being unable to fulfill orders and having staff sitting around with nothing to do can have a severe impact on a company. The longer the period of inactivity lasts, the more serious the situation will become.
System downtime can result in missed order deadlines, wasted materials, dissatisfied customers, loss of customers, and reputational damage. All of this results in your profits taking a hit. The cost of downtime can add up to thousands of dollars for every single minute your business is out of action. Unfortunately, many companies fail to prepare for the possibility of downtime, so when it does occur, panic ensues as no one has a clear idea of how to resolve the situation.
To avoid the potentially devastating consequences of downtime, it is imperative to find ways to minimize its occurrence and to have plans in place to get your system back up and running as soon as possible. Understanding possible causes for your system downtime and then taking a proactive approach to mitigate these is essential to keep your business operational. Here are some of the ways you can minimize system downtime (and its impact) in your business:
- Schedule Maintenance Regularly
Every business needs its equipment to run at its best at all times to achieve optimal output and productivity levels. So, when your equipment stops functioning efficiently and begins to experience issues, the chances of downtime occurring increase. Keeping up with regular maintenance and ensuring your equipment is professionally serviced should mean any possible issues are spotted before they become a bigger problem.
- Have a Back-Up Ready
One possible cause of system downtime that can cause a significant issue is a power cut. Power cuts are particularly problematic as they are largely out of your control, and you are left at the mercy of the electricity company. This means that you have no direct control over rectifying the issue and no clear idea how long the problem will take to resolve. To avoid your business being impacted by a power cut, it is a wise idea to provide your own source of power. Investing in a robust, reliable generator such as the volvo penta industrial generator will help keep your business operational even if a power cut occurs.
- Make a Contingency Plan
Hopefully, your business will not experience downtime, but it is essential to have a clear plan in place if it does. Making a contingency plan will minimize the impact of the downtime and ensure that your team can get back up and running again faster, even if this is at reduced capacity. Making a contingency plan that prioritizes critical areas of the business and ensures that they are reinstated first is a great place to start.
Once you have created your contingency plan, it is vital to train your employees so that they understand the role they need to perform in a downtime situation.
