Manage equipment maintenance, replacement with software

Nation's Restaurant News, Jan 1, 1996 by Foster Frable, Jr.

Equipment maintenance and service represents a management headache and rising expense. Many foodservice operators have limited or no records of the age, condition, service history and periodic maintenance requirements of individual equipment. When it is time to repair or replace an older piece of equipment, accurate repair frequency and cost information is critical to making the right choices.

The cosmetic appearance of the equipment offers little clue to its real condition and useful life. Some manufacturers of otherwise-good equipment have cheapened the trim, finish and hardware, so the exterior appearance may not be an accurate indication of the usefulness or longevity of the equipment.

Accurate history and service records for every item of equipment in your facility or chain allow the opportunity to make informed decisions. Multi-unit operators can track repetitive service problems that already have occurred with similar equipment, so that they can be anticipated on the remaining units. Manufacturers or models with a history of problems can be eliminated from future consideration. Another benefit of maintaining equipment inventory and service records is tracking the warranties. Some manufacturers offer them for as long as five years, based on specific components and conditions at the time of purchase. Most service agencies do not extend themselves to research that information, so you may be paying for service parts and labor that actually are covered by extended warranties purchased with the equipment. It is impossible to track this warranty information accurately in a large foodservice operation without some type of electronic database.

An equipment maintenance program is an excellent way of providing an accurate overview of the age, condition and reliability of all items in your restaurant, including the mechanical systems. One of the more popular programs designed for that purpose is Atlas Equipment Manager 3.0, which helps the user plan and build data files that automatically can track and schedule periodic maintenance and repair requests on almost any piece of equipment.

Marketed by Data-Trak Inc., (800) 453-3972, this program comprises three versions offering different levels of details and features. All versions allow an unlimited amount of equipment to be entered and give the user the ability to schedule periodic maintenance and repairs and keep notes and repair history on each piece of equipment. Records can include parts lists, manufacturer data and warranty information. The program, which provides a structured system for keeping all equipment information, can be used directly to generate a wide variety of reports, including periodic maintenance checks, work orders and purchase orders. Task lists can be generated on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Atlas is Microsoft Windows compatible and network-ready, and it starts at less than $100 for the Lite version. A midlevel version, priced around $200, is ideal for users who maintain their own equipment. This version generates repair orders and maintenance staff scheduling and tracking.

Those with more modest needs or budgets may adapt their contact or personal information managers like Symantec's ACT to track equipment. Instead of companies or individuals, each piece of equipment is entered as a contact record. Most of the programs can be customized, so telephone number record can become the model number, fax number record the serial numbers and so forth. The contact history feature of some of the programs allows you to build a service history for each item.

Another excellent program for maintaining databases is MicroLogic's Info Select, (800) 342-5930, which is a free-form database with a very powerful search feature that can find random information very quickly. For example, you could quickly search for all references to five-year compressor warranties through a list of 500 items of equipment. Info Select also can be used by chefs to record and find random recipes and ingredient lists.

ACT and Info Select are available in DOS and Windows versions, so they can be adopted to almost any type of IBM-compatible computer. Like all database programs, they are valuable only when the user makes a commitment to enter the data and information into the program and continues to maintain and update it. Depending on the amount and age of your equipment, it could take several days to build a database that will be useful. An ideal circumstance would be to build a database while you are opening a new facility or after a major renovation.

There are many useful tasks like equipment tracking that computers can provide. Sometimes those who can benefit the most from computers don't have access to them because of the investment required for the hardware.

For some business applications, like maintaining databases, a high-power processor is not always required. Since the market clamors for the newest and fastest processors, computers have a 6- to 8-month product life. When new models are introduced, the older models are sold at substantial reductions.