The Unearthed Gems of Unplanned Equipment Downtime

There are few KPIs for facility maintenance as crucial as unplanned equipment downtime. While other KPIs are helpful to view the full context of equipment performance, this measurement is of particular interest to facility managers for many reasons. Importantly, this KPI prompts facility managers to ask the question “why” more than most.

While the answer to the question won’t always be immediately clear — other KPIs will be needed to tell the full story — it’s often the first domino to fall for facility managers when it comes to improving their facility maintenance process or equipment setup. We explain a few reasons this KPI in particular is so valuable.

Capital Investment Planning vs. Continued Maintenance

Unplanned equipment downtime is the key driver for understanding capital investment planning, especially when seen as a percentage of scheduled run time. Top performing equipment will generally fall into the “3-percent-or-less” of scheduled run time, while poorly performing equipment will hit “6-percent-or-more” of scheduled run time. As the percentage creeps up, this can prompt a facility manager to consider if it would be more cost-effective long-term to replace a particular piece of equipment or continue maintaining the equipment.

If the unplanned downtime is the result of mechanical breakdowns or generally poor equipment performance, the unplanned downtime as a percentage of scheduled run time will almost always be a leading factor in deciding to move forward with a full replacement.

Emergency Maintenance Costs vs. Planned Maintenance Costs

Unplanned equipment downtime often prompts an emergency maintenance response. As a result, this usually begins inquiries as to whether or not a piece of equipment is getting enough planned maintenance love, or if emergency maintenance is still the preferred maintenance route.

If the equipment is absolutely essential to facility operations — such as HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems — then planned maintenance could become more prioritized as unplanned downtime increases. If the equipment is low priority, facility managers might be content to simply fix issues as the need arises to save costs. In either scenario, unplanned equipment downtime was the KPI that informed the decision to invest more time into planned maintenance or keep the investment steady.

Potential for Future Maintenance Training

The explanation for high unplanned equipment downtime might not always involve a mechanical breakdown, but rather an underestimation of maintenance time. If a repair takes longer than planned, it could be that not enough time was allotted, an unexpected roadblock appeared in the maintenance process, or there was not enough expertise present for an efficient repair.

In the case of the last explanation, unplanned equipment downtime could be a sign for facility managers to explore training for staff to improve efficiencies in certain areas that consistently run over allotted times.

Unplanned Downtime Is One Piece of the Puzzle

While there is plenty of information to be derived from unplanned equipment downtime, there are other complimentary KPIs that facility managers need to get an accurate picture of facility maintenance performance. Thankfully, we’ve created an e-guide that breaks down the high priority KPIs every facility manager should keep top-of-mind, including some quantifiable goals for each. You can download the guide below.