Industrial Maintenance - Hiring the Right Contractors

While industrial maintenance is often done in-house, many companies prefer to hire outside contractors to take care of their needs in this department. Hiring outside the company can be more economically efficient for those companies that have fewer machines and only require preparation and care on a part time basis. Of course, hiring a contractor comes with its own set of concerns. If you're going to let an outside team come in and work on your machinery and technology, you need to make sure you're getting the same level of excellence you would expect out of your own employees. Here are some tips to make sure you hire the right team.

Longevity

It doesn't matter if you're hiring contractors to build your house, remodel your kitchen, or perform industrial maintenance. One of the most important things to look at is their longevity in the field. While there's nothing that says that a contractor who has only been in business for a few months is necessarily bad at the job, you aren't getting any degree of confidence based on their reputation alone. Longevity stands for something. If a company has been in business for many years, they are doing something right. Not to mention the fact that a lot of experience is gained through those years of service.

Specialization

You don't want to hire an industrial maintenance crew only certified and experienced with domestic machinery if your factory floor is filled with machines made in Japan. The reverse is, of course, true as well. Make sure your contractors have experience and knowledge regarding your specific set of machines. The right plan for one piece of technology may not be right for another. While it helps if you have someone on staff who can oversee their work and make sure it is done to specification, you may not be able to afford that luxury. This makes it even more essential that you hire someone who knows what they are doing.

References

A good industrial maintenance contractor is going to have a list of references and testimonials as long as his arm. If the people you're thinking of hiring cannot supply these references, you have every right to question why that is. You're not only in need of a crew that can perform the duties expected of them, but you have to be at least somewhat aware when it comes to trust issues as well. Anytime you let an outside entity into your business, you're putting your corporate interests at risk. That risk can be minimized by hiring a contractor who understands the importance of propriety and secrecy.