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50 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine The importance of preventive maintenance its physical assets. Your carpets, floors and furniture will look nicer and last longer. One of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to keep your facility clean, and thus operate in top form, is the very low- tech product called entryway matting. Most contaminants en- ter a building on employees' and visitors' feet, but proper mat- ting traps moisture, dirt, pollutants and germs before people track them throughout. This results in quicker cleaning with milder chemicals, which is friendlier to the environment and your budget. It also improves indoor air quality. A range of maintenance issues can be uncovered by doing a once-a-year facility walkthrough. The problems that are discovered might be cosmetic, but often they are accidents or expensive repairs waiting to happen. Some things to in- spect for repair and replacement include doors (door sweeps, door stops, sticking locks, etc.), corner guards, ceiling tiles, countertops and shelving, cabinets and hinges, tile and grout, peeling paint and/or rotting wood (especially around win- dows), bathroom fixtures, light switches and face plates and fire extinguishers. While all this can seem overwhelming, remember the points made about downtime, accidents, poor efficiency and other compromised operations. Those problems can be much more overwhelming – and indeed, detrimental to your success – than embracing a preventive maintenance program. It's time to become proactive rather than reactive. Besides the other benefits, the peace of mind alone is worth it. Lars Bader is se ior vice preside t of the busi ess a d i dustry divisio for ABM. Automate that maintenance More automation means more reliance on equipment that must be kept up and running, and as distribution centers add conveyors, sortation systems, shuttles and robotics, computerized maintenance management systems often follow. Modern Materials Handling magazine reports that some operators are wondering whether using spreadsheets to record repairs will continue to work in the future. Computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), like the equipment they monitor, automate part of a facility's maintenance program. Software solutions are going beyond the management of general equipment such as lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning and access control systems, venturing into the world of automated materials handling equipment. The depth of the need depends upon the facility, although larger and more automated sites with more maintenance personnel often can see greater benefits. The software generally supports maintenance work orders, helps dispatch technicians, procures spare parts and analyzes asset history, according to the magazine.