As the repairs pile up, it is more important than ever to design a system to keep track of problems and service to avoid costly and unnecessary work. For example, a snowmobile breaks down and requires certain parts to be replaced. The work is done, but no record is kept. One month later, the same machine is in the shop for a service and some of those same parts are replaced. . .again. This is a waste of the part, the mechanic’s time and means downtime for the machine.
Quality record-keeping, even by the fastest and most talented staff of mechanics going, is critical to maintaining an operation’s efficiency. Without an accurate accounting, time is easily wasted by repeating the efforts of others. On the other end of the spectrum, lawsuits get slapped on operators for equipment failures all too often. Producing documentation that shows proper service can be an effective defense in some cases and might mean the difference between attorney’s fees and a costly penalty. There are plenty of other reasons to keep accurate records; here’s a partial list:
- Good records will note how many hours have elapsed since a grooming vehicle has been serviced and who completed the work, which helps when another mechanic has questions.
- A detailed record will help management determine when it becomes more cost effective to replace an old piece of gear with a completely new unit, an alternative brand or a different model.
- Recurring problems in equipment will be noted and serve as a warning that something else is wrong or that a major fix is going to be required down the road.
- Service records for rebuilds of your older machinery can be a source of information for locating hard-to-find parts.
- Make everyone at the ski area aware that you keep impeccable service logs of all the equipment on the mountain from chainsaws to grooming vehicles and people will take better care of it.
- Show the manufacturer detailed information on repairs and routine maintenance on a failed piece of equipment and warranty questions often evaporate.
- A detailed and complete service history on any piece of equipment is a sure way achieve a better trade-in value.
Two alternatives
If you’ve established a procedure for keeping track of maintenance and repairs, stick to it throughout the year. If you do not have an established procedure, it’s time to institute one. And that doesn’t have to mean creating more work for your already overworked associates.
Don’t ask your mechanics to record their work on the department’s computer. A tool coordinator or shop inventory manager can do that. There are two ways to handle this: One, you can have mechanics fill out a simple pocket-sized job report, listing the date, piece of equipment, its number, the work performed and parts used. Once the job is finished, the mechanic deposits the form in a box just inside the shop office. Once a day or once a week (at most), the inventory manager records the information in a log or a computer program. The shop manager can then review the updates and work flow on a routine basis.
The second way to stay on top of the work is to have the mechanics report their completed jobs directly to the parts room clerk. They should describe the job, list the parts used and explain how much of their time was spent on the job. The clerk then creates the job invoice and records the completed work later.
From protecting yourself to protecting your equipment, keeping accurate records just makes sense. Combine that with the fact that the procedure can be simplified and you begin to see that the potential savings far outweigh the effort it takes to keep track.
