Remember - Seasonal Maintenance

Memorial Day weekend has passed and we are now entering the summer season. What does this mean for asset management? It is time to make sure that the seasonal maintenance and upkeep is completed to avoid inefficiencies in your physical operations. More plainly stated - save money by doing your maintenance.

Facilities are in the process of changing over between heating and cooling often, as temperatures vary during this season in most areas of the country. Are your systems up to the task? Are you behind the curve when it comes to preparations for seasonal spikes? Is your infrastructure outdated, or maybe with the recent budget cuts you skipped a maintenance cycle? Now is the time to get things back on track.

Back-up generators become critical in storm season. Is your system ready for the tantrums that mother nature throws at this time of year? When is the last time you actually did a load test on your emergency power system?

Vehicles also need to be evaluated with seasonal change. Did you know that the change in temperatures in most temperate climates can create up to 5% change in your tire air pressure? That has a dramatic effect on fruel economy and on tire wear.

Engine air filters and cabin air filtration systems also need to be maintained seasonally. Poor air flow in either system robs the vehicle of efficiencies that will cost real dollars at the gas pump.

Take a few minutes and look at the equipment and assets you use in your business and life everyday. Make sure they are up to date and maintained properly. your bottom line will show the results.

Reynolds Asset Management

With the new calendar year many people have continued the old traditions of making resolutions or cleaning out the closets. This is also a great time to do the same in our professional lives. Pick an area of your organization, or a process in your company, and review it for effectiveness. Clean out some of the old and inefficient procedures and start a fresh approach to some of your processes with the beginning of the new year.

Since many business organizations operate on a fiscal year, this can be a great opportunity to make some changes and test run them for the remainder of the year. Maybe you can find something that is unique and previously had been overlooked by examining your business in the middle of the fiscal year instead of at the end, when everyone is clamoring for reports, project deadlines, and final results.

You also may want to take a look at the assets of your business. What tools or vehicles are being underutilized? What facility projects would provide an attractive ROI in the topsy-turvey economic climate today? Do we have any green initiatives that may be financially viable due to the high cost of energy now?

Clean your closets out literally and figuratively this New Year and see what exciting things may happen.

Amazingly, we are now only two weeks from Christmas. This time of the year makes me so thankful forthe blessings we experience every day. This year will be particularly special as we have recently returned from a short-term missions trip to Joplin, MO and have seen firsthand the tragic loss that city has withstood this year.

From a business perspective, it is important to ensure that we utilize our resources carefully and maximize all the benefits of our investments in capital assets. From a human standpoint, we must remember that there are greater concerns than a building or a vehicle. I hope and pray that all of us will take time this holiday season to remember to love the people around us with a reflection of the love of Christ, the true reason for the season.