For 120 years now, the BRUGG Group from Switzerland has stood for high-quality lifting equipment such as lift ropes, architectural ropes and fuses. Coupled with its associated services, the company empowers its customers to go beyond the limits of what is possible. As a technology leader with three production sites and several sales companies in Europe, North America and Asia, BRUGG aims to stay ahead of the curve.
Extensive application possibilities of modern maintenance software
The maintenance department was no longer able to meet this demand with the resources it had. The desire to digitally rethink and map the internal maintenance processes and measures grew. On the other hand, the external requirements, such as inspections and audits, were becoming increasingly complex and challenging. It was time for BRUGG Lifting to use modern technologies in maintenance as well.
From the stone age into the future of maintenance
In 2021, Micha Jetzer, Head of Maintenance & Infrastructure at BRUGG Lifting, set himself the task of digitising the methods and processes in maintenance. Paper and pencil as the tools of choice should have had their day and become relics from the Stone Age.
"We were forced to take maintenance into a new era due to increasingly complex requirements. We also had to meet our own demands and rethink maintenance. What was missing was the right tool. In any case, recurring Outlook calendar entries were not enough."
First, Mr Jetzer and his team looked at a tool, , which was already being used elsewhere in the company . Unfortunately, the hopes of also using the solution for maintenance were dashed quite quickly due to a lack of functionality.
"We needed a solution that was specifically tailored to the requirements in maintenance and enabled all relevant functions such as creating, processing and tracking and archiving recurring maintenance work."
An absolute requirement was also a central documentation facility that could be used for recurring inspections and safety checks. Redundancies were also to be made possible. This way, all employees should always be able to be quickly brought up to date on the current status of maintenance measures.
As chance would have it, Mr Köck from MaintMaster approached BRUGG Lifting at this time to introduce MaintMasters maintenance software. Mr. Köck knew the problems in maintenance from earlier times and was convinced that the maintenance software was a perfect fit for the requirement profile. During the presentation, the CMMS immediately convinced him with its intuitive user interface and the many possibilities to digitalise the maintenance processes and thus make them more efficient. For example, the documentation of work steps could be significantly simplified.
The final decision to introduce MaintMaster was made during a visit to a reference customer who was using the software productively. Mr. Jetzer was finally convinced and gave the GO for MaintMaster. He did not have to do much convincing with other decision-makers. The IT department was also quickly convinced by the functional and security concept of the cloud-based software.
The first step from the Stone Age into the future had been taken.
An exemplary introduction ensures acceptance among maintenance employees
Mr. Jetzer had a lot of experience with process optimisations and system implementations due to his previous work. So he knew that a particularly critical point was the acceptance of the software by the employees. So, together with our experts, he laid down the basics before the introduction began. The system structure as well as the master data import were initiated and the technicians were brought on board during the first training sessions. In this way, the potential concerns of the employees were dispelled from the outset and they found a system with which they could work productively right from the start and focus on what was really important. At the start, about 90% of the plants were mapped in MaintMaster and certain procedures were tried out. The feedback from the technicians was taken up immediately and, if possible, incorporated into the maintenance system.
The practical orientation of MaintMaster played an important role in its successful introduction at BRUGG Lifting. It became clear very quickly that the software was developed on the basis of the everyday work of maintenance technicians. Adaptations and really essential functions, such as the recording and feedback of fault messages, are very easy to implement and adapt - thanks to the flexibility of the CMMS. The availability of MaintMasster not only on stationary PCs but also on mobile devices creates acceptance and makes work easier for the maintenance team.
Today, the technicians would no longer want to do without the maintenance software in their everyday work.
MaintMaster is also used outside of classic maintenance tasks - thanks to its flexibility
The first major area to be tackled with MaintMaster maintenance software was the creation, processing and tracking of recurring maintenance. Standard processes and instructions were stored in the system and ensured a continuous flow of information, which improved the performance of the maintenance department. New employees can now also be integrated into the team's work processes very easily, as everything has been documented seamlessly.
MaintMaster was also integrated into BRUGG Lifting's shop floor concept. In the workshop, the maintenance software now runs on a large screen. Every morning, the orders and machine evaluations are discussed in the team and appropriate actions are derived. The employees thus have planning security and can concentrate on the really important things.
In addition to improving the classic tasks of a maintenance department, the CMMS is also used for other tasks due to its adaptability. For example, company cars are maintained with the help of MaintMaster. Inspections such as tyre tread depth measurement are recorded in the system.
"There are practically no limits to the possible applications of MaintMaster. The software makes it possible to implement your own ideas. This means that things outside of classic maintenance can also be processed, for example the inspection of pool vehicles, floor lures or safety topics relating to infrastructure or projects - MaintMaster is a flexible all-rounder".
Of course, there is also room for improvement in the software that would simplify the work even more. For example, I would like to see Mr Jetzer improve resource planning. Document linking could also be improved so that the maintenance team can work even more efficiently.
Nevertheless, MaintMaster has helped to take BRUGG Lifting's maintenance department to the next level. Further application enhancements are already planned.
Almost infinite application possibilities
The next step is to map the entire infrastructure of the plant, including the small plants, so that a smooth operation can be ensured.
The machine operators are also to be mapped via MaintMaster so that they can report machine faults directly to maintenance. A first step on the way to TPM.
MaintMaster's integrated IoT sensors will also find their applications. Through temperature and vibration monitoring, the plants and machines are to be tracked more precisely. This should optimise the production process and ensure that major machine damage is prevented before it happens. Costly unplanned downtimes should be a thing of the past in the future.
Together with the complete documentation option and the adaptability of MaintMaster to operational requirements, without the costly purchase of modules, the maintenance department of BRUGG Lifting has made its way into the modern age. Micha Jetzer's team is also more relaxed about external requirements.
