Wilkinson Sword, a brand steeped in tradition that has played a central role in the world of precision instruments for 250 years, has its roots in the manufacture of innovative weapons and swords before turning to the art of razor blade production. With a pursuit of functional excellence and a heritage deeply rooted in tradition and design, Wilkinson Sword has seen a number of firsts, always with a distinctive style and collaborations with some of the greatest designers. Wilkinson Sword is a stylish and pioneering brand that understands exactly what its customers need and how they want to express themselves.
By implementing MaintMaster maintenance software, Wilkinson Sword aimed to streamline its operations and increase efficiency while maintaining the high quality and unique style that characterised the brand.
From analogue to digital - In search of suitable maintenance software
Jan Roden, Head of Maintenance Assembly at Wilkinson Sword and current MaintMaster administrator, recognised the challenges facing the company in 2021. The previous handwritten documentation of maintenance measures led to inefficient processes, a lack of transparency and a lack of evaluability. Together with another colleague, he set himself the goal of solving these problems and optimising the maintenance processes.
When looking for suitable maintenance software, Wilkinson Sword attached great importance to the existing procedure remaining unchanged. The requirement was that repair orders, for example, should continue to be written in a problem-, cause- and solution-oriented way. In addition, it should be possible for the mechanics on site to view this information digitally instead of looking it up in a physical folder. Another requirement was that the system could provide an overview of what had happened in the past.
"The previous handwritten documentation of maintenance measures led to inefficient processes, a lack of transparency and a lack of evaluability. We wanted to digitise our maintenance.“
Jan Roden's colleague took over the search for suitable solutions, mainly through internet research. Among the providers found was MaintMaster. The decision for MaintMaster was finally made due to several decisive factors. Firstly, the maintenance software offered an integrated reporting function, which was a clear advantage over the competitors. This enabled Wilkinson Sword to generate detailed reports and adapt them to the individual requirements of the company. In addition, meaningful evaluations and KPIs could be retrieved and presented to the management.
MaintMaster's flexibility made a particular impression. This aspect was of great importance to the company as it operated in a fast-paced environment. MaintMaster's customisability and flexibility were key factors in the decision. Wilkinson Sword could therefore ensure that the software would be able to cope with future changes and new challenges.
"We were impressed with MaintMaster's flexibility, reporting and analytics capabilities, which is why we chose it."
In February 2021, they started training and a gradual introduction of MaintMaster maintenance software. Jan Roden played a crucial role as MaintMaster admin, organising the training and ensuring that all staff could use the software effectively. MaintMaster was then fully rolled out in August 2021.
Increase in preventive maintenance despite many special machines
Thanks to MaintMaster, Wilkinson Sword was able to achieve significant improvements in the maintenance processes. Jan Roden and his colleague were thrilled with the results, especially the increase in the proportion of preventive maintenance from 3% to a remarkable 10%. This was a significant improvement, especially given the many special machines with individual requirements in the company. MaintMaster enabled more preventive maintenance and helped to avoid unexpected breakdowns and increase machine availability.
Preventive maintenance was planned and implemented more effectively through MaintMaster. The system made it possible to create maintenance plans and automatically forward them to the responsible employees. As a result, maintenance work was carried out on time, which led to a longer service life for the machines. In addition, potential problems could be detected early and rectified before they lead to major disruptions. This had a direct impact on Wilkinson Sword's productivity and overall efficiency.
"With the help of MaintMaster, we were able to increase our preventive measures from 3% to 10%. A very good result for us."
KPIs, Maintenance Planning and Monitoring - complete overview with MaintMaster
Jan Roden, as MaintMaster admin, recognised further benefits of the software for Wilkinson Sword. By using MaintMaster, the company was able to generate accurate metrics and data needed for effective decision-making. Jan Roden and his colleagues were able to generate detailed reports and provide relevant information to the production manager and the general manager. The improved communication and collaboration between departments helped to increase efficiency and optimise the use of resources.
By using MaintMaster, maintenance work could be better planned and organised. The time spent by technicians on creating documentation was reduced, as all information is recorded centrally and digitally in the software and can also be accessed on the move via the MaintMaster Mobile App. This allowed the employees to use their time more effectively and concentrate on the actual maintenance and repair work. In addition, troubleshooting was accelerated because all relevant information was immediately available. The improved documentation and traceability of maintenance work also enabled Wilkinson Sword to better comply with legal requirements and standards.
As MaintMaster Admin, Jan Roden also had the opportunity to customise the software to the company's specific requirements and make adjustments to ensure seamless integration into their operations. This allowed Wilkinson Sword to have a customised solution that was optimally tailored to their needs.
"It's really fun to work with the maintenance software. The technicians are also satisfied for the most part and think it's great not to have to walk around the factory floor with pen and paper anymore."
Successful maintenance optimisation with MaintMaster
The implementation of MaintMaster at Wilkinson Sword has been a success, largely due to the commitment and leadership of Jan Roden, Head of Maintenance Assembly and MaintMaster Admin. By digitalising and optimising the maintenance processes, the company was able to achieve significant improvements. Wilkinson Sword increased the share of preventive maintenance, improved machine availability and increased the overall efficiency of maintenance processes.
The successful implementation of MaintMaster underlines the effectiveness of the software and its ability to provide tailored solutions for individual maintenance requirements. Jan Roden and his colleague will continue to work closely with MaintMaster to continuously improve maintenance processes and establish Wilkinson Sword as an innovative and efficient company in the industry. With MaintMaster, the company has established a solid foundation for future growth and sustainable success.
An important next step is to involve the machine operators more in the process. Currently, they still use traditional paper slips to make their checks and entries. However, the company sees the need to digitalise this way of working and to integrate the machine operators into MaintMaster. This not only digitises the entire process, but also further improves communication and collaboration between maintenance and production. The machine operators can create their tasks directly in MaintMaster and digitally document their inspections. This not only simplifies the recording process, but also enables faster analysis and evaluation of the data.
"The customisability of MaintMaster allows us to push digitalisation even further. With the software, we can quickly and easily test and implement new ideas for maintenance and other departments."
