How Hydraulic Equipment Issues Affect A Company’s Bottom Line
Hydraulic equipment issues can have a massive impact on a company’s bottom line, potentially interfering with its ability to return a profit. Specifically, hydraulic equipment issues interfere with a company’s bottom line in the following ways:
- Hydraulic equipment failures mean significant repair or replacement costs
- Hydraulic equipment issues slow or stop your operations, resulting in expensive delays
- Hydraulic equipment problems may cause safety concerns that delay operations
- Hydraulic equipment issues also affect the company’s work quality, which can damage its reputation and ability to attract additional jobs
This all adds up to significant losses that can be avoided by investing in reliable hydraulic technology and expert hydraulic equipment maintenance.
The Cost of Hydraulic Equipment Issues
If your company relies on hydraulic equipment to power its operations, then it likely requires the kind of force application that only hydraulics can provide. As such, if your hydraulic equipment does experience issues, it can cause an array of problems that include:
- Repair and maintenance costs – When a hydraulic pump, hydraulic cylinder or other hydraulic tool experiences a failure, it can be costly. First, a hydraulic technician will need to open up the equipment and perform a full inspection – which takes time to schedule and perform, along with the cost of expert labor.
Once the source of the problem is identified, the resulting repair may cost quite a bit. If replacement parts are required, add that to the final bill as well.
If your hydraulic equipment repairs and maintenance are performed by a reputable expert, it will be easier to keep these costs under control. However, if those repairs aren’t performed correctly, it will result in repeated hydraulic system failures that multiply your costs. This is unfortunately common with less experienced technicians, as hydraulic issues are easy to misdiagnose. For example, what may be diagnosed as a valve problem, may actually be due to a poorly calibrated hydraulic pump, which is a much simpler and much more affordable fix.
- Unexpected downtime – The greatest impact to your company’s bottom line may be operational delays if there is a hydraulic equipment failure. Project delays force companies to acquire or rent additional hydraulic resources – typically at a premium. Further, any project delays will force many companies to mobilize additional resources or reallocate them in less efficient ways – which will affect its bottom line as well.
- Safety concerns and related delays – Hydraulic equipment failures aren’t just a matter of cost – they also pose safety risks in many instances. The safety of your operator teams is paramount. Any injuries will force your operations to halt until safety can be guaranteed for other workers. The resulting delay will cost your company, and if there are any personnel shortages as a result, this can also hamper your company’s ability to remain productive and profitable.
- Damaged work quality and reputation – Sometimes, hydraulic equipment issues don’t cause an outright failure but instead reduce the equipment’s operating capacity. A hydraulic pump may not deliver flow and maintain steady pressures. A hydraulic cylinder may stutter while applying force or fail to reach its top end capacity.
When hydraulic equipment issues result in reduced performance, your operations may continue uninterrupted but work quality may suffer. A fractured foundation may not be set and stabilized just right. A set of aerospace fasteners may not be adequately tightened. An oil pipeline flange may not be maintained as well as it could be. Eventually, your company’s inability to guarantee quality work will result in expensive issues for a client or partner – which can damage your company’s reputation.
Avoid Damage to Your Bottom Line with Expert Hydraulic System Maintenance
Hydraulic equipment issues will also cause bottom line issues for your company. That’s a certainty, but the question is how much damage will those issues cause to the profitability of your business? Between repair costs, operational delays, safety concerns and the (potentially irrecoverable) damage to your company’s reputation – it’s a situation worth avoiding for any business that needs hydraulic power to perform.
The best way for companies to avoid hydraulic equipment issues is to invest in expert hydraulic maintenance. By partnering with an experienced hydraulic technician to oversee your equipment maintenance, your company will have options if its valuable hydraulic resources are rendered inoperable for any reason. For example, a hydraulic equipment expert can perform detailed hydraulic pump and cylinder inspections. They can precisely identify the underlying issue, and reputable hydraulic shops have a comprehensive array of replacement components that can be quickly switched in if a part fails.
Hydraulic equipment issues are inevitable, but they are much less likely to affect your company’s bottom line if they are addressed (or prevented) by a proven hydraulic equipment expert.