.
Mintek Survey Reveals Top Reasons
Optimal Preventive Maintenance
is Rarely Reached at Hotels

 
DUNEDIN, FLA.�November 3, 2004 � A survey conducted by Dunedin, Fla.-based Mintek Mobile Data Solutions reveals the top reasons why hotel engineers and managers believe they are unable to perform optimal hotel preventive maintenance (PM). Mintek, maker of WinTrack PM, the lodging industry�s leading mobile PM solution, sent the survey to more than 250 hotel associates. 

Top reasons optimal hotel PM is rarely reached

  • Staffing shortage � Numerous respondents agreed that engineering departments have barely enough time to handle all the day-to-day items that occur, let alone the manpower needed to properly perform PM on all of the hotel�s equipment. 
    • One director�s response: �At my hotel, we are still down two full-time engineers out of a total of eight.� 
  • Lack of training/experience � Although management has bought into the process, several respondents stated that inexperience and understanding contribute to non-optimal PM being performed. While most have a partial understanding of how a piece of equipment works, they are not experts and not always the person who performs the repairs. 
  • Aging hotel issues � Engineers in aging hotels often spend a majority of their time repairing failing equipment while PMs take a back seat. 
    • One engineer�s response: �We are busy putting out fires and do not have time for maintenance. But if we were doing maintenance, we would not be fighting fires!�
  • Improper maintenance scheduling � Optimal and consistent equipment PMs go undone because of a lack of scheduling. This issue is related to resources and amount of time but there can be other reasons. Finally, room PMs can be difficult without a proper process for ensuring access to the rooms on a periodic basis.
  • Lack of management commitment � Managers sometimes fail to recognize the importance of performing and tracking PMs at the individual hotel or enterprise level. In several cases this can be justified. In the long term, however, this can be a capital expense beyond the cost of PM. To summarize, the attitude is, �If it is not broke, don�t fix it.�
    • One engineer�s response: �To think that you should be able to reduce your operational costs each year by a certain percentage without an infusion of cash is incorrect. As a building gets older, it costs more to maintain, not less.�
  • Poor record keeping � Locating existing records can be difficult and time-intensive without an automated system. The ability to track when, how and who performed maintenance is difficult and accountability is lacking.
WinTrack PM addresses concerns

Mark Sokol, director of product marketing for Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, says the results of his company�s survey revealed that engineers and asset managers share similar PM concerns.

�The belief that there is not enough manpower to carry out proper PM is common in hotels,� Sokol says. �However, as the list showed, there are several other issues that can exacerbate this fiscal reality. One way to alleviate some of these issues is by using a solution like WinTrack PM that enables engineers and their managers to perform their jobs more efficiently, saving both time and labor.�

Using barcodes placed on equipment and in guestrooms, Mintek�s mobile, handheld system automates data capture for recurring maintenance, rounds, unscheduled work and room inspections. It automates the scheduling process, provides accurate reporting and addresses engineer training concerns by providing step by step PM instructions on the handheld for each piece of equipment.

�When there are fewer surprises, there is more time to perform PMs properly,� Sokol says. �Everybody is happier, including guests. Repair and replacement costs are lower and hoteliers responsible for maintenance have the data they need to monitor their hotel�s most valuable assets.�

About Mintek Mobile Data Solutions:
Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, based in Dunedin, Fla., is the developer and maker of WinTrack® PM, a mobile property maintenance solution for lodging engineers. WinTrack PM uses barcodes for equipment identification and mobile, handheld devices for data collection. WinTrack PM, now used by more than 150 hotel properties in the United States, automates data capture for recurring maintenance, rounds, unscheduled work, and room inspections. The Wintrack PM Management Portal provides managers online access to property maintenance data. For more information, call Mark Sokol, director of product marketing, at (727) 734-9175, or go to: www.mintek.com

WinTrack is a registered trademark of Mintek Corp. Third party product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

.
 

Mark Sokol
Director of Product Marketing
Mintek Mobile Data Solutions
(727) 734-9175
E-mail: [email protected]
www.mintek.com

Glenn Hasek, President
Hasek Communications
(440) 243-2055; cell: (216) 702-0334
E-mail: [email protected]
www.hasekcom.com


Also See Wyndham International to Install WinTrack PM�Mintek Mobile Data Solutions� Mobile Preventative Maintenance Solution�in 50 of its Hotels / July 2004 
Mintek Introduces WinTrack PM Management Alerts; New System Delivers Maintenance Data by E-mail or Pager, Helps Owners Manage Assets Effectively / June 2004 
Mintek Mobile Data Solutions Celebrates 100th WinTrack PM Installation; System Transforms Cheeca Lodge & Spa�s Preventative Maintenance Process / June 2004
Automated Solutions Such as WinTrack PM Add Efficiencies to Preventative Maintenance, Rounds, Work Orders and Room Inspection Processes / May 2004
WinTrack PM, Mintek�s Mobile Preventative Maintenance Solution, Helps Hawaii�s Mauni Lani Resort
Preserve its Most Valuable Assets / March 2004 
Mintek Mobile Data Solutions Publishes Lodging Industry Article 'Preventative Maintenance for Profitability' / November 2003
Developer of WinTrack PM Changes Corporate Name To Mintek Mobile Data Solutions / Sept 2003 
Developers of WinTrack® PM Announces Free Lodging White Paper / 'Determining the Economic Value of Preventative Maintenance' / July 2003
Mintek�s Mark Sokol Slated To Present HITEC®  2003 Exhibitor Tutorial �Determining the Economic Value of Preventative Maintenance� / May 2003
Mintek Unveils Web Based Management Tool for Lodging Engineering Departments Using WinTrackPM® / May 2003 
Mintek Corporation�s WinTrack® PM Selected by Marriott International to Provide Mobile Property Maintenance for its Full Service Properties / Aug 2002


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