There is nothing worse for a busy construction site than a breakdown of a piece of machinery or equipment that is vital for tasks that day and the next few days. It only takes one breakdown to have a potential big knock-on effect that can disrupt production on site, slow everything down and to cause problems to both the budgets and schedule for the project as a whole. Managers and those responsible for managing relationships with a plant sales company or the plant leasing contract on a construction site have to make sure there is a plan of action in place to deal with any setbacks like this and to ensure there is a fast replacement or repair of machinery on site to get things up and running again as soon as possible.
When machinery breaks down on site it is important to quickly ascertain what the reason was behind the breakdown and whether it has caused injury (or worse) to the operator or those in the vicinity and if it has caused any damage to the site itself. Once this has been quickly and efficiently dealt with the idea is to get a repair or replacement underway as soon as possible. This is where a strong relationship with a plant leasing company comes in very handy. It can make the difference between the success and failure of a project.
During the negotiations of a contract with a plant hire company, you’ll have learned whether they have plant leasing depots close to your site location and the extent of the fleet they have at hand to choose from. What you want is to have access to the very latest technology in all of the machinery and equipment that you need during your project. Aside from that, you need to be sure that if there is a breakdown, that the plant hire company can provide you with a fast replacement or repair that can take place within hours, or within a day wherever possible. That way, your project is minimally disrupted, and the tasks can be performed and completed as close to the original schedule as possible. The priority should always be high safety standards alongside the schedule and budget requirements.
As the project manager on a site you have to be ahead of the game, with plans in place to quickly react if there is a breakdown on site of important machinery. The sooner you can repair the problem or replace the machinery or equipment in place, the sooner the tasks can start back up and the project can get back on course. The idea is to minimise the disruption it can have on the progress of the project schedule and the budgetary damage that a long delay can have. The best way to do this is to build long standing relationships with a plant leasing company that can provide you with machine replacements and repairs from a local plant lease depot, maximising the potential of your project as a result.