For most people, a vehicle is a very important tool in everyday life. It is a sizeable investment to own a vehicle and it requires regular care to ensure it performs as intended. When you purchase a vehicle, you therefore typically make sure there is a warranty or an extended service plan on the vehicle in order to minimize the impact of potential, expensive repairs during the time in which you own the vehicle. In addition, you sometimes find that when purchasing the vehicle that a preventative maintenance plan is included in the price of the vehicle for services such as regular oil changes, filter changes, tire rotations, and belt replacements. Did you ever wonder why these services would be included in the price of a vehicle or in an extended service plan?
Research has shown that when vehicles have regular preventative maintenance performed on them, they operate more efficiently, generally have fewer large, costly repairs, and experience
almost no breakdowns. Since a vehicle for many people is “mission-critical” to their daily lives and or livelihoods, breakdowns cannot be afforded (and you know they ALWAYS happen at the worst possible time), so having some sort of service plan that includes preventative maintenance as part of it is an absolute must. These plans also kind of “force you” to do the preventative maintenance. Reminders are sent out regarding them, and in some cases the warranty or repair coverage is diminished if the proper maintenance is not occurring at the designated points in time.
This same philosophy holds true for key items in your house as well, such as your heating system. Typically, you have the system checked each season or year, and filters changed, etc. to ensure the system is working properly when you need it (because you know that if you don’t, as luck will have it, the system will fail on the coldest day of the year – and oh by the way, yours is one in about thirty others that failed in and around your area so you will be waiting a long time in the cold for the repair technician to arrive). A season should really not go by without a system check being completed.
A communications system is no different. Sizeable investments are made in these heavily relied upon, mission-critical systems, which support government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations. These systems need to work when they are needed. So now you might be asking, “Well, why wouldn’t they work? Aren’t they specifically designed for mission-critical communications and continual uptime?” They answer is of course “yes”, they are designed that way. However, many users operate on systems that have been in place for a very long time, or on systems that maybe have components of the system’s infrastructure residing in not the best of environmental conditions, where dirt, dust, animals, and yes even things like sugar or flour make their way into these components and over time affect their operation, or worse yet cause a communication failure and a costly repair. We frequently hear from agencies and companies experiencing equipment problems that could have been prevented with basic two way radio maintenance and best practices. Just like with a vehicle or a heating system, having a maintenance agreement on your communication system, which includes preventative maintenance, can help you avoid those situations you don’t want to be in …. think vehicle repair out of warranty or absent an extended service plan – ouch! Don’t have a service plan or maintenance agreement on your current communications system? No problem. Call us and ask for Barb Concialdi, our Maintenance Services and Contract Director, and she’ll get a plan designed that is just right for your system.
This article was written by one of Chicago Communication's Principals, Cindy Glashagel. Cindy has over 27 years of experience in the industry. She held many positions during her tenure at Motorola, beginning with Systems Engineer and other various customer service, quality & operations management, and HR positions before resigning to start Chicago Communications, LLC. If you have any questions for Cindy, or another representative at ChiComm, please contact us.
