You know how you normally lower your lips into that hot cup of coffee very tentatively?  You may hardly realize you’re doing it, but that’s just because testing is so very important.  It’s a surprise, therefore, that in the world of manufacturing and industry across the spectrum, testing is often regarded as little more than a chore.

In your industry, perhaps you only test equipment because of compliance issues – because you have to.  Or for legal reasons, so you have a paper trail in the event that something goes wrong and someone points the finger at faulty equipment.  Generally, this is all regarded as ‘fair enough’ – because we all understand that much of the testing that takes place in industry is to make the workplace or the products safer.  But it’s impossible to ignore the correlation between a fastidious commitment to equipment testing and companies that are simply more profitable, too.

Again, it’s easy to think that big companies do a lot of testing simply because they’re big – and they can therefore afford to be extra (or even overly) careful.  But ask the CEOs, and they’ll tell you that equipment testing is as vital a business practice as just about any other.  How’s that?  Because equipment testing also drives down costs – and drives up productivity thanks to minimizing equipment failures and downtime.

Is testing really such a big deal?  We think yes:

Benchmarks

Once your lips hit that coffee, you’ll either find that it’s fit for consumption – or it’s too darn hot!  That zone of acceptable temperature might be seen as a benchmark, and it’s the heart of all equipment testing too.  Remember, any piece of equipment is designed to do an important and highly specific task: let’s take batteries as an example.  Let’s say it’s to start a vehicle of some sort, and take for granted that regularly using battery testers will ease your mind that you’re not going to be caught short with a flat.  Before it goes dead, the battery tester is designed to basically just measure how much energy is being efficiently stored.  With a regular test, you catch a problem before it catches you out.

Safety

As we mentioned earlier, it goes without saying that a lot of the equipment testing you might be doing is merely because of “safety”.  But it’s really something that cannot be understated like that, because without confidence that what you’re using to get that important task done is at least not dangerous, that’s simply negligent, and if the mud really does hit the legal fan, it would probably be a well-deserved hit.  For example, think of a voltage tester, or a current leakage ammeter, or RCD testing – these are examples of electrical equipment-related tests that literally save lives … and businesses.

Downtime

Going back to those dead batteries, it’s easy to see how implementing a regime of regular use of battery testers will keep your productivity maximized.  But it’s more than just batteries: equipment breakdowns of all kinds are the leading cause of industry downtime, because usually it involves getting a repair guy or two on the job while the rest of the crew happily takes an extended and costly (for you!) break.  Sometimes, replacement equipment or parts could even take days to arrive, more hours to install, and it all has a flow-on effect that can put operations back weeks or even months, or require a program to speed up operations that might involve the risky cutting of corners.

Throughout the spectrum of industry, testing may seem simple, but it simply goes hand in hand with best business practice.  Are you overdue for a little more testing?  It’s an extra investment that could save you an awfully big headache down the road.

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