At times, IT support can be so busy firefighting that the thought of staying ahead of the curve may sound like a beautiful dream. However, designing a solid preventative maintenance schedule that is firm but flexible can decrease costs by reducing the number of fires and increasing availability.

Cuts Like a Knife

The benefits of preventative maintenance are clear and should be enough to attract management approval. Info-Tech sees cost savings in the following areas:

• Maintenance inventory reduction: 15-25%. To play it safe, some IT shops will overstock maintenance supplies just in case they need them. By scheduling preventative maintenance, the supply inventory will closely match actual needs.
• Reduced maintenance inventory carrying costs: 20%. Knowing what you need on hand keeps funds from being tied up in inventory.