We have recently recognized a need for our technicians to provide facilities with on-site support on a part-time basis. It’s now fairly common for our technicians to visit a facility several times a week to provide instrumentation troubleshooting and preventive maintenance support. This need is due to the fact that facilities often lack enough instrumentation work for a full-time technician. With a part-time technician, we are able to provide just the right amount of support to meet a facility’s unique needs. Additionally, if our technician finishes the instrumentation work before the work day ends, our technicians can utilize their electrical experience to help with electrical maintenance as well.
One of the main advantages of this part-time support model is cost. Instead of calling a technician to site whenever an issue arises and paying the standard rates, we’re able to offer a discounted rate since the facility is guaranteeing repeat work for our technicians. We have several year-long contracts, but we have also done shorter-term contracts, such as 6-months or 3-months, to give a facility time to gauge their needs before entering into a longer-term contract. Facilities also save money on equipment and tools required to maintain their instrumentation which can be a significant expense.
Another advantage to the part-time support model is communication. We stay in close communication with the maintenance personnel at the facilities we support by providing daily reports of the work completed on site. This way, the plant is always up to date on the status of each task. We make sure the facility knows what day(s) we are planning to be on site the following week so they can be prepared.
In addition to part-time support, facilities will often rely on us for their shutdown needs, procurement of new or replacement instruments, and sometimes larger capital projects. If our technician finds a bad instrument, we quote and order a replacement which the technician will be able to install the next time he is on site. Our clients also have access to all that Interstates has to offer through us.
With a fairly constant presence on site, we’re able to build stronger relationships with our clients. As a result, the relationship grows and we often feel like one team. Interested in a part-time support service? Contact us for more information!
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Adam Dittbenner, Interstates Service Manager
