Pro Tip: Implementing predictive bakery maintenance techniques is a method that may identify potential problems, including staffing issues.

I saw a tagline from my friends over at Grainger the other day that I thought might apply directly to bakery maintenance.

The slogan says: “You can’t predict the future, but you can prepare for it.” This suggests that if you fill a stockroom with a company’s materials and keep its local warehouse on speed dial, you will be ready to manage anything that comes your way.

For years, predictive maintenance has been a method that many think about, but few implement. Some would argue that many issues can be predicted with equipment by using machine-mounted or connected technology. While this is true, how many invest and implement it, and then actually follow up to see what the information is showing?

If this type of technology were installed, there would never be serious issues, right? If you know it is coming, you nip it in the bud before it bites you. But there are a range of potential items that cannot be predicted, and that includes people.

When you want to win, you must prepare well. Whether it is a football game, an auto race or building a maintenance team, preparation is always important.

Preparing for bakery maintenance challenges can be daunting. Not only does the equipment require thought but so do people. Equipment can be monitored, and tools can be added. Even AI can play a role. Where the gap remains is people.

You cannot predict what is going to happen in the future with your maintenance team, but preparing for substantial changes and challenges can help.

In human resources circles, the promise is to focus on the three “Rs:” recruit, retain and recognize. There are two additional “Rs” that can be added to that list: reorganize and retrain. People do not stay at jobs over an entire career like they did in decades past. The competition for good people is fierce. You must constantly evaluate the talent level and composition of your crew.

You know what you need in an effective maintenance crew. You must have a team member that can do controls, one that can weld and fabricate, and an all-star troubleshooter. Herein lies the problem. You have 365 days to cover, each in eight-, 10- or 12-hour increments. One specialist on the crew does not help when that team member is napping or vacationing.

Here is where, as a maintenance leader, you need to reorganize your thinking. To be prepared for the future, you need backups for each of these key talent areas.

Evaluate what is needed, identify team members from the wrench swinging group that have interest in becoming a specialist, and set up a way to retrain them into a specialized position.

Once they are retrained and qualified, you deploy them to opposite shifts from your current specialists. When you do this, you reduce the number of unprotected hours during the year where you will be staring at your phone on the nightstand. When you get this right, you can leave your phone in the kitchen. Predict these issues and prepare for better days.

Jeff Dearduff is owner of JED Manufacturing Services who provides “Bakery Guy Tips” to those everyday people working in production, maintenance and engineering. Connect with him on LinkedIn.