Despite rigorous planning and thorough backup systems, technical breakdowns aren’t entirely avoidable. While some issues are easily avoided through regular maintenance, technology is susceptible to influences that are outside of your immediate control.
For example, if you don’t know one of your servers is overheating because the fan broke, you may not catch the issue in time to prevent serious damage to the components. Although you would easily notice when a server is overheating, there’s no guarantee it’s going to happen when you’re physically present in your server room.
The difference between avoidable and unavoidable breakdowns
Technically speaking, there’s probably a way to avoid every breakdown known to man, but the problem is that you’d need to be psychic to make that happen. Not every breakdown gives detectable warnings, and that’s what makes some issues unavoidable.
The easiest issues to avoid are those which are predictable and common, and can be avoided with known strategies. For example, everyone knows laptops generally only last for a few years, so employers often replace employee laptops every three years no matter what. This is a good way to avoid a host of common breakdowns, like dead screen pixels, broken or stuck keys, logic board failures, and hard drive issues.
Unavoidable breakdowns are issues that can’t easily be foreseen either because you’re not expecting them to happen or the cause of the breakdown is unusual. For example, unexpected manufacturing defects are not typically preventable, and neither are lightning strikes or earthquakes. All of these can cause technical breakdowns when you least expect them.
Unexpected breakdowns are common with low-quality electrical transformers. If you buy a poorly made transformer, it’s likely going to fail prematurely. However, even though you can’t prevent a specific piece of equipment from malfunctioning, you can be proactive and avoid defects by buying from a reputable manufacturer. Poorly built transformers are more likely to fail than ones built by expert craftsmen who use high-quality insulation and manufacturing methods.
5 tips to manage preventable and unexpected breakdowns
Whether you’re dealing with large or small systems, hardware or software, it’s unrealistic to strive for zero failures. Here are some tips to make your business more resilient in the face of unavoidable, unexpected breakdowns.
- Know your equipment limits
One common source of technical failure comes from pushing equipment past its limitations. Everything has limits, and it’s crucial to know what those are and stick to them. For example, if the manufacturer recommends turning off your equipment when it’s not in use for hours at a time, there’s a reason for that. If you leave your equipment running 24/7 and ignore the manufacturer’s advice, it could be prone to failure from being overworked.
- Never overlook small issues
Overlooking small issues can lead to equipment breakdowns, not to mention accidents and injuries, depending on your industry. Not handling small problems immediately can lead to unexpected equipment failures. Take every issue seriously because what looks like a minor inconvenience today could be a sign that a piece of equipment is breaking down. The longer you take to fix it, the greater the impact will be when it finally gives out.
- Implement regular maintenance
A solid maintenance plan is one major key to preventing breakdowns. By hiring an expert to come in and check your systems and equipment periodically, you’ll have an advantage where avoiding breakdowns is concerned. Not only will you be able to fix small things as they arise, but a professional can tell you if there’s an issue that will cause problems if left unaddressed.
- Use sensors
Humans can only see and hear in a limited capacity. When you start using electronic sensors on your equipment (where possible), you’ll get a heads-up when something slightly changes. This will give you a warning you couldn’t get otherwise. For example, sensors can detect subtle changes in temperature, pressure, and vibrations. Once you establish a baseline for a piece of equipment, sensors will tell you when something is off.
- Have backup plans
It’s not a bad thing to prepare for your worst-case scenarios. Avoid the consequences of a breakdown by creating a backup plan for things that can devastate your business if they go wrong. For instance, back up your data and know who you’ll call for a replacement if a machine goes down.
Long-term resilience begins with a plan
Rather than attempting to meet impossible goals of 100% uptime, focus on building resilient systems that will help you quickly recover after an unexpected failure. Accepting that some breakdowns are inevitable will help you channel your resources more effectively and strengthen your ability to recover.
Caroline is doing her graduation in IT from the University of South California but keens to work as a freelance blogger. She loves to write on the latest information about IoT, technology, and business. She has innovative ideas and shares her experience with her readers.
