Facility maintenance is a vital operation aspect of any business. The operational element of any business works just like a domino in a sense that in order for one point to perform adequately, all the others that come before and after it should also have good performance. Your facility maintenance field vehicles will help your day-to-day operations as smooth as it should.
To make sure you choose the best, here are tips and tricks when choosing facility maintenance field vehicles:
1. Buy fleet vehicles based on their purposes
When you choose vehicles for field maintenance, it is crucial that you remember first what you are buying. In this manner, you can gauge if that particular vehicle you are looking to buy is the perfect one that meets your needs. Here are the different categorizations of field vehicles that you should remember:
- Light commercial fleet vehicles, usually used for passenger or delivery purposes
- 4.5-tonne fleet vehicles, such as trucks
- Other fleet vehicles, such as trailers, ride on lawnmowers, and street sweepers
For help in tracking your facility maintenance fleet, click here for a quick guide on the 5 best ways to track your facilities maintenance vehicles in the field.
2. Decide first if it is better to lease, or to buy
Field vehicle maintenance can either be leased or bought. Depending on the various uses of each vehicle, you will be able to make a sound decision as to which among the two options are better for your company. Whatever choice you make, it is imperative that you factor in the longer-term costs.
If the type of vehicle that is needed for field maintenance is not one that is regularly used for your type of business, then it is better to lease and to outsource. This way, you can save up on costs such as insurance, maintenance, and repairs. You will only have to pay for the lease every time that the specific vehicle is needed.
On the other hand, if the vehicle is needed for more permanent purposes such as day-to-day delivery, then it is more cost-efficient for your company to purchase that particular field vehicle.
3. Always keep your budget in mind
Whether you are a big company or a small one, it is imperative that you keep your budget in mind. Also take into consideration your car finance options. If possible, try to shy away from exceeding your budget, as other costs may be incurred later on for each vehicle purchase. For example, you will still have to pay for the following:
- Vehicle registration
- Auto insurance
- Yearly vehicle check-up and maintenance
Therefore, when choosing facility maintenance filed vehicles, always stay within budget and be aware of the costs that you will have to incur later on.
4. Act on long term requirement
When choosing any vehicle, look through the future around five to ten years later to see if the chances of using and needing that specific vehicle are still high. Vehicle needs often change over time, and automobiles are assets that depreciate fast. Even if you do re-sell the same, you will not be able to gain back even half of what you spent on it.
Therefore, it is vital that you think about your choice over, and not make any impulsive decisions when choosing one, just because you need it at this very moment.
5. Factor in the following variables when choosing facility maintenance field vehicles
Business experts have provided variables/factors that you should factor in, too, when choosing field vehicles. The business management analysts in your company can provide this for you; this is often the cost-benefit analysis of your company. Hence, it is crucial that you seek advice on these variables first before finally deciding to purchase one. Here are some of these variables:
- Annual purchase cost
- Annual cost of hiring drivers
- Availability and need of the field vehicle for use
- Estimated life of the field vehicle
- Risks related to field vehicles for facility maintenance purposes
- Other factors that your company deems essential
6. Choose a brand new vehicle
If you have to buy a new vehicle, whenever possible, choose a brand new one because it has a better long term return of investment. You may be tempted to purchase second hand because of its lower procurement cost. However, this may not necessarily translate into savings for the company. When you buy a second-hand vehicle, you do not necessarily know the previous history of the car, so you do not know what kind of problems in the car is hidden from you. If you buy a brand new one instead, there are higher chances of fewer repairs needed, and lesser problems, as you are the first user.
Conclusion
These factors will help you in making the right choices as to which field vehicles to purchase for your facility maintenance. Excellent facilities maintenance will help make your operations clean, smooth, efficient and in order. When your work, office, or school facility is active, as well as their respective field vehicles, the day-to-day management of your company can meet their goals and targets. All these highlight the importance of choosing the best facility maintenance field vehicles.
Author Bio-
Edward Flanagan is the founder of Edward’s Enterprises, a handyman service & licensed general contractorthat has been improving homes and providing facilities maintenance in Southern California since 1996. Their facility maintenance services include laminate cashwrap repair, store electrical & lighting, and retail plumbing services.Edward currently divides his time between Camarillo and Venice Beach, CA, and loves the 405.
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