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Chicomm Blog

Keeping A Communication System at Peak Performance

Posted by Jill McNamara on Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Pointers from the Principals: Why Invest In A Maintenance Contract?  

     With budgets already strained, an investment for the upgrade of a communication system to newer technology could be out of reach at this time. Organizations are focusing their attention on ways to reduce costs, to keep within their budgets. However, in doing so, they often lose sight of the importance a flat-rate maintenance program plays in keeping a legacy communication system at peak performance.      

A high level of performance is still expected from these legacy communication systems because of the role it plays in how quickly an organization can respond to a given situation. Cutting corners in an attempt to cut cost and not recognizing the importance of regularly maintained equipment could lead to coverage, functionality or reliability issues that could have been prevented. Similar to a car, if properly installed and regularly maintained your system will perform reliably for years.service

      There are Certified Service Centers (CSC) throughout Illinois that have the capability to provide whatever degree of technical, administrative, consultative or maintenance repair services you need to support and enhance the effectiveness of your wireless communications system. Their portfolio of services can include a variety of system maintenance, radio network administration and operational support services as well as dedicated, on-site personnel who provide ongoing system management activities. ChiComm is one of these CSCs.

      It is critical to the system's integrity and reliability that the field equipment be properly maintained.  An important element of any system maintenance program is a regularly scheduled preventive maintenance inspection of all components of your communications system and/or sub-systems. It presents the opportunity for detection of potential problems before they develop, thus reducing the possibility of system failures and reduced service to the users. 

 It is important to note that a maintenance contract offers certain benefits to a customer not available with Time & Material billing.

  • Depending on the level of service you desire, it can cover labor only, or parts and labor.
  • All repairs include testing, aligning to manufacturer specifications, and cleaning.
  • Pick-up and Delivery service is typically included in the flat-rate fees.
  • Parts and labor on repairs not covered under a maintenance contract are billed at a lower rate.
  • Under a maintenance contract, severity level response times are established and given priority. Under Time & Material, a customer is handled on a first-come, first-serve basis and response time is dependent on a service shop’s technical pool availability.
  • It is easier to set one’s budget when the cost is fixed as opposed to variable. It helps avoid those times when you incur costly repairs where there may not be budget dollars available.
  • It serves as insurance during those years when repairs could be many, because repair cost will not exceed the annual cost of the maintenance contract.

     There are many variables that affect the performance of a communication system, but there are steps that should be taken to minimize downtime and unnecessary cost. Many issues can be prevented if properly installed and regularly maintained. All being said, the question becomes, can you afford not to invest in a Maintenance Program?

ChiComm has a number of options for maintenance programs that cater to your needs.

                      

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This is a guest blog written by one of Chicago Communication's Principals, Kurt Hessler. Kurt has over 27 years of experience in the industry, including his  many years at Motorola Solutions as a Senior Account Manager.