By: Nontu Mkhize - Offer Marketing Manager: Power Services and Industry - Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric

As businesses experience growing pressure to enhance operational efficiency and reduce downtime due to electrical failure, condition-based maintenance (CBM) becomes essential for preventing unforeseen equipment breakdowns by assessing the real-time health of electrical systems.

This approach ensures that maintenance is performed only when necessary, which helps keep operations running smoothly and significantly reduces the risk of electrical failures. Additionally, it lowers maintenance costs substantially and minimises disruptions, allowing businesses to operate more efficiently.

Businesses frequently face various electrical challenges that can disrupt their operations, such as power outages, faulty wiring, overloaded circuits and power surges. These issues can cause equipment damage, create safety hazards and result in financial losses. Therefore, it is essential for organisations to proactively address and prevent electrical failures.

Proactively address potential issues

Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Service Plan (ESP) – a proactive solution that enables CBM – provides numerous benefits. It can reduce the risk of electrical failures by up to 75%, which helps to minimise unplanned downtime. Additionally, it can lower maintenance activities and associated costs by up to 40% while continuously assessing the reliability of systems. By leveraging ESP’s environment and thermal monitoring capabilities, businesses can proactively address potential issues before they escalate.

By adopting a condition-based maintenance approach, the ESP enhances the resilience of infrastructure by reducing the likelihood of unexpected failures, extending the lifespan of assets and improving overall operational efficiency. The plan’s proactive monitoring and maintenance capabilities ensure that businesses can maintain continuity and stability even in the face of potential electrical disruptions.

Schedule maintenance activities

By continuously monitoring the condition of electrical assets, the plan can schedule maintenance activities dynamically, reducing unnecessary downtime and maintenance costs. This approach ensures that maintenance is performed only when needed, based on the actual condition of the equipment, leading to improved efficiency and reliability.

The ESP also leverages digital transformation by integrating advanced sensors and analytics to provide real-time monitoring and diagnostics. It uses Internet-of-Things-enabled devices to collect data on system performance, which can then be analysed to predict and prevent failures. This also enables dynamic maintenance scheduling and remote consultancy, enhancing overall operational efficiency.

A significant advantage of the ESP is its high level of customisation. It provides various support options to meet the specific needs of businesses, whether they are small enterprises or large corporations. The plan can be tailored with additional optional services to ensure optimal performance and maintenance of electrical systems. This flexibility allows businesses to select the most suitable package based on their size and operational requirements.

Wide range of industries

Furthermore, the ESP is designed for a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, Mining and Minerals, healthcare, Utilities, Power and Grid, Water and Wastewater, data centres and more. While it is particularly beneficial for existing clients using EcoStruxure solutions, it can also be integrated with new customers through Schneider Electric's extensive channel network. This integration ensures seamless adoption and maximises the benefits of the service plan.

As organisations face the growing need to boost operational efficiency and reduce downtime, CBM is key to revolutionising the approach to equipment upkeep by continuously monitoring the actual condition of electrical systems. This proactive strategy minimises unplanned disruptions and helps to maintain seamless operations.