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Guest writer Cathy Goodwin is an expert FoodService Equipment Consultant with 35+ years of industry experience. She runs a highly successful Food Equipment Consultancy business, and her career has spanned fields ranging from hospitality to product development.

Commercial kitchen equipment and refrigeration are designed to be durable, but when breakdowns occur, it’s rarely due to a manufacturer fault. Most problems arise from poor installation, incorrect application, or neglected maintenance.

It’s important to know that warranties only cover issues caused by a genuine manufacturing defect. If equipment fails because of how it was installed, used, or looked after, repair costs, replacement parts, technician fees, and even stock loss usually aren’t covered.

To help you avoid these costly mistakes, here’s a breakdown of common problems and how to prevent them––based on real-life examples.

What can go wrong in installation

Scenario 1: Incomplete installation

Your mate Johnny, an electrician, wires up a 3-phase combi oven. Job done, right? Not quite. Johnny didn’t install the water filter, check the water pressure, the drain pipe is standard PVC, and no clearance behind it. The result: an oven that doesn’t work properly.

Lesson: Always use qualified professionals who are trained and experienced with the specific equipment.

Scenario 2: Not installed as per manufacturer specifications

A builder couldn’t get the core hole for an ice maker drain in the right place, so they extended the hose a couple of metres to the left. The drain kinked, and now the ice bin fills with water.

Lesson: If an install doesn’t match the manufacturer’s specs, stop and ask the supplier for advice. Shortcuts create expensive problems.

Scenario 3: Incorrect placement of equipment

Your cousin Harry, a retail designer, sets the combi oven next to an open flame burner. No space for a water filter, no ventilation clearance. The side of the combi turns black, and the control panel starts melting.

Lesson: Kitchen design is a specialist job. Always allow space for ventilation, servicing, and safety.

Scenario 4: Not enough bench space

You squeeze a toaster against the wall to make room for a cutting board. The power cord overheats and begins to melt.

Lesson: Countertop equipment needs clearance for ventilation, safe operation, and easy cleaning—don’t cut corners on space.

What can go wrong in application

Scenario 1: Mistaken powerpoint

A 14-year-old casual plugs in their phone charger, turning off the freezer by mistake. By morning, thousands of dollars in stock are lost.

Lesson: Allocate specific powerpoints for things like phone charging, and make sure staff know what must never be switched off.

Scenario 2: Assuming equipment functionalities

You load a display fridge with room-temperature drinks. Customers complain they’re warm. The fridge isn’t broken—display units are designed to hold already chilled items, not cool them quickly.

Lesson: Train staff on what each piece of equipment can and can’t do.

Scenario 3: Not doing your research before purchase

You buy an ice machine that produces 96kg a day. Sounds great—until you discover that means only 4kg per hour. The bin runs out before service is half over.

Lesson: Read the fine print. Match equipment output to your actual operational needs before you buy.

What can go wrong with maintenance

Scenario 1: Staff unaware of proper shut down procedures

Pete knows how to shut down and clean the dishwasher. Bekky, filling in for him, forgets about the wash and rinse arms. By the end of the week, the dishwasher isn’t cleaning properly.

Lesson: Don’t rely on one person’s knowledge. Regularly train all staff on shutdown and in-house maintenance.

Scenario 2: Undocumented maintenance processes

Maintenance instructions are buried in a single operations manual no one can find. When the condenser on an under-counter fridge needs cleaning, staff can’t access the information.

Lesson: Document all maintenance processes clearly, and keep them where every staff member can access them. Digital systems make this even easier.

Scenario 3: Being lax on maintenance schedules

The exhaust canopy looks fine, so you skip the recommended duct and fan clean. Soon, grease is dripping down the canopy and onto sprinkler heads.

Lesson: Manufacturer-recommended service intervals exist for a reason. Follow them before visible problems appear.

To wrap up

To keep your commercial kitchen running smoothly and your warranty valid, make sure you cover these essentials:

• Get professional advice on the right equipment for your needs.
• Provide designers and builders with technical specifications so installs are correct.
• Use qualified installers who understand the equipment.
• Train your staff in both operation and in-house maintenance.
• Schedule preventive maintenance with qualified technicians, as per manufacturer guidelines.

Preventive maintenance is one of the best investments you can make. It helps catch installation and application issues early, extends the life of your equipment, and minimises the risk of downtime or costly repairs.

As of 1 July 2025, the Fair Work Commission raised the national minimum wage from $24.10 per hour or $915.90 per week to $24.95 per hour or $948 per week. While this is great for Australian workers, for many companies with employees on minimum wage, this means an immediate cost increase. Alongside the recent energy tariff hike, small to medium-sized businesses, especially QSRs, are going to be those feeling the most pressure from these rising costs.

What does this new minimum wage mean for you?

The 3.5% increase means that the new National Minimum Wage – the minimum a company is required to pay an employee – will increase by:

💰 $0.85 per hour
💰 $32.10 per 38-hour week
💰 $1,669.20 per year

While all of your employees’ wage rates should have been updated by 1 July, if you’re unsure about anything to do with these changes, it’s best to reach out to your bookkeeper.

Where to cut costs

While the new award rates and energy tariff puts pressure on your cashflow, there are other areas of your business worth assessing to see whether costs can be cut.

Inventory management

If you don’t have an efficient way to manage your inventory, you could be throwing money away. Regular inventory audits are an effective way to ensure every item is accounted for and identify any discrepancies before they become an issue. You may uncover problems like unnecessary waste, admin errors, or theft. All of which, when rectified, can save your bottom line.

Food storage education

Your staff can’t know what you don’t teach them. What may seem like common sense to you, won’t to someone else, so employees need to be educated on correct procedures from the start. Take them through best practices for stock handling, like first-in, first-out (FIFO), ways to properly store items, and labelling food items with dates. Doing this will mean less food wastage due to improper storage, more accurate inventory management, and more money in your pocket at the end of the day.

Consider menu changes

Take a look through your menu. Are there items that don’t sell well that could be cut? Are there items where you could replace more expensive ingredients with seasonal ones that will be less costly? Other options like meal bundles could also help move stock that isn’t selling as well.

If you’re looking for waves to save on your next energy bill, take a look at our blog on the latest energy tariff. From energy audits to energy efficient equipment, there are tangible ways to identify where you’re wasting energy and save money.

When you think of asset management software, you probably think about industries like commercial foodservice, construction, or even mining – sectors that heavily depend on expensive, heavy machinery and equipment to be working at all times. But recently, there’s been a shift. More and more, we’re seeing multi-site organisations from all kinds of industries discover the value of smarter asset management. From better inventory management to keeping track of preventative maintenance and compliance, asset management software is becoming the secret weapon in sectors that you might not expect.

1. Supermarkets

Supermarkets have complex, high-cost refrigeration systems made up of many interconnected parts, and maintaining them is no small task. It’s not just the few fridges you see – behind the scenes they manage massive central refrigeration units that are crucial to the business. But while refrigeration may be a supermarket’s biggest concern, there are also cash registers, meat scales, combi ovens, fish displays, compactors, baking ovens, utilities, toilets, deep fryers, bain maries, juicers, and much more. With so many assets to keep track of, supermarkets are turning to asset management software to have more control over costs, track maintenance, and minimise downtime.

2. Universities and Schools

On first glance, educational institutions might not appear asset-heavy. In reality, it’s the opposite. Campuses are full of expensive lab equipment, IT hardware, classroom technology like smart boards, and countless utilities to consider. On their quest to simplify managing it all, schools and universities are turning to asset management software. From quick and easy maintenance requests, to keeping track of costly lab machines, this software is helping to create a better learning and working environment for students and teachers.

3. Coffee Suppliers, Roasters, and Solution Providers

The coffee industry might be a surprising one, but asset management software is changing the game here too. On top of just the roasting equipment, coffee suppliers will often manage an entire fleet of commercial coffee machines, usually installed in cafés or restaurants. For them, asset management software gives them the ability to schedule servicing proactively, remotely monitor performance, and keep track of any warranties. It means fewer machine breakdowns, less downtime, and happy, caffeinated customers.

4. Gyms and Fitness Centres

Take a walk through any gym and you’ll see dozens of high-value assets – from ellipticals and weight machines to treadmills and exercise bikes. Breakdowns of equipment like this isn’t just an inconvenience for customers, it can also be a safety risk. By incorporating asset management software into their processes, gym owners can stay on top of regular servicing, cut down on emergency repair costs, and ultimately extend the lifespan of their expensive equipment.

5. Department Stores

Large, multi-site retailers like David Jones have far more to consider than just the floor stock. From lifts and escalators to air-conditioning units and lighting, there is a web of assets to monitor. Not to mention the huge digital screens used for branded advertising. By adopting asset management software, department stores get complete oversight of all facilities and assets, giving them greater control and helping management to make smarter, data-driven decisions.

6. Aged Care Facilities

Safety is the number one priority when it comes to aged care. These facilities need to manage and keep clear records of everything, from critical medical equipment and mobility and lifting devices to kitchens, laundry, utilities, and general building maintenance. Asset management software helps multi-site aged care facilities to keep compliant with health and safety regulations, keep all critical equipment running smoother for longer, and to ultimately create a safer environment for residents.

To wrap up

Asset management software is no longer confined to a single industry – it’s proving its value in environments across every sector, where compliance, uptime, and efficiency are essential. Whether it’s ensuring a treadmill is safe to use, helping a coffee solution provider track a machine, or extending the lifespan of costly lab equipment, more industries are discovering that asset management software is the right tool to help them get organised and get ahead.

Guest writer Cathy Goodwin is an expert FoodService Equipment Consultant with 35+ years of industry experience. She runs a highly successful Food Equipment Consultancy business, and her career has spanned fields ranging from hospitality to product development.

As part of my work in my consulting business, I regularly visit fast food restaurants, cafés and dine-in licensed restaurants. Generally, checking the drains is not part of my scope, however, the floor drain is something we all walk over regularly and probably don’t even think about. In my quest to find out more, I took it upon myself to do a little research, not a scientific kind of research, just the real life kind.

During recent site inspections, I saw a pattern emerging. Most of the kitchens had two or three drains in the back of house and one or two in the front of house, behind the counter. To my shock – none were clean. Putrid, in fact. How is this so? From my experience, unless staff are told and continually reminded, the unseen tasks will be overlooked or left until ‘another day’.

The cost of filthy floor waste drains

Flies, cockroaches, odours and expensive plumbing emergencies are just a few repercussions of filthy drains, not to mention potential food contamination. The floor waste and sink drains are the most common areas for unwanted pests to lay their eggs, so it won’t matter how clean the rest of your restaurant is – the pests will keep coming. The likely costs will include multiple expensive callouts to pest control, fewer customers due to mysterious smells and visible pests, and the loss of your restaurant’s reputation.

Passing on information and training for in-house cleaning and maintenance processes is essential. Staff need to understand why we have to perform certain tasks to grasp the importance of it.

What standards exist for floor waste drains?

In my quest for knowledge, I started hunting around for standards… which aren’t easy to find. I reached out to experts in the field – Brigette Green from Green Design Group, Marcel Heijnen from Stoddart Manufacturing, and David Berry from Eco Guardians – who were able to point me in the right direction.

According to Sydney Water’s guide on Plumbing for retail food businesses: “In addition to grease traps, you must install authorised in-sink and in-floor waste bucket traps in all prep sinks and floor wastes in all commercial kitchens and food preparation areas.”

The purpose being that the first grate stops large solids getting into the drain, the second removable basket catches the solids that got past the grate, and the last basket is a strainer to catch all the finer solids before the grease trap. All this is intended to stop contamination getting into the drain system.

How do you clean them and how often?

You can clean the grate and removable basket quite easily. At the end of each day, remove the grate to inspect if there is debris in the basket. If there is, remove it and empty any solids into your waste bin. Once all the solids are removed, thoroughly wash and dry the basket. Remove any solids from the secondary strainer by wiping them out and emptying into the waste bin. Then you can flush with water and replace the basket and grate.

The secondary strainer – which is fixed into position – the drain pipes and grease trap all need to be cleaned and serviced regularly by a trade professional. Another line of defense, where suitable, is to install Green Drains. These are drain trap seals to help protect against odours, gases, and bugs.

The key is to know what to ask and who to ask. Always engage and work with professionals, not just when you start a food business, but at least on an ongoing annual basis to review your processes and identify any potential risks.

Final thoughts

While floor waste drains can feel like they’re out of sight, out of mind, the cost of ignoring is high – and will likely result in lost customers, money, and your reputation. When checked daily, it’s a small task that will help to keep your restaurant pest-free, odour-free, and running smoothly. A no-brainer!

If your business relies on mission-critical assets, you’ll understand how important it is to manage those assets effectively. Whether it’s commercial kitchen equipment or specialised medical machinery, proper asset management will mean the difference between long periods of costly downtime and seamless operations. The problem we see all too often is that many businesses operate from a reactive approach, rather than proactive – leaving themselves open to compliance risks, unexpected equipment failures, and huge profit losses. From our experience in this space and in working with our clients, we’ve compiled a list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to managing your mission-critical assets.

Do implement a proactive maintenance strategy

Think you don’t need preventative maintenance? Waiting to service equipment until it fails is an expensive and unnecessary mistake. Implementing a proactive maintenance strategy keeps your equipment running smoothly – ensuring small issues don’t snowball into catastrophic ones. With regular inspections from technicians, scheduled maintenance, and predictive monitoring of performance, you can minimise downtime, extend the life of your assets, and save your bottom line in the long run.

Don’t rely on manual tracking or outdated systems

While manual systems like spreadsheets, paper logs, or outdated systems have worked in the past, they haven’t evolved with the demands of modern operations. Modern tracking lacks real-time visibility and is prone to human error – both of which can cause your business big, costly issues. Upgrading your operations to incorporate an effective asset management system allows you to effortlessly track asset usage, centralise information, and schedule proactive maintenance at the click of a button.

Do train your team and enforce accountability

Even the best equipment won’t deliver the results you want if your people don’t understand how to use it. By taking the time to train your team properly, you set them – and you – up for success. Ensure they know how to follow compliance protocols, spot issues, and how to log them and request servicing when necessary. It’s equally important to establish accountability here by making a certain person or team responsible for certain assets or processes. This accountability creates a sense of ownership, and ultimately prevents crucial details from being missed.

Don’t postpone repairs or servicing

It can be tempting to delay a machine service in the interest of saving money at the moment. But more often than not, this approach has the opposite effect. Overlooking minor faults that aren’t caught by regular servicing can lead to disastrous failures, which will cost much more to fix. On top of this, it also creates a safety risk for your employees or customers – leaving you open to potential lawsuits. Promptly addressing repairs and sticking to a regular maintenance schedule is a simple way to ensure you’re protecting your people, your equipment, your customers, and your bottom line.

Do maintain accurate documentation

Maintaining accurate records isn’t just an administrative task – it creates a foundation for more informed decision-making. Keeping detailed records of everything from machine usage history to servicing and repairs will help you pick up on patterns, better demonstrate compliance in the event of an audit, and give you data to more effectively forecast future needs.

Don’t overlook compliance and safety standards

Mission-critical assets will often come with very strict safety requirements and regulations. If you take the risk and overlook or ignore these, you open your business up to fines, reputational damage, or even serious accidents and lawsuits. Embedding compliance checks into the foundation of your asset management strategy will ensure you’re consistently meeting regulatory requirements, protecting your teams, and building trust with all stakeholders.

To wrap up

Effective management of mission-critical assets is about a lot more than simply fixing problems when they inevitably pop up. It’s about building a proactive, accountable system that prioritises compliance, safety, efficiency, and uptime. By keeping these do’s and don’ts in mind, you’re protecting all stakeholders, cutting your long-term costs, and giving your business its best chance at operating at its full potential.

Quick service restaurants (QSRs) in Australia are bracing for higher energy bills as of July, with electricity prices set to rise for small businesses, ranging from 0.8% to 8.5% depending on location and usage. This makes it more important than ever for QSRs to maximise their energy usage efficiency across their facilities.

Why are prices going up?

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) recently released the Default Market Offer (DMO) for 2025-26. The DMO is essentially a way to protect consumers against ridiculously high prices while still allowing energy retailers to turn their own profit. It’s the absolute maximum price that can be charged to customers on standing offer contracts, and acts as a reference price for customers to compare plans. The DMO applies to small businesses on standing offer plans in NSW, South Australia, and south-east Queensland and the Victorian Essential Services Commission (ESC) has confirmed that the same hike will apply to the Victorian Default Offer.

What does it mean for QSRs?

This hike is set to add even more pressure to already tight financial margins. As QSRs generally rely on fast cash conversion cycles, when energy bills go up, cash flow can suffer. With QSRs having particularly high energy needs due to their refrigeration, cooking equipment and utilities, they are likely to feel the increase more than other businesses. This is highlighted by Austin Huntsdale, Chief Product Officer at Zembl who mentioned how “a QSR can use up to 10 times as much energy as a standard commercial office building.”

What can we do to keep energy costs down?

If you haven’t done an energy audit in a while, or have never done one, now is the time. Energy management can often become a blindspot as it’s difficult to understand which specific components are driving up your bills without regular audits. A thorough audit will help you discover exactly which equipment is operating inefficiently or where certain processes are consuming more energy than is necessary. After the audit you’ll get access to reports and recommendations that are tailored to your business and can help identify the best ways to reduce your total energy costs.

Preventive maintenance is an important practice to implement in order to keep costs low. Without regular preventive maintenance, problems with your equipment can go undetected until it’s too late – leaving you with the high costs of unexpected downtime and emergency repairs. Not only that, but equipment that isn’t kept in good condition can consume more energy over time. It’s not worth the risk – or the cost!

Another important practice is ensuring you operate modern, energy efficient equipment. While the outlay for such equipment can seem high initially, new equipment will enjoy higher uptime, reduced servicing costs and lower operating costs all of which can be a big saver in the long-run. To get a clear picture of your operating costs to help with repair/replace decisions it is critical to utilise an asset management platform that can provide complete cost transparency for your business.

Last but not least, your staff can play a big role in saving on energy bills. Implementing processes like powering down equipment when not in use, or switching off lights overnight can all help make a difference over the course of a year.

To wrap up

Yes, electricity prices are about to jump up for many QSRs across Australia which could mean tightening your budget even further. But taking simple actions like an energy audit, preventative maintenance, and educating staff, can help minimise the impact in the long run. So don’t be discouraged by the new pricing – there are ways to keep costs down and keep your QSR profitable in the 25/26 financial year.

Equipment manufacturers need a strong field service team. Field service technicians are a direct extension of your brand, and they’re who your customers will mostly interact with. This is why how you manage your field service team matters so much. From repairs and preventative maintenance to installations and audits, the way your field service team operates can set you far apart from your competitors and keep customers happy and loyal. So, what does this look like in practical terms? Let’s take a look.

1. Optimise Scheduling and Dispatching

Better field operations start with better scheduling processes. For example, if you’re a manufacturer that services commercial equipment, putting the right technician on the job at the right time can mean the difference between a first-time fix and recurring, expensive visits. Adopting a scheduling tool is a fantastic way to optimise this process. There are tools available which can match technician skill sets to specific jobs, prioritise urgent jobs, and cut travel times by optimising van routes. Features like automated scheduling and real-time tracking mean your team can respond to jobs quicker, there’ll be less costly downtime for customers, and ultimately, you can attend more jobs in less time.

2. Real-Time Communication

Your field service technicians need to be able to access accurate, up to date information on the job. One way to do this is with a mobile app, where they can look up job details, schematics and manuals, relevant service history, and customer information–all from their device, from wherever they are. This level of communication means your technicians always have all the information they need at hand, and fewer details will slip through the cracks. With live updates, any last minute changes or urgent information is communicated immediately–meaning delays are reduced and it’s more likely that a job can be resolved on the first visit.

3. Preventative and Predictive Maintenance

As a manufacturer, no one knows your equipment as well as you do. This unique advantage makes preventative and predictive maintenance especially valuable. Using tools like IoT-enabled asset monitoring and accessing historical performance data, you can effectively schedule proactive maintenance for your equipment–long before any issues arise. Not only will this approach cut down on downtime for your customer, but it has the added benefit of positioning your brand as a proactive partner. Preventative maintenance like this will also improve the longevity of your assets, reduce warranty claims, and give you a reputation for reliability.

4. Utilise Data Collection and Analytics

Your data is one of the most valuable assets your company possesses. All the data collected during service visits provides powerful insights into the way your equipment and your team runs. Asset management software is capable of tracking every detail, like technician activity, part usage, and service duration in one centralised place. With this information in hand, manufacturers can make better, more informed decisions when it comes to technician training, improvements to products, and even the services you offer. This data will also help you forecast and plan more accurately, improving ROI and the performance of your team.

To Wrap Up

The way equipment manufacturers manage a field service team could have far-reaching implications for the entire business. It’s more than equipment maintenance–it’s a strategic asset you may not be taking full advantage of yet. By investing in digital tools and automations like smarter scheduling, a mobile app, proactive maintenance, and utilising your data, you can ensure your team is a shining representation of your brand, make your operations more efficient, and end up with happier customers.

Coined by FoodService Equipment Consultant Cathy Goodwin, the three ‘R’ Rules for hospitality equipment can be applied across all kitchen equipment in the hospitality industry and act as shorthand guide for making important decisions to keep your business running smoothly and profitably.

Reminder, Routine, Reward

“Good planning always costs less than good reacting.” – Wayne Schmidt Commercial kitchen equipment works hard, which means it gets very dirty, very fast. Setting a regular in-house cleaning and maintenance schedule alongside reminders for intermittent deep cleaning and professional maintenance is a must for keeping your kitchen running smoothly and reducing the likelihood of downtime. The first set of ‘R’ rules exists to help maintain the health of current equipment. These ‘R’s help you create and follow through on good habits, like:

Reminders

In a busy kitchen, it can be all too easy for deep cleans and maintenance jobs to slip your mind. But your expensive kitchen equipment will last longer, use less energy, and be less likely to break down if maintained correctly. Setting reminders will help keep your team accountable and your equipment working properly.

Routines

Keeping a schedule of who is responsible and when each task is due, along with a log of all maintenance performed, gives you all the supporting data you need for an audit, warranty, or insurance claim. It also gives you full visibility over the cost of life of each piece of equipment, something that can be simplified even further with a dedicated asset management system.

Rewards

By implementing the first two ‘R’ habits, you’ll get to reap the rewards of a clean, smoothly running kitchen with a drastically reduced chance of any problems occurring.

Repair, Refurbish, Replace

As kitchen equipment gets older, with every operational issue you’ll face the decision of whether to repair, refurbish, or replace it. Considering the high cost of quality commercial catering equipment against the cost of potential future downtime means it’s imperative to get this right. Here are the questions to be asking yourself:

• What is the warranty on the repair?
• Is the repairer manufacturer authorised?
• Are genuine parts being used?
• What is the cost of disconnection and disposal of the old and the delivery and installation of the new?
• Will the item fit through the doorways or was it installed before other fixtures?
• Are you able to replace like for like?
• Is there joinery or stainless steel bench work that will need to be modified to install the replacement?
• Is there a more effective or efficient replacement?
• Is there a current government incentive to upgrade to a more energy efficient option?

While upfront, it may look cheaper to replace entirely, when you take all these extra potential costs into account, that may not be the case.

Respect, Responsibility, Results

The final three ‘R’ rules focus on your overall business, and when applied alongside the first two sets of ‘R’ rules, will help ensure you have a thriving kitchen that’s never short of customers.

Respect

Every stakeholder in your business should be treated with utmost respect. After all, without them you don’t have a business! This includes customers, suppliers, staff, contractors, landlords, cleaners, car park attendants, tradesmen, delivery people, equipment repairers – anyone connected to your business.

Responsibility

There is a great deal of responsibility that comes along with running a business, and how you own this will affect your success. Provide a welcoming, comfortable and safe environment for everyone who may enter your premises. Teach and mentor your staff, show them how to use the equipment, how to look after it, clean it and maintain it properly, and how to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.

Results

The result of being respectful and owning your responsibility will be sustainable, efficient equipment that contributes to a profitable and long term thriving hospitality business where people want to visit. When followed altogether, these nine ‘R’ rules serve as a guide to ensure your commercial kitchen, your equipment, and your entire business continue to operate as efficiently as possible. By putting good habits and routines into place, considering every variable when deciding whether to repair or replace, and treating your stakeholders well, you can set your business up for long-term success.

Running a business in the hospitality industry comes with a lot of costs. The cost of running kitchen equipment. The cost to keep the lights on. Wages. Marketing. Emergency repairs. It all adds up. Often, your equipment can be one of the biggest expenses, especially if it breaks down. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. By implementing a few crucial changes, it is possible to to reduce overall lifecycle costs of your equipment and see long-term savings.

1. Implementing preventative maintenance strategies

When your equipment unexpectedly breaks down, it’s not just the cost of repair that you’re hit with. It’s also the expensive downtime you experience as operations are brought to a halt. These combined costs far outweigh the price of preventative maintenance. In practice, this is as simple as scheduling regular equipment servicing to catch any issues long before they become critical. Pair this with a consistent maintenance schedule, and you can not only extend the life of your equipment, but you’re cutting the costs of emergency repairs and lost revenue from downtime.

2. Optimising energy efficiency and resource utilisation

Energy and water bills make up a significant portion of operational costs, which is unfortunately pretty unavoidable as you can’t do business without these utilities. But there are ways to reduce these costs in the long-run. Energy-efficient equipment is a great place to start-think LED lighting, ENERGY STAR-rated appliances, solar power, or high-efficiency HVAC systems. On top of this, starting to monitor and analyse your water and energy consumption can help you spot where the most is being consumed-so you know where to focus your efforts. Even small changes like motion sensing lights can mean substantial savings over a longer period of time.

3. Leveraging asset management software for cost control

A lot of businesses aren’t aware of this, but modern asset management software is designed to help you monitor, track, and optimise the performance of your assets in real-time. All of your asset data is stored in one place, allowing you to make more informed decisions when it comes to deciding whether to repair or replace-which could save your bottom-line in a big way. With a detailed performance history and predictive analytics on hand, this software takes the guesswork out of equipment management, helps you avoid unnecessary spending, and allows you to budget better. The result? More efficient, cost-effective operations throughout the lifecycle of your asset.

To wrap up

Reducing the lifecycle costs of your hospitality equipment is entirely possible-you just need to think proactively and utilise the right tools. By scheduling regular preventative maintenance, being smart about managing your energy and water usage, and investing in a comprehensive asset management solution, you’ll see lower long-term expenses, more efficient operations, and your equipment will last a lot longer.

Sometimes shutting down your commercial kitchen equipment is inevitable. You might need to temporarily shut your entire kitchen for a short time, or deactivate a piece of equipment for maintenance, replacement, or reselling. Whatever the reason, we want to shut down equipment properly, and with the ability to get it back up and running again in no time. FoodService Equipment Consultant Cathy Goodwin, has a few tips on where to focus your efforts based on what equipment you have.

Ice Machine

Ice machines need to be disconnected, descaled, and sanitised. Run descale cycle, disconnect from power and water. Clean the drain hose and condenser, empty the bin and trough and make sure to clean in and around the back, sides, and base, checking that there’s no water still in the machine or hose lines. Once all the cleaning is done, cover your machine with a dust-proof cloth and wrap it in plastic to protect it if it’s going to be out of use for a little while.

Refrigeration

Empty your refrigeration units of all products, then switch off the power, strip down and clean all the shelves, as well as: cavities, condenser, drain hose, evaporator coil, evaporator pan, door seals, hinges, castors, back, sides and under. Using a spacer to hold the door/s open while you’re gone will allow air to circulate while in storage. Again, cover the unit with a dust- proof cloth or wrap it in plastic. The power lead should be cable-tied.

Cookline

Strip the cookline as best as you can, cleaning all surfaces and removing any solids and grease spills. If the equipment is connected to a water supply, shut it down and clean any drain lines, allowing it all to dry thoroughly. If you’re unsure about any of this, call in a professional. Make sure all gas is switched off and that all external and internal surfaces including top, sides, rear and underside are all cleaned. Finish off by covering everything with a dust-proof cloth or plastic wrap.

Countertop Appliances

Make sure all countertop appliances are disconnected from power and cleaned thoroughly. Any cast-iron plates should be oiled to avoid rust. Cover each appliance with a dust-proof cloth or wrap in plastic, and all power leads should be cable-tied.

Dishwashers

With your dishwashers, fully empty/drain the wash and rinse tanks, then disconnect the machine from chemical, water, and power supplies. Clean the wash and rinse arms, empty and clean the baskets/strainers, and clean all surfaces inside and outside the machine before drying thoroughly. Any chemicals should be capped off, the door left open, and the machine needs to be covered with a dust-proof cloth or plastic wrap.

Exhaust Hood

Clean the canopy/hood, light fittings, troughs, and drains before removing and cleaning all the filters. The duct and fans also need a thorough cleaning, but it’s recommended to consider bringing in a professional to do this if you’re shutting down for a while.

Drains

If not flushed with water regularly, your drains can cause horrible odours and allow access for insects and vermin to get into your kitchen. Cathy’s recommendation is to install Green Drains Trap Seals to avoid potential problems, which allow water and debris to pass through while preventing pests, pathogens, and noxious fumes from entering the kitchen.

Pest Control

Controlling access for pests via your drains is one step, but you also need to check that all baits and other pest control treatments are kept up to date, even if your kitchen is closed. If you’re unsure on how best to prepare your kitchen for a temporary shutdown in terms of pest control, it’s always best to give your local pest control company a call.

Security

It goes without saying that in the event of a temporary shutdown, all valuables should be removed from the premises. This includes, liquor, computers, monitors, cash kept on-site, etc. Make sure you’ve checked that all locks are working properly on all doors and access points. Your security company should also be made aware of the shutdown, in case any alarms are triggered while you’re not there.

Wear your PPE

As you go about cleaning and shutting down your kitchen, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn at all times. This is any protective clothing, helmets, goggles, shoes, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection. By following these tips, you’re going to be able to hit the ground running once you’re ready. It’s infinitely easier to start back up with a clean property and operational equipment – it also saves you money you’d have to spend on equipment repairs, replacing equipment, professional cleaning, and potential downtime. Want an easier way to manage your equipment once you’re back in business? Get in touch to find out how mendrhub’s comprehensive asset management software can help.