What Firefighting Costs You—And How to Break the Cycle

Welcome to The Reliable Edge

We guide leaders in transforming maintenance into a competitive edge—one proven idea at a time.

In this Issue, we’re calling out the cost of a system that never stops reacting. If every day starts with catch-up and ends with burnout, chances are—your plant is stuck in firefighting mode.

Let’s unpack what that’s really costing you… and how to start breaking the cycle

Field Insight: “We’re Great at Responding”

At one plant I have seen, the crew was incredibly proud of how fast they could respond and jump into action. If a pump went down, someone had it patched up in 30 minutes. Quick fixes were the norm, and supervisors weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.

But here’s the thing no one really said out loud:

• The same equipment kept breaking.

• PMs were constantly rescheduled.

• RCA got postponed, then forgotten.

• Morale was quietly eroding.

The team was working hard, no doubt about that. But they weren’t moving forward.

That’s the heart of the problem with firefighting: you’re always reacting. You end up solving the same issues over and over, without ever getting to what’s actually causing them.

What Firefighting Really Costs You

It's easy to underestimate the long-term cost of chronic reactivity. But the impact runs deeper than most plants track.

1. Financial Losses Stack Up

• Urgent repairs = higher costs.

• Rush parts, overtime, downtime… it adds up.
  According to Deloitte, unplanned downtime costs manufacturers an average of $260,000 per hour.

• Even well-run plants bleed profit when the approach is purely reactive.

2. Productivity Tanks