DUNEDIN, FLA.—Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, a leading provider of automated solutions for preventive maintenance (PM) and asset management, has finalized an agreement with Loews Hotels that will result in its WinTrack PM system being implemented in 18 of the New York-based company’s properties in the United States and Canada. The agreement with Loews comes on the heels of the hotel company’s announcement that it intends to expand its brand in major cities throughout North America.
“We are honored that WinTrack PM has been selected by a company so respected in the lodging industry,” says Lind Hutton, executive vice president and c.o.o. of Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, Dunedin, Fla. “WinTrack PM will enable Loews’ engineers to more efficiently schedule, monitor and analyze preventive maintenance, perform rounds and capture readings.”
“We are very excited about WinTrack PM and looking forward to getting away from the paper-based system we had been using,” says Joe Thomas, corporate director of facilities for Loews Hotels. “WinTrack PM will help reduce energy consumption and prolong asset life.”
Instead of writing notes that must later be keyed into a computer, each Loews property will implement Mintek’s solution that incorporates easy-to-use handheld devices and bar codes. In preparation for WinTrack PM’s implementation, engineers at each hotel will place bar codes on equipment or other items needing evaluation on a regular basis. When the system is up and running, an engineer will simply scan the bar code with the handheld device. WinTrack PM will prompt the user to answer previously determined questions about a piece of equipment. After it is checked, the bar code will be scanned again. Each step will be recorded within WinTrack PM.
Loews Don CeSar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, Fla., is the first of the chain’s 18 hotels to implement WinTrack PM. It took just a little more than a week to get the system up and running and just a few days to get engineers and managers trained.
“I am really looking forward to using WinTrack PM,” says John Jones, director of engineering at the 340-room resort. “It offers a lot of flexibility and is very user friendly. Because of its automated record keeping, I will know, at a glance, where we stand in regard to outstanding work orders and PM.”
Portal Features Reporting Capability
As part of the rollout of the new system, Loews will implement Mintek’s Maintenance Portal. The Web-based system will give Thomas the ability to monitor each hotel’s PM progress anytime, anywhere. Specifically, the Maintenance Portal will enable him to produce reports that show outstanding work orders, completed and uncompleted rounds, and how long certain tasks took to accomplish. The system will ensure standardized maintenance setup across multiple properties.
WinTrack PM also will add accountability to the PM process because engineers must physically be at a piece of equipment to scan a bar code. Directors of engineering at each Loews property will know exactly when an engineer conducted PMs or rounds and what was recorded during those checks. Loews also will be able to track the actual labor costs on each piece of equipment.
“Knowing the amount of labor and money put into an existing piece of equipment is significant,” Hutton says. “It will give Loews the ammunition it needs to recommend a specific capital investment.”
Thomas says Loews intends to use WinTrack PM not only for equipment inspections but also for housekeeping and guestroom inspections as well. When scanned, a bar code on a guestroom door frame will prompt the handheld to generate a list of steps required for the guestroom PM check.
A Proactive Approach to PM
WinTrack PM ensures standardized maintenance is getting done, standardizes maintenance task lists and assists managers to better forecast staffing requirements. The system also enables engineers to anticipate potential issues before they arise.
“WinTrack PM will enable us to catch problems before they impact a guest or equipment,” Thomas says.
“We anticipate that over time Loews will realize the same benefits our other customers are experiencing: a better guest experience, increased profitability and accountability, labor savings, extended asset life, lower equipment and energy costs, and a safer work environment,” concludes Hutton, who expects WinTrack PM to be in close to 300 hotel properties by the end of this year.
Go to Mintek Mobile Data Solutions for more information.
