In a network of sales outlets, maintenance is not just a matter for technicians. It's a cross-functional discipline which, if poorly orchestrated, can take its toll on operations. A broken-down freezer in a city-center convenience store? It's not just a technical problem: sales evaporate - literally. So how do you intervene without putting the brakes on business? That's where it all comes in.
Planning without braking
Interventions must be invisible, or almost invisible. This requires intelligent planningwhich takes into account the store's rhythm of life. We avoid peak hours, anticipate critical operations and give priority to off-peak periods. A breakdown avoided in advance always costs less than a stoppage at the height of activity.
Admittedly, this requires some skill. But that's precisely what makes the difference between maintenance that's done by the hand... and maintenance that's driven by the hand.
Speaking the same language
Communication between the operations and maintenance teams must be fluid, even instinctive. A simple example: when a store manager detects a malfunction, he needs to be able to alert the right contact immediately, without going through a labyrinth of procedures. Conversely, a technician needs to understand at a glance whether his intervention can wait or whether it's becoming urgent.
The secret? A clear, shared, continuously updated criticality grid. And, of course, digital tools that enable everyone to see, in real time, what's happening elsewhere in the network.
Prioritizing emergencies
Not everything has the same importance. A flickering neon sign? We can wait. A payment system down on a Saturday? Here, every minute counts. So we need to establish a hierarchy of intervention, based on the immediate impact on the business.
It's also a question of common sense. But in a complex network, this common sense needs to be structured, equipped and shared. Without it, we chase after emergencies - and pile them up.
A network strategy, not just a schedule
Maintenance/operations coordination is not a question of scheduling. It's a global performance strategy. When a store shuts down, even for two hours, the whole business model is shaken: loss of flow, loss of sales, loss of confidence. And if the incident is repeated? The network's reputation is eroded.
In other words: the quality of this coordination is a competitive lever. Those who master it move forward faster. And more serenely.