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Manufacturing Case Study: 60% Reduction of Reactive Work
Manufacturing Case Study: 60% Reduction of Reactive Work
Paweł Bęś, Logistics and Maintenance Marketing Expert, QRmaint
Posted 9/24/2026
In heating system production, assembly precision and process continuity drive market leadership. Unplanned equipment downtime clearly causes significant financial losses. KOSPEL is a German heating equipment manufacturer with over 35 years of experience, supplying solutions that deliver comfort to homes across Europe and worldwide.
Deploying the cloud-based CMMS system shifted the operational focus from reactive “firefighting” to predictive and automated scheduling. As a result, preventive maintenance grew to 60% relative to reactive work, dropping the share of breakdowns by 60 percentage points from the original baseline (20%). (60% reduction of reactive work)
“Everything was clear. We needed a digital foundation that would allow our floor teams to act quickly and log data transparently, while providing management with real-time analytics to prevent future breakdowns before they even occur.”
— Thomas Szafransky, Maintenance Director
Root Cause of Change
Let’s look for the root cause. Before implementing the digital tool, the maintenance department’s daily routine relied on a traditional, fragmented information flow:
Problem 1: Lack of a Centralized Database
Service requests and technical details were scattered across paper documents and verbal communication. Without a digital trail, it was difficult to identify recurring breakdowns on welding and assembly lines.
Problem 2: Reactive Mindset
Inspection scheduling relied on physical calendars and employee memory. This made it hard to maintain strict machine operating tolerances, leading to sudden failures.
Problem 3: Delayed KPI Analysis
Manually aggregating data for MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) and MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) meant reports reached management with significant delays, offering purely historical insights.
Solution: Implementing QRmaint CMMS
Deploying the QRmaint cloud platform across Kospel aimed to remove communication barriers and digitize processes across its multi-plant structure, with a strong emphasis on mobility.
Core Features of the Implemented System
QR Codes & Mobile Requests
Every machine was labeled with a unique QR code. Scanning it with a mobile device gives technicians instant access to service history, documentation, and quick repair logging.
Automated Prevention
The system automatically generates maintenance schedules based on machine operating hours (runtime counters) or calendar intervals, enabling a smooth transition to a preventive strategy.
Live Operational Analytics
Automated data streams continuously generate real-time performance charts and KPIs, giving management live dashboards that show equipment status.
Performance Analysis & Work Culture
Measuring & Reducing Repair Times: A systematic approach directly increased MTBF and noticeably reduced MTTR.
Cultural Shift: Shop floor employees actively adopted the QRmaint mobile app to receive tasks and log repair progress.
On-Site TV Dashboards: Clear display screens on the shop floor let the entire team track task execution status in real time.
Rapid Response Without Phone Calls: Technicians receive instant work order notifications without needing follow-up calls.
“The increase in mean time between failures and the decrease in repair times directly prove that systematic, automated, preventive maintenance simply works. QRmaint gave us the tool to turn intuition into hard data. Today, preventive actions account for 60% compared to reactive ones—a massive leap from 20% before implementation. QRmaint provides us with far greater operational predictability.”
— Thomas Szafransky, Maintenance Director
Business Impact & Conclusion – Reduction of Reactive Work
A single cloud system replaced paper logs and Excel spreadsheets. Shop floor information reaches management in a fraction of a second. Moreover, they can handle more precise CAPEX budgeting in the coming years. Reliable asset failure data enables Kospel’s board to make sound decisions on modernizations and investments.
The collaboration between Kospel and CMMS provider QRmaint shows that transformation delivers results. The software directly aligns with the practical needs of shop floor workers. Digitizing these processes secured production continuity for flagship heating devices. Thomas said they are building a lasting competitive edge grounded in a data-driven culture. Finally.
Paweł Bęś
Paweł Bęś, Logistics and Maintenance Marketing Expert for QRmaint. He is a B2B marketer with 8 years of experience in the logistics industry in the Netherlands. His work included business analysis of distribution and supply chain operations of high-tech companies in EMEA and APAC. He was responsible for directing, coordinating, planning and supervising transportation tasks and internal operations. He is currently responsible for marketing activities at QRmaint, a company that provides CMMS systems for various industries.
Big changes are happening in today’s workforce. These changes have nothing to do with downsizing, global competition, or stress; it is the problem of a distinct generation gap. Young people entering the workforce are of diversified background and have much different attitudes about work. They want a life‐work balance. They want to be led, not managed — and certainly not micro‐managed. The new mode is flexibility and informality. A large proportion of our managers of the veteran era have been trained in relatively autocratic and directive methods that don’t sit well with today’s employees. Are we preparing our workforce to meet tomorrow’s need?
Big changes are happening in today’s workforce. These changes have nothing to do with downsizing, global competition, or stress; it is the problem of a distinct generation gap. Young people entering the workforce are of diversified background and have much different attitudes about work. They want a life‐work balance. They want to be led, not managed — and certainly not micro‐managed. The new mode is flexibility and informality. A large proportion of our managers of the veteran era have been trained in relatively autocratic and directive methods that don’t sit well with today’s employees. Are we preparing our workforce to meet tomorrow’s need?
You can develop, document, and preach your improvement plans as much as you want, but if those plans do not result in better front line maintenance performance, you have just wasted money and time. Maintenance managers cannot produce expected results without the help of others, especially the frontline. Those organizations that have experimented with autonomous teams lacking front line leadership often fail to deliver sustainable results. If you believe this statement is wrong, I am very interested in hearing back from you.
You can develop, document, and preach your improvement plans as much as you want, but if those plans do not result in better front line maintenance performance, you have just wasted money and time. Maintenance managers cannot produce expected results without the help of others, especially the frontline. Those organizations that have experimented with autonomous teams lacking front line leadership often fail to deliver sustainable results. If you believe this statement is wrong, I am very interested in hearing back from you.
In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, the role of facility managers is rapidly evolving, becoming more strategic and encompassing a broader scope of responsibilities. Gone are the days of simply managing work orders and third-party vendors. Nowadays, facility managers are tasked with streamlining workflows to ensure uninterrupted operations and leveraging the right tools for overall operational effectiveness.
In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, the role of facility managers is rapidly evolving, becoming more strategic and encompassing a broader scope of responsibilities. Gone are the days of simply managing work orders and third-party vendors. Nowadays, facility managers are tasked with streamlining workflows to ensure uninterrupted operations and leveraging the right tools for overall operational effectiveness.
In May 1995, a company we will call ACME North America to protect its identity, began a focused effort to improve manufacturing performance at one of its major production facilities. Particular attention was given to improving plant reliability and its potential impact on increased uptime and lower maintenance costs.
In May 1995, a company we will call ACME North America to protect its identity, began a focused effort to improve manufacturing performance at one of its major production facilities. Particular attention was given to improving plant reliability and its potential impact on increased uptime and lower maintenance costs.
In 1999-2001, the New Jersey International & Bulk Mail Center (NJI&BMC) in Jersey City, one of the largest United States Postal Service facilities, was concerned about its eight 33-year-old motor control centers (MCCs). Events forced a decision to pursue options for replacing or refurbishing the 276 cells that provide power primarily to 58 heating, air conditioning, and ventilation air handling units (HVAC AHUs) for the 1.8-million-sq-ft facility.
In 1999-2001, the New Jersey International & Bulk Mail Center (NJI&BMC) in Jersey City, one of the largest United States Postal Service facilities, was concerned about its eight 33-year-old motor control centers (MCCs). Events forced a decision to pursue options for replacing or refurbishing the 276 cells that provide power primarily to 58 heating, air conditioning, and ventilation air handling units (HVAC AHUs) for the 1.8-million-sq-ft facility.
In August 2002 I spent a week in Japan at the chemical plant of an internationally renowned chemical manufacturer. While there I asked them about how they do their maintenance. They told me about their maintenance philosophy. And I want to pass on to you what I learnt about the Japanese way of doing maintenance on that trip.
In August 2002 I spent a week in Japan at the chemical plant of an internationally renowned chemical manufacturer. While there I asked them about how they do their maintenance. They told me about their maintenance philosophy. And I want to pass on to you what I learnt about the Japanese way of doing maintenance on that trip.
As anyone with a hand in running a household knows, it’s important to keep a stockpile of key items. You certainly don’t want to find out the hard way that you’re on your last square of toilet paper! But in the case of a facility like a power plant, a missing spare part could be more than just a nuisance, it could be downright expensive.
As anyone with a hand in running a household knows, it’s important to keep a stockpile of key items. You certainly don’t want to find out the hard way that you’re on your last square of toilet paper! But in the case of a facility like a power plant, a missing spare part could be more than just a nuisance, it could be downright expensive.
