7 Critical Pain Points Every Maintenance Manager Faces (And How to Solve Them)
If you’re a maintenance manager in the industrial Northeast, you know the challenges all too well. Tight budgets. Unexpected equipment failures. Aging machinery that’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. And always, the constant pressure to keep production running while doing more with less.
At Troy Industrial Solutions, we’ve been partnering with maintenance managers for decades, and we’ve seen firsthand how these challenges have evolved. More importantly, we’ve developed solutions that address them head-on. Let’s explore the seven biggest pain points maintenance managers face today—and how our comprehensive approach can help you overcome them.
1. Budget Constraints and Cost Justification: Making Every Dollar Count
The Challenge: Maintenance budgets are under constant scrutiny. You’re expected to maintain equipment, upgrade systems, and prevent downtime—all while competing for funding with projects that seem to have more direct bottom-line impact.
The Troy Solution: Our approach focuses on cost-effective solutions that extend equipment life and prove ROI. Motor rewinding services can deliver cost savings of 40–60% compared to full motor replacement, while maintaining original performance when rewound to OEM specifications—making it a cost-effective solution for extending motor life and reducing downtime.¹ With over 90 years of combined rewinding experience among our technicians, we help you make data-driven decisions about when to repair versus replace. We provide detailed evaluations and cost comparisons so you can confidently justify maintenance investments to leadership.
Additionally, our inventory management support means you don’t have to tie up your budget in excessive spare parts. We stock thousands of parts on-site across our four Northeast locations, so you can rely on our inventory instead of maintaining your own.
¹ Square One Electric Motors & Pumps. Understanding Electric Motor Rewind.
https://sqone.com/blogs/news/understanding-electric-motor-rewind
2. Unplanned Downtime: The $1.4 Trillion Problem
The Challenge: Unplanned downtime is devastating. According to IIoT World research, studies show that 82% of companies have experienced unplanned downtime in the past three years, with Fortune Global 500 companies losing a collective $1.4 trillion annually due to equipment failures. Every minute of unexpected downtime translates to lost production, missed deadlines, and frustrated stakeholders.
The Troy Solution: Prevention is our priority. Our predictive and preventative field service programs identify potential failures before they happen. We conduct regular inspections, vibration analysis, and thermal imaging to catch problems early. When equipment does fail, our 24/7 emergency response ensures you’re not waiting days for help.
As our Watervliet’s Operations Manager Tina Klebieko says: “At the end of the day, we know we’ve done everything we can to service our customers. We get the job done and have fun doing it.” That commitment means getting you back online fast.
3. Aging Equipment and Legacy Systems: When 67% of Managers See This as Their Main Challenge
The Challenge: Two-thirds of maintenance managers identify aging equipment as their primary future challenge. Older systems require specialized knowledge that’s increasingly rare, spare parts become scarce and expensive, and equipment failures become more frequent and unpredictable.
The Troy Solution: We specialize in keeping legacy equipment running. Our electromechanical repair capabilities handle motors, pumps, fans, blowers, and gearboxes of all ages and configurations—including hard-to-service equipment that others won’t touch. Our metal fabrication shop can manufacture custom parts when originals are no longer available.
We also offer vertical turbine pump services, power generation support, and can rewind motors up to several thousand horsepower, including explosion-proof designs. When you have equipment that’s critical to operations but difficult to replace, we’re the partner who can keep it running.
4. Resource and Staffing Shortages: Doing More with Less
The Challenge: With 34% of managers citing lack of resources or staff as critical concerns, maintenance teams are stretched thin. You’re juggling emergency repairs, routine maintenance, documentation, and planning—often with reduced headcount and less experienced personnel.
The Troy Solution: Think of us as an extension of your maintenance team. We provide skilled, certified technicians on demand, so you don’t have to maintain a large in-house team for every specialization. Our factory-trained technicians bring decades of combined experience in motor repair, machining, fabrication, and field services.
Whether you need help with a major turnaround, seasonal peak demand, or simply want to supplement your team’s capabilities, we’re available 24/7. This flexible staffing model lets you scale maintenance capacity up or down based on actual needs rather than maintaining excess capacity year-round.
5. Spare Parts Inventory Management: The Balancing Act
The Challenge: Managing spare parts inventory is like walking a tightrope. Stock too much and you tie up capital in parts that may never be used. Stock too little and you face extended downtime waiting for critical components to arrive. Either way, it’s a costly problem.
The Troy Solution: Our extensive parts inventory takes the burden off your shoulders. We stock bearings, belt drives, chain drives, clutches, brakes, conveyor components, gearing, drives and controls, motors, and thousands of other industrial products across our locations. When you need a part, we likely have it on-site or can source it quickly through our extensive vendor relationships.
We also offer parts inquiry services to help you locate hard-to-find components. This partnership approach means you can reduce your own inventory investment while still having confidence that parts will be available when needed.
6. Communication and Coordination Issues: When Information Doesn’t Flow
The Challenge: Unclear maintenance requests lead to incorrect work orders. Delayed information sharing between maintenance and operations causes inefficiencies. Documentation gets lost or isn’t updated. These communication breakdowns waste time and money.
The Troy Solution: We emphasize clear communication at every step. Our service process includes detailed documentation, regular status updates, and transparent project timelines. When you work with Troy, you get:
- Clear quotes and scope definitions upfront
- Regular progress updates during repairs
- Detailed documentation of work performed
- Recommendations for future maintenance needs
- A single point of contact for all your industrial maintenance needs
As our Electromechanical Repair Shop Manager Zach Leffler notes: “The variety of different work that comes through the door keeps it interesting, and I find it very rewarding seeing customers get back up and running.” That customer-focused approach ensures we’re always communicating with your best interests in mind.
7. Digital Transformation Challenges: Modernizing Maintenance
The Challenge: The maintenance world is becoming more data-driven, but many teams face resistance to change, lack digital literacy, or worry about data security. Implementing new technologies while keeping operations running is daunting.
The Troy Solution: While we respect that digital transformation is a journey, we support modernization efforts through reliable, proven maintenance practices that create the stability needed for successful technology adoption. Our predictive maintenance services use advanced diagnostics, vibration analysis, and thermal imaging—bringing data-driven insights to your maintenance decisions without requiring massive system overhauls.
We also provide training to help your team understand equipment conditions and maintenance best practices, building the foundation for more advanced digital maintenance strategies.
A Single Source Partner for All Your Industrial Maintenance Needs
What sets Troy Industrial Solutions apart is our comprehensive approach. We’re not just a parts supplier or just a repair shop. We offer:
- Electromechanical Repair: Motors, pumps, fans, blowers, gearboxes
- Motor Repair/Rewind: AC and DC motors up to several thousand horsepower
- Metal Fabrication: Custom parts and equipment manufacturing
- Machining Services: Precision work for repairs and new components
- Field Services: On-site maintenance, repair, and emergency response
- Conveyor Belting: Industrial rubber and belting solutions
- Parts & Inventory: Extensive stock of industrial products and supplies
- Preventive Maintenance: Scheduled services to prevent failures
- 24/7 Emergency Support: Available whenever you need us
As our Warehouse Manager Ross Wagner puts it: “We don’t just sell products, we are problem solvers.” That philosophy has guided us for over 164 years and continues to drive everything we do.
We Keep Industry Running
The challenges facing maintenance managers today are real and significant. But you don’t have to face them alone. With four locations throughout the Northeast and more than a century and a half of industrial maintenance experience, Troy Industrial Solutions has the people, parts, and expertise to address every pain point on your list.
Whether you’re dealing with budget constraints, aging equipment, staffing shortages, or any other maintenance challenge, we’re here to help. Our comprehensive services, 24/7 availability, and problem-solving approach make us the ideal partner for maintenance managers who need to do more with less.
Ready to solve your maintenance challenges? Contact Troy Industrial Solutions today:
- Watervliet, NY: (800) 274-8769
- Brewer, ME: (800) 800-5263
- Salem, NH: (800) 800-5263
- Ansonia, CT: (800) 732-1695
Or visit us at TroyIndustrialSolutions.com to learn more about how we can support your maintenance program.
Troy Industrial Solutions: We Keep Industry Running.
