Operator performance is a significant factor that affects construction companies’ bottom lines, and there are a number of effective ways to boost that performance. Caterpillar offers these nine tips for improving operator performance across the board:
- Operator Training. Make sure your operators read and understand their machine operation and maintenance manuals. Training your operators in simulators can also reduce fuel costs, cycle times and machine wear while increasing productivity, safety and machine life.
- Operations. Work-area maintenance allows operators to reduce rolling resistance, cycle times, machine wear and operator fatigue while increasing safety, production and profit.
- Operator profiles. Operators can personalize machine feature settings to decrease set-up time and fatigue while increasing safety, comfort and productivity.
- Machine inspections. Having your operators perform machine walk-around inspections using available apps can increase machine availability, production, profit, safety, machine life and residual value.
- Machine alerts. Make sure operators monitor dashboards, displays, lights and alarms for alerts and communicate them to appropriate personnel in order to prevent personal injury and component failure.
- Technology utilization. Enjoy increased efficiency by having operators monitor on-board telematics systems, utilize machine control and guidance technology, employ compaction technology and correctly use payload technology.
- Idle time management. Operators who properly use engine idle management, engine idle shutdown and engine auto idle eliminate inefficient RPM usage, reduce machine wear and increase fuel efficiency.
- Eco-mode. Operators should utilize eco-mode, which automatically balances engine speed, hydraulic flow and torque to application requirements to help machines maintain production levels and increase fuel efficiency.
- Tires. Tire pressure maintenance can reduce rolling resistance, reduce cycle times, extend tire life, decrease operating costs and increase fuel efficiency.
Ensuring that your operators are properly trained and aware of all the technologies available to them will only make their jobs easier, Caterpillar says. Operators who are more efficient and less fatigued contribute to a better bottom line.