Nothing is more frustrating than a traffic jam, whether it's a short delay, a few minutes' traffic in the morning, or a traffic jam that keeps you waiting for hours. Of course, the service interruption will not stop your plan, millions of people can if it occurs in a densely populated city, Tokyo affected by a single transportation problem, the average daily passenger volume (Metro) 8 million 700 thousand railway passengers. This figure is only the tip of the iceberg, worldwide transportation, commuting, and 35% on public transport. It's a lot of people rely on reliable transportation!

Service disruptions are not only inconvenient for passengers and costly for railroads, but failures also impact the economy, leading to lost business and reduced productivity. Britain’s National Audit Office (NAO) estimated that late running trains cost the economy around £1 billion a year in terms of passengers’ lost time and caused 14 million minutes of delay to rail journeys.

Railways are a large-scale example of how a business can be crippled by unexpected equipment failure. For example, consider the consequences of electrical medium voltage switchgear failure, which is critical for train operation and safety. It’s much more likely to occur with older equipment and can cause severe damage, delays, and even injuries. Modernization, combined with proper switchgear and switchboard maintenance, can improve reliability and meet a company’s evolving needs.

For crucial areas of your business, you must think proactively, rather than reactively, and focus on solutions that ensure your critical electrical equipment is up to the test.

What are some of the key points you should consider?

One of the most challenging aspects of modernizing equipment — whether it’s upgrading, repairing or retrofitting — is determining how to do it while minimizing downtime. Your goal is to increase reliability and cut downtime in the long run, which will save money and keep operations on track, but you may have to sacrifice uptime as you make changes. Choosing compact, easy-to-install solutions can get your operations up and running as soon as possible.

You’ve also got to keep your eye on the long game. Where do you anticipate your business is headed? By focusing on the future as you approach a modernization process you can take advantage of smart technology like smart-grid functionality and advanced monitoring.

Evaluate your options before the problem occurs so that you will not miss your future, prove your organizational opportunities, and ensure more reliable operations, protect your equipment and reduce downtime.

Article from:

      http://blog.schneider-electric.com/