It is important to consider the true long term cost of ownership when purchasing new vibration equipment. Most companies focus on the initial purchase price and not on the long term cost of this type of equipment. The cheapest or the most expensive equipment is not always the best long term choice.

It is important to consider the cost for upgrades, support, calibration and service of this equipment. Also, it is critical to consider the cost to upgrade this equipment as your needs change over time. Specific questions should be asked of yourself and the vendors whom you are considering for this equipment purchase. Can the equipment be upgraded? Does the equipment have to be completely replaced when upgraded? Can you easily upgrade the equipment in the field or does it have to be returned to the vendor for an upgrade? What is the cost of these upgrades? Can the equipment be purchased in a scalable way? Purchasing equipment that is scalable will save your company money now and in the future. It allows you to purchase the same device for all employees, but only purchase the range of features that each user of the equipment requires. It allows the features of each device to be easily upgraded as the skills and needs of each user increases over time. This saves money now and in the future! Does the hardware and software allow you to achieve your facility and corporate goals? For example, can the software generate the required matrix reports that allow your facility to track improvements over time? Does the software support corporate standards for alarms, measurement criteria, and etc? Does the software and hardware communicate to your CMMS software? Can the software import data from other technologies?

Each of the questions above is very critical to the long term success of your reliability program. Each of the questions above will determine the actual long term cost of ownership of the equipment you are considering for purchase.

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