【Weekly Topic】On the topic of restoring and reusing old items

Well, let me start by speaking from personal experience on the topic of restoring and repurposing old items. Making use of existing assets and repairing them rather than replacing them has actually been practiced in companies for a long time. The purpose behind this is well known: to minimize capital costs and reduce maintenance expenses. Some waste materials are repaired, processed, or assembled to make them usable. So now the question is, isn’t there a reward for repairing and reusing things? I have encountered people who will stop at nothing to get rewards before; I think such people are the most shameful. If the company sets targets for departments, fraud increases. Once strict targets are imposed, people consider not only rewards but also the need to meet those targets. So, I think that true recycling and making the most of what’s available should start with people’s mindset – which is why the old slogan was to regard the factory as one’s home. One must have a true sense of ownership. Of course, if it is possible to ensure the existence of appropriate inspection and management mechanisms or systems before implementing this system, so as to guarantee that the repair and reuse process can be carried out thoroughly, then it indeed represents a good way for companies to save costs. Collecting everything together first and then arranging to have it repaired outside works fine for some larger items, but for small objects it might be better to just buy new ones instead. From a corporate perspective, the most effective way to save costs and reduce maintenance expenses is by controlling the overall amount allocated for maintenance. This encourages various departments to find ways to cut costs on their own, including by reusing existing materials. How to control the total maintenance cost? Establish a relatively reasonable indicator for normal maintenance costs based on the conditions of each department, and implement rewards and penalties for meeting or falling short of this indicator (many people might say that this relates to financial matters, but few will actually enforce such measures unless it affects their own interests). Each month, a portion of the total company maintenance costs is set aside as an emergency fund to cover expenses arising from large-scale assets. This can be designated by the department or company as a major expense; such major expenses are not included in the department’s maintenance costs. This approach helps to avoid unreasonable situations that may arise under special circumstances, ensuring that the allocated budget for maintenance is used solely for regular repairs and upkeep. As for the definition of large items, one can establish corresponding entry criteria based on their own circumstances. These are my personal opinions for reference only; please forgive any shortcomings

I agree with this suggestion; my previous company calculated daily maintenance costs in this way, with major repair costs being determined separately.

What are your thoughts on repairing and reusing old items? How to approach the reuse of old materials (should targets be set directly, or should old materials be collected uniformly before targets for their reuse are determined?) ) Repurposing old items is a good thing; it helps save costs and should be encouraged! There can be no set targets for repairing and reusing items; it’s also necessary to determine whether it’s worth doing so – the cost of repair shouldn’t be higher than that of buying a new one! For small items in large quantities, they can be collected and repaired together!

It’s certainly good to offer rewards for efforts to recycle and reuse materials. But if targets are set, it’s fine when there are existing waste materials available; however, for newly established companies or those that have been around for only a short time, there aren’t many such waste resources. In that case, don’t such targets force people to cheat? If waste materials are collected in a centralized manner and then redistributed, wouldn’t it be more reasonable to set targets based on that redistribution?

Repairing old items and making use of them is a good thing; it helps save costs and should be encouraged! There can be no set targets for restoring the old and making use of what’s available, but appropriate incentives should be provided.

Our factory basically has no concept of repairing and reusing old materials; there is very little waste recycling, and most of the items are purchased new； Take off the old and damaged parts, pile them together, and dispose of them all at once after some time

Those who are willing to repair and make use of what’s old are truly people with a craftsman’s spirit, and they deserve respect

The company introduced incentives for repairing and reusing old materials, but the failure to implement these policies dampened employees’ enthusiasm.

Any unscientific management will result in more negative than positive effects. Any effort to manage people requires this first element to be taken into consideration; otherwise, implementation will go awry. There should not be too many equipment management indicators; there are often too many factors that influence consumption, and overly strict rules can reduce enthusiasm for management as well. Why is it said that when it comes to hiring people, virtue must come first? With virtue comes a sense of responsibility, and many problems can then be easily solved