Time Wasted for the Utility Industry on Cable Setup and Cleanup During MRO Activities
Time Wasted for the Utility Industry on Cable Setup and Cleanup During MRO Activities
For Utility MRO technicians working on large equipment spread across a facility, getting power to the job is often one of the most time-consuming parts of the task. For this customer, technicians regularly performed repairs in warehouse aisles, loading areas, and outdoor yard spaces. Each job required running long extension cords from distant power sources, untangling them, and routing them around equipment and traffic paths. When the repair was complete, everything had to be coiled back up and moved to the next location.
Individually, these steps didn’t seem like much. Over the course of a shift — and across multiple technicians — the lost time added up quickly.
THE PROBLEM
The utility facility’s maintenance team identified cable handling as a major source of non-productive labor time.
01
Long setup times to deploy extension cords across large areas
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Tangled cords that slowed down work before repairs even started
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Extra cleanup time at the end of each job
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Inconsistent cord storage between tasks
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Technician frustration with repetitive, low-value work
Maintenance supervisors estimated that technicians were spending a noticeable portion of each shift managing cords instead of completing repairs. For this industry, this is a familiar pain point in large facilities where equipment is spread out and power access is limited.
The Solution: Mobile and Fixed Industrial Retractable Cord Reels
To reduce wasted time, the facility worked with an electrical distributor to introduce KH Industries industrial retractable cord reels designed for field repair work.
The solution combined two approaches:
- Portable, cart-mounted retractable cord reels assigned to mobile maintenance teams
- Wall-mounted retractable cord reels installed in high-traffic repair zones
The mobile reels traveled with technicians, allowing them to quickly pull out the length of cable needed and move on as soon as the job was complete. When a technician finished a task, the cord retracted automatically — no coiling or untangling required.
Why Retractable Cord Reels Worked
Compared to loose extension cords, retractable cord reels:
- Reduced setup and cleanup time
- Eliminated tangles and inconsistent storage
- Allowed technicians to move quickly between jobs
- Protected cables from damage during transport and use
KH Industries RTB Series cord reels were selected for their durability, smooth retraction, and ability to handle frequent repositioning in demanding industrial environments. Our in-house technical sales team was able to scope the entire project and provide a variety of industrial cord reels to suit every spec and requirement, providing a multi-faceted solution with fixed and mobile reels rather than a single traditionally-mounted reel.
The Results: Measureable Time and Cost Savings
01
Time Saved per Maintenance Task
A simple motion study compared traditional extension cord use to retractable cord reels during typical field repairs. On average, utility employees saved approximately 25 minutes per task by eliminating manual cord deployment, untangling, and coiling.
That time was gained before and after the repair — without changing the actual work being performed.
02
Hours Recovered by Workers Each Month
Based on task frequency, maintenance supervisors calculated that each technician recovered 12 to 15 labor hours per month.
Instead of managing cords, employees were able to:
- Start repairs sooner
- Move more quickly between locations
- Complete additional work orders during each shift
03
Increase in Completed Work Orders Each Shift
With less downtime between jobs, the maintenance team saw meaningful increase in completed work orders per shift. This improvement helped reduce maintenance backlogs and improved response times for equipment issues — without adding staff or overtime.
04
Annual Labor Cost Savings
When recovered labor hours were translated into dollars, the utility facility estimated a decrease in annual labor costs. In this case, the retractable cord reels paid for themselves in well under a year.
Why This Matters
This case highlights a common opportunity that’s often overlooked: reducing wasted time around temporary power access.
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A clear labor-savings story backed by real numbers
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A practical solution for large facilities and outdoor yards
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An easy sell for maintenance, reliability, and operations teams
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A way to help customers do more with the workforce they already have
Mobile reels, in particular, open up new use cases beyond fixed installations.
— WHY KH INDUSTRIES
KH Industries manufactures industrial retractable cord reels designed for real maintenance work, not light-duty shop use.
Our reels offer:
- Heavy-duty construction for frequent handling
- Smooth, reliable retraction
- Configurations for power and data
- Options for portable, cart-mounted, and permanent installations
KH Industries delivered a solution that was easy to specify and proven in the field.
Time spent managing cords is time not spent fixing equipment. By switching from loose extension cords to industrial retractable cord reels, this facility reduced wasted labor, improved productivity, and lowered overall maintenance costs.
This case shows how KH Industries retractable cord reels helped maintenance teams work faster, move smarter, and get more done every shift.
