Tips to help CLOSE operational ironmongery issues:

Ironmongery issues on projects can often feel overwhelming, especially at the end of a project when deadlines are tight, and handover needed to happen yesterday. Resolving these issues typically requires the support of a competent professional with architectural ironmongery expertise to diagnose the problem.

However, effective diagnosis relies on having sufficient information to investigate.

Below is a step-by-step approach you can use to troubleshoot and resolve issues efficiently through a process of elimination. 

These five essential tips will help you CLOSE ironmongery issues:

1. C: Check the Specification

The first step in troubleshooting is to double-check the product specification. This is crucial to confirm:

• Whether the product is suitable for its intended purpose
• If it is compatible with other products being used

💡 Tip: Conducting due diligence during the quoting process (such as reviewing schedules and specifications and asking the right questions), can save significant time and costs later. Investing in training and establishing robust quality assurance processes is a proactive way to prevent issues. 

2. L: Look at What Was Delivered & Installed

Ironmongery products on site may not always match the specification. This could be due to design revisions, substitutions made for lead-time reasons, mixed deliveries from multiple suppliers, or even mispicks. To ensure accuracy, confirm:

• Was the correct product delivered?
• Was it installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and standards?

💡 Tip: Inspect the physical items, their packaging, and documentation. Be aware that products are sometimes re-boxed into cartons that don’t reflect their actual contents.

3. O: Observation & Operational Factors

Once it’s confirmed that the product was correctly specified, delivered, and installed, evaluate its operation. This step focuses on identifying:

• Whether the product is being used as intended
• Signs of misuse, overloading, or incorrect adjustments
• What happens (or doesn’t happen) when the product is operated

💡 Tip: When describing an issue, clarity is key. If you’re unsure how to explain it, capture videos and take photos to clearly communicate the problem to your supplier.

4. S: Search for Other Contributing Factors

If steps 1-3 don’t reveal the root cause, broaden your investigation. Additional troubleshooting might include testing or examining specific conditions related to the product. Consider whether:

• Environmental factors (e.g., temperature, humidity, or exposure) are contributing to the problem
• Site conditions are affecting performance
• The issue can be isolated through further physical troubleshooting

💡 Tip: Common causes of ironmongery issues include improper installation, failure to follow manufacturer-specific adjustment instructions, humidity, corrosive environments, and air pressure.

5. E: Establish Controls

In some cases, all components may be functioning as they should, with no product faults present. If a design change isn’t feasible to resolve the issue, it may be a residual design risk. In these cases, you’ll need to establish controls to manage the risk appropriately, such as:

• Implementing adjustments or additional maintenance procedures
• Introducing preventative measures, such as staff training

💡 Tip: If selecting a new product to address the issue, ensure the selection process and decisions are well-documented. This helps maintenance teams stay informed about the specification and prevents future replacement with incompatible products.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAY: It is essential to follow an elimination process thoroughly before assuming a product fault. In a lot of cases, the product itself is not at fault and if this is the case, replacements will not resolve the issue. Instead, they waste valuable resources in manufacturing, transit, and packaging, as well as incur unnecessary costs and cause further delays. A thorough and methodical approach ensures that problems are resolved efficiently and sustainably. 

By following these steps to CLOSE issues, you can systematically address operational ironmongery problems, reduce delays, and implement effective solutions.