Guide to Maintenance Planning and Scheduling -- Performing the Planning Function [part 3]

<< cont. from part 2

2. CLOSING OUT WORK ORDERS

It has been said that...

If the plant management information system is the global economy, then the maintenance work order system is the national economy.

The WO system needs to efficiently handle huge amounts of information and many kinds of input and output, yet be understandable at its interface by the least skilled operator, clerk and maintenance worker. In other words, a good WO system has internal complexity that is transparent to its users; transparent because you have developed lists and tables of standard coding and standardized wording that describe the equipment, the failure, the repair and the resources expended. If there is one shortfall of all CMMS and EAM software, it is their inability to translate that which they do not know. If CMMS is to create and maintain meaningful history, the trade filling in the completion portion of the work order must know and understand the standards.

Printing all of the tables of codes, words and phrases on the reverse of the work order form has been attempted, however only one person in 10 could read them because the print was so small (to contain all of the information). Here are a couple of alternative methods.

--Utilize a Work Order Clipboard that has the coding tables laminated onto the front and back.

--Use a metal, lidded "document carrier" that has laminated copies of all the coding tables tethered inside.

There are undoubtedly a number of other ways to provide the work order standards to the trades required to complete the work order. Any one of them, or either of the suggestions above, will satisfy the "know" part of the requirement to know and understand the codes. The "understand" part of the requirement may be a little more problematic to impart. It is just human nature to be reluctant to admit, "I don't understand what that means." Therefore, it is advisable to have several short training sessions on completing work orders. Each session should include one or two of the tables and provide the definitions corresponding to each code. When covering the "verb, adjective and noun" tables, each entry should be read and a very brief descriptive provided--regardless of the simplicity or obviousness of the entry. For example, "Sheave--You know, the wheel with the groove for the drive belt." Remember, include some brief descriptive for every entry, no matter how simple, and hopefully no one will be left behind.

The work order having been "completed" with the entry of the proper codes in all of the required fields and then having the appropriate sign-offs affixed does not quite close out the work order. There is still the matter of entering all of the information into your computer information management system.

2.1 Data Entry and Validation

Who should enter the data? This can be an area where there is much disagreement. As the maintenance function has become more sophisticated, the number of work orders has increased dramatically. This in turn results from the focus on future analyses and reliability improvements that the modern CMMS or EAM has facilitated.

Some maintenance organizations use the planner/scheduler for this task, while others believe that allowing the technicians to do so further empowers them. Data entry does not empower, nor is it a duty that the maintenance planner/scheduler should be required to perform. The sheer amount of data entry that modem CMMS employs requires the dedicated services of a technical clerk for maintenance assigned to the Maintenance Planning/Scheduling group. The position can also be used for many updating (equipment records for example) and data entry tasks, depending on the amount of training provided.

A review process for ensuring data accuracy and integrity when closing out work orders should be defined within the Maintenance Department SOP for the Work Order System/Planning and Scheduling processes. The basic steps to be included are:

--Completed work orders, with all completion data fields filled in, are forwarded to the supervisor at completion of the day's work or at task completion.

--Supervisor reviews the data to ensure it accurately reflects the work performed, and in sufficient detail signs and forwards to the planner (or via alternate routing as determined by WO category and priority).

--Planner reviews, through the use of a standard check-off list, the WO data for the following:

o Changes to planning figures (Estimates, durations, material and resources, additional tips and/or changes to procedures, documentation or safety information, etc.).

o Review of coding for compliance with standards.

o Requirement for additional work orders to cover correction of abnormalities noted by the trade workers or caused during the execution of the work.

o Verification that WO data forwarded to Reliability Engineering (as appropriate).

--Technical Clerk enters work order completion data into CMMS/EAM. Planner reviews, using CMMS, the completed Work Order.

--Exception reports are analyzed by the planner and/or scheduler to ensure that no work order has slipped through the system and to identify changes to WO planning/estimating libraries.

* Additional elements required to meet management goals and mission.

2.2 Reliability Engineering

Reliability Engineering, or referred to in some plants as Maintenance Engineering, is the element of the maintenance operation that functions to:

1. Guide efforts to ensure reliability and maintainability of equipment, processes, utilities, facilities, control loops and safety/security systems.

2. Define, develop, administer and refine the preventive/predictive maintenance program.

3. Reduce and improve (optimize) maintenance work wherever feasible; assuring efficient and productive operation of plant, process and equipment; while protecting and prolonging the economic life of plant assets; all at the least (optimal) cost practical.

Serving in a staff capacity, Reliability Engineering relieves maintenance supervisors and planner/schedulers of those responsibilities that are rooted in engineering skills. Reliability Engineering is the prime user of equipment history information. Without the function, this key feature of any work order system will be ineffective, under utilized and cost prohibitive.

Reliability Engineering is different and distinct from plant engineering.

Plant engineering supports management's longer-range capital program of new installations, product improvement and new product development.

Reliability Engineering is dedicated to addressing production equipment reliability at the lowest cost. Reliability Engineering has two principal responsibilities:

1. Development and refinement of the preventive/predictive maintenance program in a systematic, professional manner--coordinating all efforts with equipment custodians and maintenance management to ensure the program is properly approved and endorsed by both departments.

a. Coordinate with planner/schedulers to ensure that correct PM/PdM services and inspections are scheduled and performed when due.

b. Provide administration, control and analysis of all data, records, and equipment histories to continually review and refine PM/PdM frequencies.

2. Development of engineering solutions to repetitive equipment failures and other maintenance problems; implementing ways of reducing the need for maintenance and ultimately eliminating the occurrence of failures. Repetitive failures are identified and the PM/PdM is refined by dynamic and relevant:

a. review of predictive and other inspections;

b. analysis of equipment histories, maintenance cost reports, and failure reports;

c. review of service and inspection records;

d. analysis of work order data.

PM/PdM benefits are realized more quickly and are better sustained when these two responsibilities are performed by reliability engineers wholly integrated as a group into the maintenance operation, rather than being individually assigned to supervisors, planners or plant engineers. Reliability Engineering duties are to:

1. Develop and administer an overall preventive/predictive maintenance program, update existing programs, add new equipment to existing programs.

2. Specify repair techniques for major repetitive tasks, such as component replacements, develop standards specifying the end product and the resources needed for these tasks.

3. Ensure responsible personnel are trained in carrying out the programs.

4. Analyze equipment histories to identify specific repetitive failures and effectively address identified areas.

5. Review developed PM/PdM procedures with operation superintendents and staff, securing "owner" approval prior to implementation.

6. Analyze planned idleness of operating equipment to develop and improve PM/PdM schedules.

7. Refine work content of PM/PdM routines to improve methods.

8. Periodically compare PM/PdM frequencies to downtime reports and equipment histories to identify where frequencies require adjustment--up or down. Refine the frequencies on an "economic" basis to avoid "over maintenance."

9. Review all equipment failures. Determine what PM action might have been taken to prevent failure in order to protect against reoccurrence.

Revise PM instructors accordingly.

10. Regularly review downtime reports and equipment histories to identify reoccurring maintenance problems requiring engineering attention. Find engineering solutions to the identified situations.

11. Work with maintenance planners, as necessary, to develop job scopes for major unique jobs.

12. Routinely contribute to the planning of realistic production capacity based upon analysis of preventive maintenance time needs, repair histories, inspection reports, etc.

13. Apply value analysis to make maintenance decisions, i.e., repair/ replace and repair/redesign.

14. Develop and standardize program that influences new construction and equipment purchases including materials, equipment and spare parts.

15. Ensure that accurate, up-to-date spare parts lists are available for existing equipment; specify standardization of components used in repair.

Ensure spare parts lists are provided for all new installations and that components identified are consistent with established standards.

16. Identify potential for cost reduction through extended parts life, reduced labor cost, and other parts-related improvement techniques.

17. Participate in review phases of design of capital additions and changes in plant layout to ensure full maintainability of equipment, utilities and facilities.

18. Participate in approval of all new installations, including those done by contractors, to ensure their maintainability and reliability as influenced by life cycle costing.

19. Study corrosion, fatigue, wear and erosion rates throughout the plant and initiate corrective action as required.

20. Control selection and application of paints and other industrial coatings.

21. Identify, based on data and field observations, training required to improve trade skill levels or to improve repair techniques.

22. Establish training for selected maintenance personnel, by area in the techniques of:

a. Vibration analysis

b. Infrared detection

c. Ultrasonic testing

23. Personally conduct any complicated and/or specialized diagnostic inspections and analytical procedures that require special training and experience.

Clearly, the Reliability Engineering function is a full-time responsibility.

The Reliability Engineering function must always justify its existence on a profit-improvement basis. This requires that economic analysis be a part of every job. Periodic reports should be distributed covering subjects such as:

1. Accomplishments of the preventive maintenance program including:

a. Overall schedule compliance with general plans of the preventive maintenance program.

b. The effect of preventive maintenance expenditures on the total maintenance cost of selected items of equipment.

c. The effect of preventive maintenance expenditures on the downtime of individual equipment items.

2. Alternate solutions to reduce the high costs associated with certain units of equipment.

3. Recommended economic studies for equipment retirement, modification, updating, etc.

4. A year-end report covering all aspects of the preventive/predictive maintenance program and outlining a specific detailed program to improve its function and to further reduce overall maintenance costs.

Reliability Engineering functional effectiveness results in:

--fewer failures;

--less downtime;

--lower material costs;

--improved equipment reliability;

--improved equipment operation;

--increased plant output;

--extended equipment life;

--fewer emergencies;

--more planned work;

--better resource utilization;

--reduced overtime;

--reduced contract expenditures;

--reduced maintenance cost.

3. LEAN MAINTENANCE PLANNING

Lean Operations are characterized as "eliminating activities and processes that are not value adding"--"doing more with less" and "achieving continuous improvement." A properly established, organized and trained planning function brings value to businesses in excess of their costs.

More maintenance work is accomplished in less time using the same resources than would be the case if the planning function did not exist.

Once Maintenance Planners have mastered the basics of backlog management and job planning, their foremost concern should be obtaining meaningful feedback from supervisors and tradespeople regarding planned job packages. As time permits, visits to work sites can be the most effective method to achieve continuous improvement. Even though surveys, questionnaires and manager evaluations will provide meaningful input to the planner's efforts, nothing can be as effective as actually witnessing the use of his or her product. The planner will recognize elements of the job package that can benefit from revised thinking that the trades performing the work may never recognize simply because they have "always done it that way." If the bottom line is not improved by having a planning function, it is usually the result of poorly defined roles and responsibilities, an absence of understanding of the planning role and its value, a lack of support from management, insufficient planner training, or having the wrong people in the planning role. Technical skills are extremely important in selecting and designating a maintenance planner. Many will suggest however, that the planner's personal skills are even more important. Many aspects of the planner's responsibilities involve persuading his or her immediate, or higher, level of supervision to provide and dedicate support for various efforts. Other aspects require obtaining meaningful criticism of his or her work from both peer level supervisors and lower level trades. The skills to accomplish these "feats" are far from being universally available and seldom can they be learned. When a Maintenance Manager is about to assign Maintenance Planners, he or she should keep these position requirements uppermost in mind. A review of the Position Description for Planners and Schedulers in Section A would also be quite helpful.

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