August 12, 2024

Success In Scheduled Maintenance

Scheduled maintenance is the strategic execution of repair and service tasks within predetermined timeframes. It specifies when particular maintenance activities occur and assigns responsibilities for their completion. You can plan these at regular intervals or triggered by specific work requests. This comes under the general category of maintenance management. In this discussion, we’ll discuss how to achieve success in scheduled maintenance by learning its benefits. You'll also read how a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) plays a part.

Workflow

People term this as preventive or routine maintenance. This PM or RM typically unfolds in recurring cycles, such as the annual inspection of manufacturing equipment or monthly calibration of laboratory instruments.

A supervisor processes a work request. A scheduler collaborates with a planner. After that, you set a designated time to carry out the necessary repairs.

Use a home analogy of writing on a wall calendar the date of the upcoming inspections of your home’s HVAC and roof. However, if you notice an issue with the shingles, you work with the contractor to schedule a time to complete the work.

Beyond determining when maintenance tasks should occur, the process addresses the crucial aspect of who performs these tasks. You estimate the duration of the job and judge available work hours to make an informed decision. The key? To make sure you have the proper personnel available at the scheduled time.

Scheduled vs. Planned Maintenance

They work together but have distinct facets of the maintenance process. Planning involves the processes and materials required for successful task completion. Scheduling focuses on assigning responsibilities and providing a time frame for completed work.

Back to the home example. You plan for your car’s oil change. When you call to make an appointment with the local mechanic, you’ve moved to the scheduling phase.

The Benefit of Decreased Downtime

You want more efficiency in your operations. Thus, you look at priority, personnel availability, system requirements, and system location. Based on those, you plan and schedule maintenance activities. You achieve success when you list multiple tasks for a single asset in a work order.

Routine inspections aid in identifying minor problems before they escalate into system failures. Adhering to a well-designed maintenance timetable enables technicians to detect issues early, preventing prolonged unscheduled downtime.

Industry Example

Consider the example of a manufacturing facility where it relies on precision machinery for daily operations. Inspections, lubrication, alignment checks, and component replacements occur at specific intervals. As part of the scheduling, you consider the availability of technicians or third-party specialists.

You may experience one problem of additional work orders. For this common circumstance, you need to judge several criteria. These include priority, type of job, description, time for completion, and how it affects production.

Scheduled maintenance plays a pivotal role in preventing future breakdowns. A technician discovers a worn-out component, he generates a work request or work order. A supervisor schedules the repairs to prevent further damage and to return the asset to a baseline functionality.

Benefits of Scheduled Maintenance

Other than minimizing downtime, you’ll achieve success in scheduled maintenance with:

• Higher Personnel Productivity. Maintenance workers spend more time working on tasks, which leads to increased productivity.
• Increased Asset Life Expectancy. By preventing breakdowns, scheduled maintenance extends the lifespan of assets.
• Lower Costs. Logically, more efficiency and productivity lead to lower overall costs.
• Proactive Mindset. By scheduling tasks, especially preventive maintenance, you instill a forward-thinking team rather than reacting to breakdowns.
• Reduced Liability. Assets kept in safe working conditions reduce the risk of accidents and liabilities.

For more information on planning and scheduling, read the article from Chron.

CMMS

A CMMS helps organize an existing maintenance program. You have easily accessible lists of assets, inventory, and preventive maintenance.

With a CMMS, you both plan and schedule jobs. A quality system has a scheduling calendar. This allows you to drag and drop work orders into work time slots, thereby dispatching the job. It allows easy viewing of work orders over a period of time (week, month, year, etc.).

The software provides real-time insights, enabling better decision-making and establishing a proactive approach to maintenance management.

Conclusion

Leadership skills encourage organization. Combined with using a CMMS, you increase the chances for success in scheduled maintenance. With trained personnel and quality communications throughout the team, your maintenance operations will see improvement over time.

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