Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Best Practices

 Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Best Practices

The Role of a Maintenance Planner 

Maintenance Planners are one of the most misused resources in the maintenance organization.  We must always remember that  the Maintenance planner represents that single resource in the organization who is strictly dedicated on preparing for the future. Without this focus, we fall victim to the typical  maintenance wastes associated with a reactive organization and wrench-time will be at unacceptable levels.

"Wrench-Time" is a measure of crafts personnel at work, using tools, in front of jobs. Wrench time does not include obtaining parts, tools or instructions, or the travel associated with those tasks. It does not include traveling to or from jobs. It does not include time spent obtaining work assignments.

Typical Wrench-Time is 8-15%, World Class Wrench-Time is 55-65%.

Sources of Maintenance Wastes 

 

Rules to Follow

 >Planners Remain Focused on FUTURE WORK 

>Planners Do Not Chase Parts for Jobs in Progress  

>Supervisors and Crew Leads Handle the Current Day’s Work  Problems 

>Maintenance Supervisor must handle Today’s Problems, not the planner  

>Several Jobs Can Be Planned and Scheduled more effectively

Planners Must Add Value 

>Maintenance Planners must be formally trained in Maintenance Planning and Scheduling 

>Maintenance Planners require a fully functional CMMS in to achieve optimal wrench-time 

>Roles and Responsibilities should be clearly defined for Maintenance Planning and Scheduling to enhance optimal performance and results.

If you want to learn more about Planning and Scheduling these are my recommendations depending on the level of maturity.

Level 1 (Crawl) - No Planning and Scheduling or it is not effective

(Crawl): Awareness you have a problem

1. Purchase "Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Made Simple" on Amazon (awareness) - Click on icon below or search on Amazon 

2. Use ideas and simple concepts from this book to take first step toward success. 

3. You may want to use one chapter per week to educate your maintenance team so they buy into this concept making their life easier as you move forward to increase wrench-time resulting in less equipment problems. 

4. I have seen organizations purchase a number of these books use them to educate technicians by putting a couple of the maintenance shop, one on the production manager's desk, etc. - Just my thoughts

Level 2 (Walk) - Time to Walk the Walk

Time to begin this step in this process (walk), action is required from crawling to walking, seeing small successes.

1. If you do not have a Maintenance Planner then identify your best Maintenance Tech who has good computer skills and write a work order assigning them as a temporary planner. 

2. If you have a planner or temporary one send this person to a formal Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Training with the Maintenance Manager (yes, both, understand "if a step in a process is skipped or performed at a substandard level it creates defects known as failures"

 

>Define Maintenance Planning and Maintenance Scheduling Processes

>Create a Play Book with process maps and definitions.

>Measure what you manage

- % of Planned Work (use SMRP's Definition) 

- % of Work Orders with step by step instructions

>The Maintenance Planner and Maintenance Manager attends a formal training class (not seminar) in Maintenance Planning and Scheduling.

>After the second day of class take the instructor to dinner and create a simple "first step" action plan"

 

Purchase the book shown below. You can click on the icon which will take you to Amazon. I would purchase one for the Maintenance Planner and one for the Maintenance Manager.

 

Level 3 - Run Phase (Sustainment and Continuous Improvement)

If you are either moving in the right direction or are already at a good state of Maintenance Planning and Scheduling, this is a great book for success, click on the following link: (this is the "go to" book for the details)

 

The Author: Ricky Smith CMRP, CMRT, CRL

 

About: 

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