How do you manage preventive maintenance contracts or vendors?

The first thing is to understand the PM criticality. This ensures that efforts and resources are directed where they are needed most: 1 - Understand the Criticality of PMs.- PM is a key element of the Organization's strategy to minimize risks, reduce downtime and extend asset life 2 - Analyze PMs using RCM.- To identify which PMs are necessary to preserve system functionality, prevent failures, improve HSE 3 - Assign optimized PM to Contractors.- Detailed SOW. Outline the specific PM and performance expectations 4 - Establish and monitor Service Levels and KPIs.- Measure the effectiveness of the PM in preventing failures and asset reliability 5 - Leverage Techn and Continuous Improvement.- Integrate CMMS + Tools of the Industry 4.0

Rather than employing vendors or contractors for the reqular PM activities it’s more efficient and economical to train your own staff and prepare schedules for PM… unless until the particular activity requires special skill set or you are not approved for service by the OEM supplier…

In many instances, depot maintenance activities are contracted out as this is more economical. First line maintenance is normally done internally. Most of our PM activities originates from OEM recommended/approved maintenance programs.

Assessing needs and expectations is fundamental for establishing a robust PM program. Furthermore, consider incorporating a risk assessment to identify potential areas of concern. This proactive approach ensures that PM contracts align with organizational goals, adhere to industry standards, and are tailored to the specific requirements of equipment and regulations. By addressing these questions, you set the foundation for a comprehensive and effective preventive maintenance framework that optimally utilizes both internal resources and external vendor expertise.

While comparing contract price between vendor, be careful not to be fooled by the price alone, nor by the vendor's list of customers only. Sometimes, vendors has their "priority customer" thus when coincidently you and their priority customer face a problem or a crisis at the same time, you shall be left to drown. Saying so, it is important to ensure the vendor's team availability to address all your issues, and whether you are in their priority list or not.

Reputation and experience are key factors in ensuring the reliability of the service provider. Assessing aspects like availability, warranty, and flexibility helps tailor the agreement to specific needs. Communication and feedback mechanisms are vital for a collaborative and responsive partnership. Negotiating terms and conditions, including payment, duration, and dispute resolution, is essential for a mutually beneficial arrangement. Diligently reviewing the fine print is a must to avoid any misunderstandings. Additionally, consider incorporating performance metrics into the contract to measure and ensure the effectiveness of the preventive maintenance services over time.

The most important part of this aspect are.. -you need to have oee installed on your equipments and machinery -check list as listed -internal audit -reports

Utilizing tools like checklists, reports, and audits provides a structured approach to monitor performance. Regular communication with the vendor ensures a collaborative environment, enabling timely feedback and issue resolution. Periodic contract reviews align the preventive maintenance activities with evolving needs, fostering a dynamic and responsive partnership. This approach not only ensures the effective execution of preventive maintenance but also promotes a continuous improvement cycle for optimal results.

Automation through software, sensors, cloud, and mobile technologies not only streamlines tasks but also enhances accessibility and data management. Moreover, the integration of data and analytics is pivotal in making informed PM decisions. It allows for proactive scheduling, prioritization, budgeting, and forecasting, contributing to optimized maintenance strategies.

Use software to track contract terms, schedules, and vendor performance. Automate reminders for upcoming maintenance tasks and compliance checks. This streamlines operations, ensures timely maintenance, and enhances vendor accountability, leading to more efficient and reliable maintenance management.

En mi experiencia ha sido fundamental determinar el alcance del servicio una vez definido los objetivos y estrategias de mantenimientos. El alcance debe ser lo mas detallado posible y debe estructurarse de forma tal que se contribuya sustancialmente al cumplimiento de los objetivos. Ha sido fundamental incluir metricas de desempe?o en el contrato que esten asociados con los indicadores y objetivos de la gestión de mantenimiento.

Put your hands on the products first. And as stated above, research and track all of the services requested and completed on the specific machine or product. This will enable you to know the issue before you make the call. Only then will proper communication and accountability be achieved. Thus, absolute preventive maintenance success.