Day in the Life of a Proactive Maintenance Supervisor
Ricky Smith CMRP, CMRT, CRL
VP World Class Maintenance Maintenance and Reliability Advisor/ Educator, Book Author
"Based on real life experience by Ricky Smith CMRP, CMRT"
"Maintenance Supervisors are truly unsung heroes who seek no praise but takes satisfaction in his technicians executing work which makes an impact on production and equipment running to specifications."
The 11 Maintenance Supervisor Leadership are Critical to Success of any Maintenance Supervisor
?As a former Maintenance Supervisor, I can honestly say this position was the most rewarding job I ever had, seeing maintenance tech transitioning from frustrated most days to smiling and walking easy instead of panicking and chasing breakdowns.
So, what does a Day in the Life of a Proactive Maintenance Supervisor look like?
At the beginning of the shift or day the maintenance supervisor makes his/her rounds to ensure all work has started on time and no problems exist. If personnel are at a remote location, a call on the radio or text on the cell at a specific time validates that either everything is on schedule, or "we have a problem."
While the supervisor is making his/her rounds they should be performing QA/QC checks on the work being executed looking to see
... if the maintenance tech following a repeatable procedure?
... is he/she using the right tool for the job?
... do they need any extra assistance.
... are they looking for parts or material which wasn't kitted for the job.
If a maintenance tech is working on a critical job, then he/she should call or text at a specific time to update whether everything is OK, or if there is a problem. This is key to the success of a critical job, otherwise maintenance techs get involved in the problem and think they have it resolved, however maybe they did identify the Root Cause of the Problem.
The maintenance supervisor makes his/her rounds and visits the job sites to ensure all work has started on time and no problems exist. If personnel are at a remote location, a call on the radio or text on the cell at a specific time validates that either everything is
"on schedule", or "we have a problem." {Change the time you execute this function day to day so your staff does not know your schedule.)
Afternoon review of job packages for the next day.
The planner/scheduler arrives at the supervisor's office for 10-20 minutes to ensure the job plan or tomorrow will be executed without a problem.
Once a Week a Maintenance Team meeting is held, 15 minutes max.
The Maintenance Supervisor reviews 2 Things the maintenance crew is doing well and 2 Things the team needs to improve on based on the Maintenance Crew Dashboard. Lastly ask if anyone had any issue that needs to be discussed. (It is all about the TEAM)
Metrics/ KPls or Dashboard for the maintenance team.
As a result of the maintenance team's actions and the planner/scheduler's hard work, the team should know if their work is making a difference. Think about the time you watched a football or soccer match that was won in the last few minutes because everyone knew their "Score" and maintenance techs want to know their score.
A few Key Performance Indicators (KPls) should be posted in the shop for all to see.
If a KPI is not showing positive results, a maintenance team meeting may be scheduled for the next day. A maintenance supervisor wants the technician's ideas identifying why the metrics are not moving in the on how to improve the KPIs.
An Effective Maintenance Supervisor ensures Roles and Responsibilities are defined and posted to ensure they are effective.
Founder/Transit Consultant
2 天前Solid advice
It's very helpful to understand how maintenance is performed. We are also interested how our equipment manufacturers can help to streamline maintenance procedures through design improvements.
Mechanical Engineer, MBA BPM
2 天前Thank you for sharing such valuable principles. Several of them are applicable to our lives beyond the workplace. I particularly highlight numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5. I have a question, which might also serve as a suggestion for future articles: how to effectively manage culturally diverse teams? I've had some challenging experiences, for instance, on one occasion when a group felt apprehensive about reporting task delays due to fear of punishment. Upon closer examination and a conversation with one of the team members, I learned that in their culture of origin, delivering bad news was perceived as a sign of weakness. Have you encountered similar situations?
EAM & Information Management Specialist
2 天前Ricky Smith CMRP, CMRT, CRL Thanks for sharing valuable insights on maintenance supervision. While leadership and proactive management are crucial, several key reliability challenges need attention. Asset criticality analysis helps prioritize maintenance efforts effectively. Data-driven decision-making using CMMS and predictive analytics enhances efficiency. Continuous workforce training bridges skill gaps and improves diagnostic capabilities. Optimizing spare parts inventory prevents costly downtime. Structured root cause analysis (RCA) ensures long-term problem resolution. A balanced approach between preventive and predictive maintenance reduces costs. Fostering a reliability-focused culture drives sustainable improvements. Addressing these gaps can elevate maintenance supervision to the next level.
Refactored my career from COBOL to cloud. Still debugging.
2 天前Ricky, each of your article is engaging. We at Momentum have built a digital solution to match the expectations and challenges faced by the maintenance team. Happy to demo our work. You can recommend and suggest changes required in our process. It would be great if we can connect.