Steps to Optimize Maintenance Planning and Scheduling

Maintenance Planning and Scheduling is critical to success of any Maintenance Organization resulting in a significant increase in Wrench time (Hands on Tool Time).

World Class Wrench-Time = World-class wrench time is 55-65%; most companies have a wrench time between 18-30%.

Planning and Scheduling are two distinct functions which are dependent on each other.

Maintenance Planning is a highly skilled function that requires a basic knowledge of the maintenance work processes, operations expectations, project management, computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) and related systems, as well as a practical understanding of the work to be performed.

Planning is the “what’s required” and “how to” part of any maintenance job.

Planning typically includes the following:

• Identifying Parts/Materials Specifications

• Instructions (Repeatable)
• Coordination requirements
• Estimated time for duration of maintenance work.
• Repeatable procedure
• Safety/Environmental Requirements

Maintenance Scheduling is the process by which all proactive maintenance activities are scheduled by day by hour in coordination with Production at least one week in advance.

• Maintenance Scheduling requires the following: Maintenance Scheduling Meeting is managed by the Maintenance Planner/Scheduler
• Production and Maintenance leadership agreement of schedule by day by hour one week prior to scheduled work execution.
• The Maintenance Schedule is agreed upon by all parties prior to scheduling meeting.
• A Maintenance Scheduling Meeting, typically held every Thursday for 30 minutes, led by Maintenance Planner/Scheduler to ensure nothing has changed for next week’s schedule.
• Personnel to attend Scheduling meeting: > Maintenance Planner/Scheduler o Maintenance Supervisor > Production Supervisor / Manager > Plant/Reliability Engineer (Optional – dependent on potential interference with next week’s schedule due to contractor, project interference with schedule)
• Measurements (prefer a dashboard posted in the plant)

Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Roles and Responsibilities must be defined to ensure everyone understands how everyone will work together.

Create and Follow Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Attributes

Maintenance Planning and Scheduling is an investment, not an Expense.

Planning and Scheduling Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principles

Planning and Scheduling Vision Statement

"To Plan and Schedule Maintenance Work in order to optimize Maintenance and Reliability to minimize Maintenance Rework at Optimal Cost."

Planning and Scheduling Mission Statement

Maintenance Planning and Scheduling is to enable "Proactive Maintenance" thru increased Maintenance Wrench Time enabling process reliability at optimal cost.

Planning and Scheduling Guiding Principles

1. All “critical” work will have effective work procedures developed.
2. All PMs/PdMs must address specific failure modes.
3. Planners focus only on future work.
4. Bill of Materials must be developed for all Critical Equipment.
5. Production and Maintenance must be aligned in the planning process:> Roles and Responsibilities> Expectations> Metrics
6. Jobs not previously planned will be “scoped” by the maintenance technician and the planner.

Scheduling Guiding Principles

1. Planned Jobs must have all parts on site and kitted before being scheduled.
2. Availability of equipment must be communicated to maintenance at least 7 days in advance.
3. Perform an after-action review on any shutdown over 4 hours applying the 2 up / 2 down Rule.

Steps to Success in Maintenance Planning and Scheduling

Step 1: Identify External Distracters

• Poor spare parts and inventory controls
• Conflicting ideas of what planning and scheduling is
• No planner (if you have no planner, assign your best maintenance technician to become your planner, send them to formal training) Write a Work Order scheduling the technician to this position until the company creates a new position)
• Planners taken off job, put on tools, or involved in daily activities (parts chaser, facilitating daily work)
• Maintenance and Production not acting as a team.
• No planning process, unclear expectations, unclear roles and responsibilities
• Maintenance leadership not following the plan.
• Emergency / Urgent Work too High
• Lack of Discipline
• The Company's CULTURE

Step 2: Education of the Team - “Coaching is not just for Planners Anymore.”

• Maintenance Planners
• Plant / Operations Leadership
• Frontline Production Leadership
• Maintenance and Reliability Leadership (all levels)
• Maintenance Personnel (Technicians, Maintenance Supervisors, Maintenance Contractors)
• If you send a Maintenance Planner to Training be sure you send you best technician or maintenance supervisor as well, change is never easy.

Step 3: Create Guiding Principles for Planning and Scheduling

• The planners focus on future work and maintain at least two weeks of work backlog that is planned, approved, and ready to schedule / execute.
• Planners Do Not Chase Parts for Jobs in Progress
• Supervisors and Crew Leads Handle the Current Day’s Work and Problems with Coordination
• Scheduling Does Not Occur Until Parts are Kitted.
• We will maintain a stable / nonfluid Criticality Index

Step 4: Define the Planning and Scheduling Processes

Step 5: Define Roles and Responsibilities in order to align everyone in the Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Process

Step 6: Prioritize Work to be Planned based on Asset Criticality and Defect Severity

Step 7: Develop Repeatable Procedures for all Maintenance Work in order to:

• Ensure repeatability and reduce variation in execution.
• Capture Knowledge based on past issue/failures.
• Train New Employees with Repeatable Procedures
• To Reduce Human Error
• Human error refers to something having been done that was "not intended by the actor; not desired by a set of rules or an external observer; or that led the task or system outside its acceptable limits."

Step 8: Create a Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Dashboard for all to see every day. People are motivated by knowing their score in any process which is critical to an organization.

How to Create a Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Dashboard

1. Assemble a cross functional team, Maintenance Planner, Maintenance Supervisor, Production Supervisor, Storeroom Manager

2. Determine the steps in the Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Process

3. Create a metric for each step in this process

4. Agree on the goal of each metric and how it will be measured effectively

5. Determine Roles and Responsibilities if specific metrics are meeting expectations.

6. Use Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys) to identify why specific metrics are meeting expectations if this occurs.

Join me for "Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Best Practices" April 16-18 in Nashville, TN. Interested? Email me at [email protected]