Organization of Maintenance Planning

 Maintenance organization can take an infinite number of forms,

the best form for particular situation being determined by
systematic consideration of the influencing factors.
 Organization of maintenance resources for a multi-trade
maintenance work load is a difficult managerial problem which
involves three areas of organization decision making.
1- Those concerned with the mix. Location and size of the
maintenance resources
2- Those concerned with the nature and type of administrative
procedures
3- Those concerned with the type of work planning and
scheduling systems necessary to match the level and supply of
resources to the work load.
 Maintenance Resource Structure
 The objective is to set up the mix, location and sizes of
resources which will best respond to the expected maintenance
workload. The workload in general falls into two categories:
(a) The deterministic work load: which can be planned and
scheduled in the long term.(preventive maintenance,
modifications project)
(b) The probabilistic load: those which can be scheduled only in
the short term. (Corrective and emergency maintenance). The
fluctuating nature of the latter makes the organization of
maintenance resource a difficult task.
Trade force mix: The work load is usually divided according to
trade in addition to the above classification. This demarcation
according to trade influences the range of plant equipment that can
be effectively dealt with by an individual tradesman.
This demarcation:
determines the number and size gangs;
Makes more difficult the achievement of high labour utilization;
Renders work planning more difficult due to the complexity of
trade coordination.
Trade force location: The trade force Location must reduce the
time of plant unavailability.
If the work load is widely distributed will due contains a large
proportion of high cost emergency maintenance, permanent
decentralization of the trade force reduces the cost, both direct and
indirect. For a localized work load centralization of the
maintenance improves utilization of resources. For infrequent, but
anticipated, highly specialized work, the use of contract labour
must be considered. The aim of trade-force location is to balance
the advantages of centralization against the cost associated with
travelling. The solution is often a partially decentralized system.
In this case, the maintenance gangs carry-out the emergency work
as priority and also as much of the scheduled work as possible, while
the functions of the main workshop are:
1. To act as a reserve of labour for the areas g.ige:
2. To undertake the major reconditioning and overhand work;
3. To act as a base for those trades men who ire better centralized;
4. To coordinate the externally contracted work
Major Over haul and complex repairs are taken care of by the central
workshop. For a few specialized maintenance work load which is
beyond the capability of the central workshop, contracted labour is
utilized
 Trade force size: If the workload is deterministic, it is not
difficult to determine the best size of the trade force. However,
in rnr.st manufacturing situations the work load usually
contains a large probabilistic component which renders setting
of trade force size a difficult task. The basic aim should be to
achieve a trade force size and structure which will minimize
the total cost of labour and waiting time. Utilization of trade
force needs to be optimized.
In most cases clear understanding of the maintenance situation
coupled with efficient costing will enable a sound resource
structure to be developed and subsequently adjusted as
necessary.
 Administrative Structure
 In discussing any maintenance administrative structure, two
facts should be straightened out from the outset.
1. There is no ideal administrative structure jar maintenance.
2. The administrative structure should be designed in conjunction
with and to suit the resource structure.
 In general maintenance administrative structure is based on
division of the work into specialization including centralized
planning functions.
 The area foremen are responsible for maintenance workload
within the specified area and are accountable to the mechanical
engineer. Maintenance engineers, i.e. mechanical, electrical and
building, are responsible for overseeing and .supervising all
maintenance workload undertakings directly under them; are
responsible for overall maintenance works and are accountable
to the maintenance manager.
Main function of the maintenance manager and
engineers may include:
1. Set maintenance objectives and determine maintenance
policy.
2. Assist with technical advice and decision making.
3. Assist with medium term work planning and scheduling.
4. Look after day-today personnel problems.
Work Planning and Scheduling
 The objective of work planning and scheduling is to get the
right resources to the right place,
 to do the right job in the right way and
 at the right time in order to carry out the maintenance function
at minimum overall cost.
 Work planning
 In designing a maintenance work planning some basic rules
should be observed. The most important of these are:
1. The work planner must have the authority to make the
necessary decisions (i.e. allocation of priorities) which affect
the work load and the resources.
2. The work planner must have the right information at the right
time about both the work load and the resources. Here it is
important to note that it is essential to have different levels of
work planning.
3. The areas of responsibility of, and lines (If communication
between, the planning levels must be clearly defined.
 In setting a workable maintenance plan, the maintenance
workload should be categorized based on the nature of the
workload. This categorization should include the random and
deterministic workloads.
 i. The probabilistic load:
This category consists of the emergency and corrective maintenance workload
which is random in nature. This workload fluctuates with time. The repair
situation can be represented by queuing mode.
 The function of a maintenance department as regards the probabilistic
workload is to:
a) Locate the malfunction;
b) Diagnose the fault;
c) Prescribe the action to correct the mal function;
d) Decide on the work priority;
e) Plan the resources necessary to undertake the work;
g) Schedule the work;
h) Issue job instructions;
i) Check that the work is satisfactory.
Such a work can only be scheduled, with any degree of certainty, a short time
ahead.
ii. The deterministic work load
 This consists of the preventive maintenance work and the
necessary plant modifications.
 It can be planned in detail and scheduled some time ahead.
The functions of a maintenance department as regards the
deterministic workload is to:
a) Schedule all preventive maintenance- fixed -time maintenance;
b) Perform ‘all performance monitoring and set schedules based
on the condition of the plant;
c) Determine all reconditioning activities
d) Recommend appropriate long term solution to recurring
problems to enhance plant maintenance and maintainability.
When the total work load for a department is serviced from
common resources, usually
the preventive maintenance is neglected. Therefore the
planning policy should even out the total work load while
conforming to priority rules.
Proper work planning is facilitated by appropriate
equipment records.
Two important equipment records are:
1, equipment record card which contains useful data
regarding the acquisition and installation of the equipment,
and
2, equipment history record card in which all faults,
corrections, replacements, repairs, etc. are recorded during its
operation time.
 Maintenance Scheduling
 A maintenance schedule shows the maintenance work to be
done, frequency of the work, by whom the work has to be done
and estimated time required to complete the work.
 Maintenance scheduling is a sequential arrangement of
maintenance jobs showing which has to be done first, second,
and so on.
 The queuing of the workload to be accomplished depends
on
 priority set

 availability of spares,

 skilled labour and

 equipment.

 The maintenance schedule has to be prepared in collaboration

with production department.
In executing the maintenance schedule, the supervision
must every morning assign work to every worker.
Every worker has to be informed of the work he has to
perform, the time the job requires, the expected finishing
time, etc.
The detail of the maintenance work to be done on each
equipment/item on schedule varies in type and
complexity of equipment as well as type of maintenance
to be performed.
 Maintenance Job Order
A maintenance job order is a detailed and complete work
order by means of which a technician, a mechanic, an
electrician or any other skilled person is given the authority to
attend to a specific maintenance workload.
In addition to the workload, the job order card lists
the equipment,
spares,
estimated time,
skill required, etc.