Objectives and Challenges
Our client faced challenges in structuring maintenance planning and control. The main goals of the project were to:
- Implement a structured maintenance planning and control methodology
- Increase the percentage of scheduled activities that could be performed without equipment downtime (uptime)
- Establish a backlog management culture, ensuring that the maintenance planner takes ownership of the maintenance portfolio
Client Pain Points
Before our intervention, the maintenance management process was inefficient, leading to issues such as:
- Lack of scheduled maintenance activities outside of planned downtime periods
- Maintenance supervisors overwhelmed with managing pending tasks, operating without a structured process and with low efficiency
Implemented Solution
To address these challenges, we designed and implemented a set of targeted solutions to transform maintenance management:
- Defined maintenance routines for shift teams and preventive maintenance, including bench repairs
- Provided training to all planners and supervisors
- Maintained open communication and ongoing support with technicians to evaluate change acceptance and collect feedback on implemented actions
- Monitored the adoption of new practices, recognizing standout team members for their order creation and resolution efforts
- Implemented a Maintenance Planning and Control workflow
- Created a procedure for maintenance backlog management
- Developed procedures for creating maintenance plans
- Produced a tutorial on the Planning & Control routine
- Implemented the concept of job preparation, ensuring that all materials and tools are ready before maintenance execution
Roadblocks
During the implementation, we encountered two main challenges:
- A reactive maintenance culture focused on firefighting instead of proactive planning
- Heavy reliance on decisions made by maintenance supervisors, making the shift to a structured planning model more difficult
Results Achieved
The implementation brought significant improvements to the client’s operations:
- 218% increase in scheduled activities outside of planned maintenance routines
- Creation of shift-specific maintenance schedules for each work team
- Optimized maintenance backlog management
- Successful implementation of the Job Kitting concept, improving preparation for maintenance downtime
Benefits
This success story demonstrates how structuring Maintenance Planning and Control can transform a company’s productivity and efficiency. Key benefits include:
- Increased asset availability
- Clear visibility into maintenance activities
- Reduced time spent searching for parts during tasks
- Greater overall organization
