Scheduled Maintenance

What is Scheduled Maintenance?

Scheduling maintenance involves predefined tasks like inspections, repairs, and recurring services performed according to a set schedule. These tasks range from isolated responses to work orders to periodic services like machine lubrication and calibration. The components include assigned personnel, budgeted time, and a planned maintenance schedule, determining resources and production impact. The program aims to minimize reactive maintenance and equipment downtime while optimizing schedule compliance.

Benefits of Scheduled Maintenance

Enhanced Operational Efficiency:

• Provides a significant return on investment by eliminating equipment breakdowns and unexpected downtime.
• The financial ripple effect increases productivity and extends asset life expectancy.

Prolonged Equipment Service Life:

• Logical intervals in scheduled maintenance add additional years of service to essential equipment.
• Thoughtful planning enables the parallel execution of multiple maintenance tasks, optimizing technician time utilization and minimizing production impact.

Efficient Resource Allocation

• Intelligent tasks result in more efficient use of technician time.
• Proactive spare part inventory management becomes possible, contributing to streamlined operations.

Order in Maintenance Processes:

• Benefits bring order to a potentially chaotic process.
• Logical intervals and risk prioritization guide the determination of maintenance requirements.

Workplace Safety Enhancement:

• Scheduled maintenance contributes to a safer workplace environment by reducing equipment breakdowns.
• Adherence to a well-planned maintenance schedule reduces liability and boosts overall employee confidence in workplace safety.

Scheduled Maintenance Examples

Continuous Equipment Utilization Challenges:

• Essential equipment running around the clock can limit maintenance opportunities.
• Ensuring effective maintenance requires a deep understanding of equipment requirements and maximizing available windows.

Preventive Lubrication and Alignment:

• Example: Regular lubrication and alignment every three months are crucial for maintaining machine performance.
• Crafting an efficient maintenance schedule involves considering task durations, technician availability, and production schedules.

Combined Task Efficiency:

• Integrating planned and unplanned tasks for overall efficiency.
• Example: Pairing a routine cleaning process every 90 days with a one-time software upgrade optimizes technician time and equipment downtime.

Strategic Scheduling for Knowledge Transfer:

• Utilizing maintenance sessions for knowledge transfer and cross-training.
• Example: Coordinating tasks allows for skill-sharing during maintenance, enhancing the overall workforce.

Scheduled Maintenance vs Planned Maintenance

Planned Maintenance:

• Goal: Identify maintenance needs and determine processes, tools, and parts required.
• Incorporates preventive, predictive, and condition-based methods.
• Focus on long and short-term maintenance strategies.

Scheduled Maintenance:

• Output of planned maintenance, determining who and when.
• Balances maintenance criticality against resource availability.
• Assigns realistic deadlines to maintenance personnel.

Scheduled Maintenance vs Preventive Maintenance

Scheduled Maintenance:

• Goal: Prevent unexpected breakdowns and malfunctions through optimized timing and workload balancing.
• Balances resource availability against maintenance criticality.

Preventive Maintenance:

• Additional benefits of data analysis and diagnostics.
• Brings flexibility and continuous improvement to the maintenance process.
• Coordination reinforces advanced maintenance practices.

Developing a Scheduled Maintenance Plan

• Review all assets, considering importance and periodic maintenance requirements.
• Challenge preconceived intervals and tasks with insufficient data.
• Organize tasks into logical sequences and groupings.
• Consider skill sets needed for each potential work order.
• Bundle tasks based on complexity.

Capacity Planning:

• Consider the impact of unplanned maintenance on capacity planning.
• Ensure enough hours are budgeted to support the plan.

Launch and Feedback Loop:

• Launch plan with a master schedule aligned with production scheduling.
• Integrate a feedback loop for future schedule optimization and resource allocation planning.
• Use maintenance scheduling software for efficient tracking and analysis.

Maintenance Scheduling Software

CMMS Software:

• Invaluable for generating maintenance schedules and work orders.
• Automatically maintains and updates the master schedule.
• Centralized portal for controlling and monitoring work order assignments.
• Supports spare parts, tools, and labor tracking to prevent shortages and conflicts.
• Turns information into informed decisions for continuous improvement.

How to Get Started with MicroMain’s Maintenance Scheduling Software:

MicroMain provides industry-leading maintenance scheduling software that not only enhances the effectiveness and organization but also boosts the analytical horsepower of any scheduled maintenance program. Our robust CMMS software empowers you to efficiently manage your maintenance tasks, optimize resource allocation, and elevate your overall maintenance strategy. To embark on a journey of streamlined operations and improved maintenance outcomes, explore the features and benefits of our maintenance scheduling/CMMS software today!