Preventive maintenance is a great way to keep critical assets in good working condition. To create an effective maintenance management plan, there are seven essential steps that need to be taken. The first step is to identify the objectives and KPIs of the preventive maintenance plan. This includes setting goals for reducing downtime, increasing efficiency, and improving safety.
It also involves establishing a timeline for when these goals should be achieved. The second step is to understand the cultural change that needs to take place in order for the plan to be successful. This includes understanding the importance of preventive maintenance and how it can benefit the organization. It also involves creating a culture of accountability and responsibility among employees.
Figure 6 shows the relationship between culture and maintenance maturity (developed by Ledet and others).The third step is to implement predictive maintenance. This involves using data from temperature profiles to determine when components are likely to fail. Prescriptive analysis can also be used to determine how much operating time can be gained by making small changes in pressure levels. Although prescriptive maintenance is still in its early stages, advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning make it an area of great potential. The fourth step is to create a schedule for maintenance tasks.
This will help ensure that technicians are not hired twice and that efficiency is maximized. It is important to remember that reactive maintenance plans should not be eliminated completely, as it is estimated that at least 20% of maintenance time should be allocated for reactive tasks. The fifth step is to reduce duplicate items on a given site. Most CMMS tools support a level of spare parts inventory management and asset tracking, which can help reduce duplicate items. The sixth step is to explain the activity in detail. This includes outlining the steps involved in the activity, as well as providing information on how it will improve equipment performance and extend its life. The seventh step is to ensure that staff have the right skills to manage maintenance tasks.
This includes having a good understanding of preventive maintenance, as well as being able to use CMMS software and track last maintenance dates. It also involves having knowledge of predictive and time-based maintenance techniques. By following these seven steps, organizations can create an effective maintenance management plan that will help reduce downtime, increase efficiency, and improve safety. Cloud-based maintenance management software can also be used to document all maintenance records on a centralized platform, ensuring safety, flexibility, and accessibility.
