“It is like we have this ongoing feud between maintenance and production and I am stuck in the middle trying to reduce downtime. Each side blames the other for unplanned downtime caused by breakdowns or unplanned maintenance. Each time you go to a planning meeting, it is like going to war!” – A comment made by a maintenance planner when asked about the relationship between his company's maintenance and production departments.
The truth is that unplanned breakdowns are costing production companies millions each year, with most of the costs resulting from production loss. When faced with the choice of running at full capacity or stopping identified machines for preventative maintenance, the production manager tends to opt for production. This can be a very costly option.
World-class companies are netting millions by changing their mindset and implementing uptime technology and methodologies. They have embraced the technology age and have formed strong allies with companies that can supply them with technology in the form of CMMS to help them monitor and maintain OEE standards.
Reactive maintenance can be a costly endeavour. It can lessen you overall OEE to as little as 50%, while A-list companies average around 95% and more. A difference like this is most apparent in the bottom line.
How can you improve your current situation?
Move away from the wait-until-it-breaks-and-then-fix-it mindset. Plan, document, implement and diligently follow a planned maintenance plan that suits the exact needs of your company. Remember there is no one size fits all plan. Assess your needs and plan according to that.
Get people involved – Have maintenance and production work closely together to form a maintenance force to be reckoned with. Make the operator responsible for a part of maintenance e.g. daily start-up checks or daily machine cleaning checks.
Optimise maintenance – investigate the option of investing in state of the art equipment to further empower and streamline your maintenance process e.g. vibration, excessive heat (hot spots), lubrication and air leak sensors.
Empower your people – supply not only your maintenance people but also your operators with the expertise to run the latest CMMS or monitoring tools and equipment.
Create a collaborative working environment where maintenance and productions work together to not only plan, but to successfully execute and maintain a structured plan of action for maintenance.
“We live by the Golden Rule. Those who have the gold make the rules.”
Buzzie Bavasi - American baseball manager
