Business / PRACTICES OF MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT
Abstract
This paper offers a short review of the history and evolution of maintenance practices from a collection of six updated and authoritative sources. Before the emergence of the Industrial Revolution and even afterwards, defective or broken down machines and equipment were merely corrected or repaired in groups. The traditional assumption was that the older a machine gets, the likelier it is to fail or break down. For many years, business owners accepted the loss in revenue with these breakdowns and cost of repairs. When the mounting of losses rose to an extreme level, hopeful minds came together and devised a new concept, which regards maintenance an investment instead of loss. The new concept is a proactive stance that is built on planning and scheduling of tasks, tools and human resources. With businesses turning global, best maintenance practices emerged.
Table of Contents
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
Maintenance and Its Organizational Role …………………………………………………………….. 2
Heartbreaking Breakdowns
One Concept Fits All Business Sizes ………………………………………………………………….. 3
The Type if the Thing ………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Solid Maintenance Practices, the Order of the Day ………………………………………………. 5
12 Areas in Best Maintenance Practices …………………………………………………………….. 6
Today’s Environment ………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
10 Steps to Achieve Operational Efficiency
Maintenance in Manufacturing …………………………………………………………………………. 8
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
Introduction
Developments in the field of engineering perked up since the industrial revolution but most dramatically in the last half of the century (Brown & Sondalini, n.d.). The dramatic changes strongly influenced the maintenance of plants. Machines used before the Second World War were mostly run-down and slow to operate, and industries’ controls and instruments were quite rudimentary. Production demand was then not too high so that work stoppage was nothing bothersome at the time. It was then sufficient to simply maintain machines that broken down. Those antiquated machines were, nonetheless so dependable that many of them endure to this day and function as they did the very era they were set up. Rebuilding work started in the 50s when the Second World War was over. Industries, especially in Japan and Germany, began to compete in the market of machines and, hence, viewed mechanical breakdown as undesirable. The cost of labor went up and increasingly required mechanization and automation. Machines of this period were made of lighter materials and ran faster. But they broke own faster and considered less dependable. They were this vulnerable perhaps because they were operated more fully than if they were not. Production then called for effective maintenance from which evolved planned preventative maintenance (Brown & Sondalini, n.d.).
In those days, if 10 out of 100 machines became defective, mechanical failure was considered quite high (Brown & Sondalini, n.d.). The decision was to overhaul the entire group. This meant a big loss to the other machines in the group that might not have been affected. But decision-makers of the time justified the loss in view of the risk. Planning was based on the interval or use at which machines in a group became indefensible. The basic assumption shaped up that the older a machine, the likelier its failure. The Bathtub Curve set in (Brown & Sondalini, n.d.).
Maintenance and Its Organizational Role
Maintenance includes all activities linked to keeping something at a given level of availability and dependability both of the entire system and its parts and their capacity to operate at a given level of quality(Al-Turki et al, 2014). These maintenance activities span inventory of parts, human resources, and management of risks. More broadly, it covers all decisions at all organizational levels in connection with the acquisition and preserving high availability and dependability of its assets (Al-Turki et al, 2014).
Major Functional Area and Organizational Success
Maintenance is unquestionably a critical operational aspect of certain organizations and systems (al-Turki et al, 2014). Examples of these organizations or industries are transportation, construction, and manufacturing. Other functional areas cross-linking with maintenance include production, inventory, human resources, quality control, and marketing. And recently, it is projected to be an integral part of the global supply chain (Al-Turki et al, 2014).
Heartbreaking Breakdowns
The lack of an adequate maintenance management system led to the decline of the efficiency of the equipment in organizations (Correia, n.d.). Company equipment are crucial assets to most companies, as the only maintenance form they applied was repairing damaged, poorly performing or broken-down equipment and machines. With the unabated succession and magnitude of breakdowns or the volume of needed maintenance services, companies soon came to terms with the resulting fall in service quality, increases in costs but diminished competitiveness and, worst, the likelihood of customer loss. They realized that corrective maintenance was no longer responsive or sufficient. The situation called for a new concept that would really work (Correia, n.d.).
This new concept moved from simple repair of damage to planned interventions before breakdowns, inferior performance or damage occurs (Correia, n.d.). The concept provides for preventive maintenance. It is grounded on the principle that maintenance is a primary factor to cost reduction. It thus should be considered a strategic and fundamental investment rather as an expenditure. It is the organization’s definite ally, especially in adverse times. It keeps not only assets but also production processes and services provision operating properly. Maintenance is central to the activities of the organization and are, therefore, indispensable. The evolution of this new concept substantiates the wisdom that says shortages compel people to evolve or innovate to solve their problems (Correia, n.d.).
One Concept Fits All Business Sizes
Some small and medium-sized companies do not share this perspective and have not invested the concept (Correia, n.d.). They see the new maintenance concept as expensive and complex scheme they cannot afford. They consider it a myth that is affordable only to big companies with the capital that can invest in it and a large organization that can operate it. But those big organizations that have found the concept to be a useful and even necessary investment disagree. They say that small and medium enterprises should adopt the concept within their organizational capabilities. The big companies that adopted it and found it workable and a worthwhile investment concur that small and medium enterprises can certainly compete with them by adopting the new concept on maintenance management. The big companies see it as strategic and wish that SMEs would realize its value if they consider the lifetime of machines, equipment and facilities, whatever industries they belong to. A corporate decision to adopt the concept will also be most profitable to SMEs as it is to big companies. The certain availability of equipment and facilities to an industry or any commercial establishment is unqualified (Correia, n.d.).
The Type is the Thing
It is what companies consider the key factor to their success (Correia, n.d.). Most big companies adopt proactive maintenance methods and practices. A company that currently uses only corrective maintenance but introduces preventive or proactive and predictive maintenance activities will rapidly apply maintenance engineering. Whatever the type used, it influences revenue and profit because maintenance because maintenance is intrinsically linked to and determines critical operational results. It permeates production processes or the services provided. And any type of organization – whether private, public, services or trade – will always be benefited by a maintenance management process, no matter how simple, as it is basic to the very survival of the organization (Correia, n.d.).
Starting a Maintenance Management Process
As the logically appropriate start, adequate and updated technical information must be gathered on equipment, structuring and other relevant data on functional systematization and how to organize it (Correia, n.d.). Assets must be organized as systems. The organization consists of departments with their respective systems. Systems, in turn, consist of objects designed for specific functions. These separate functions contribute to one another’s functions for the overall operations of the facility. These operations include lighting, heating, ventilation and other line production systems (Correia, n.d.).
In the past, materials and labor were all that were needed to repair damaged, poorly performing or broken down equipment (Correia, n.d.). Today’s environment demands an entirely different way of life and of doing things. In this digital age, processes are computerized.
The main actors on stage are the operators and maintenance managers. Scheduling and other tasks are automated. Securing data has been very easy and convenient. A computerized maintenance management system makes activities more predictable. This easy predictability, in turn, contributes a great deal to a more cumulative and efficient control of materials, costs and services, and human resources. At the same time, it enhances the availability and dependability of equipment. Top management of any size of organization should be convinced that maintenance is a field of strategy in the overall system. It goes beyond just generating costs. It enhances work processes and the business itself. Every business that intends to operate holistically and strategically needs to devise and implement a maintenance management system (Correia, n.d.).
Solid Maintenance Practices, the Order of the Day
All departments within organizations of today are constantly and tightly ordered to reduce costs, improve performance and support organizational missions more and more effectively (Overveen, 2012). In the case of maintenance, no less than solid practices are called for in coping with current conditions and demands. Paul Thomlingson (1998 as qtd in Overveen, 2012) listed the objectives of a responsive maintenance system. These are support operation by keeping production equipment in working condition and meet the targets of production; keep plant facilities and other structures in the plant site in similarly functional conditions; implement engineering projects, such as modifications of equipment, installation, construction, and relocation; design a service program; fill equipment maintenance requirements of the production arm alongside the conduct of necessary engineering projects; implement programs while optimally using resources; perform only quality work; be ready for incoming tasks and projects; sustain improvement measures by regularly appraising performance, correcting errors and damages, and rating progress of overall output; and monitoring for changes and organizing responses with flexibility. These objectives supplement all proactive activities and measures meant to prevent or reduce failures.
12 Areas in Best Maintenance Practices
The proper execution and success of these practices are dependent on the organization’s leadership and implementation of pertinent policies, structure, control of inventory, computerized systems for maintenance, preventive and predictive maintenance, planning and schedule of plans, flow of work, control of finances, level of operational involvement in the organization, staff and staff development, and sustained improvements. Leadership and use of deployment call for a fixed clear mission and vision and the resulting direction, concentration and support. Organizational structure determines how clearly the goals, processes, policies and procedures, methods, and workforce systems are disseminated to all levels. A popular strategy places resources in the actual work site or zone to infuse maximum familiarity to equipment among the operations employee in the area. The control of inventory aims at refining the process and rationalizing the appropriation of parts. An extensive information system is also indispensable to best maintenance practices. It should include an efficient and usable program, and relevant modules. Preventive maintenance aims at extending the life term of the equipment and regularly inspecting it for ensuing problems. It also includes activities involved with service contracts, cleaning, testing, inspections, lubrication, service in case of shutdown. Inspection is the most important activity in this area. Predictive maintenance uses technologies and processes to survey condition changes in determining the exact solution or intervention. Planning is indispensable in maintenance, as it is in any serious activity or operation. Increasing equipment output and personnel performance depend to a great deal on planning and foresight. It states the what, where, how and the why of the activity or object. And scheduling the activities states the when. Work flow enables managers to supervise and monitor the conduct and details of work. It identifies the work to be done, the request for it, set priorities, schedule, start of work activities, tracking of these, and analysis of work. Control of finances includes control of the budget, monitoring of contractor cost, and the entire cost of labor and materials. Operational involvement extend operators’ duties to some other responsibilities, such as cleaning, lubrication, tightening adjustment, inspection, repair and replacement. The staffing and development area deals with redefining jobs in order to raise the level of efficiency and effectiveness of employees. And persistent improvement is the infusion or motivation into the entire workforce the constant desire to do better. It is built on a dissatisfaction for present states and the pursuit of one’s best on a gradual but sustained basis (Overveen, 2012).
Today’s Environment
A recent study explored today’s maintenance management environment with Polytcchnie as sample (Zul-Atfi, 2014). It found that the company used the conventional paper-based method with a database that lacked a system. The results of the use of this method included poor delivery of service, insufficient financing, poor planning for maintenance, and backlogs in maintenance. The study concluded that the use of this conventional method adversely affected the efficiency of the management of the company facility (Zul-Atfi, 2014).
10 Steps to Achieve Operational Efficiency
These are 1) raise the level of management awareness and regard for the operations and maintenance department; 2) track operations and maintenance activities; 3) identify problem equipment and systems; 4) deal with at least one of the problem equipment or systems; 5) aim at achieving efficiency of this problem equipment or system; 6) buy a diagnostic equipment for metering or monitoring; 7) trend the data collected for tracking and diagnosis; 8) seek funding for the project and complete it; 9) capitalize on the accomplishment and seek out likely opportunities; and 10) select the next equipment (Sullivan et al, 2010).
Maintenance in Manufacturing
This type is comparatively more complicated than those of transportation, services and construction (Al-Turki et al 2014). It is also more competitive today with the intense pressure placed on cost reduction, escalating asset value, and improved product quality. Its systems have evolved so much that they have become part of world supply chains and networks. These rapid and massive developments have further pushed manufacturing maintenance into operating more and more effectively and efficiently (Al-Turki et al, 2014).
Another distinction of manufacturing from other settings is its complex inter-connection with numerous internal and external stakeholders (Al-Turki et al, 2014). It is elaborately structured with decision-makers coming from many levels and with parallel functions as well. Among these are production, marketing, engineering and purchasing. They share the use of manufacturing facilities for respective purposes, which are often in conflict. This situation calls for appropriate synchronization of a global manufacturing enterprise. Customers in the supply chain, contractors, technology and providers of spare parts are among the external stakeholders. Manufacturing is central to these multiple and maze-like links and this is why it has a very critical role in the setting (Al-Turki et al, 2014).
Maintaining manufacturing facilities also requires sophisticated technical equipment that only very few specifically trained experts can operate (Al-Turki et al, 2014). Maintenance of manufacturing facilities, therefore, demands very careful and detailed planning and implementation more than any other enterprise. Turning to the workforce for expert training exacts huge costs and outsourced expertise is limited. Manufacturing companies traditionally have connections with a few such experts for major production operation or overhaul. But these few are exposed to health hazards from poorly maintained equipment and facilities (Al-Turki et al, 2014).
The reality of health hazards must be confronted. Appropriate maintenance and asset management can address these hazards if the facilities and equipment are aptly improved and sustained (Al-Turki et al, 2014). The threat of health hazards is more critical with manufacturing than from any other business. This is why proper maintenance of those facilities and equipment must be seen and considered most significant. Maintenance is central to any global production business and thus determines to a substantial extent the success of it. Production dictates the quality, quantity and safety of the output. It goes to reason that the desired output cannot be realized without a very effective and efficient system of maintenance. In turn, the manufacturing equipment needed must have a high rate and level of maintenance in the long term in order to sustain an equivalent high value level of the asset. This desirable maintenance system consists of plans and operations that assures the availability of the precise materials, parts, financial and human resources and tools at the very precise time. The right quality and quantity must also be assured (Al-Turki et al, 2014).
New manufacturing technologies have surfaced in response along with advances in communication and nee practices in maintenance (Al-Turki et al, 2014). The weighty role of maintenance in preserving asset value through the years continues to be viewed commercially along with recent realities in acquisition and maintenance expenditures. Maintenance in the manufacturing sector has caught special focus that gave it priority status (Al-Turki et al, 2014).
Conclusion
The engineering sector is always coupled with maintenance as a composite. An engineering is dictated by caprice and fads ( Brown & Sondalini, n.d.) enters of excellence have surfaced from major industrial players like Shell, DuPont and ICI. Highlypaid specialists are in the payroll of these companies to provide prompt advice, analysis and troubleshooting service. They are on call also to justify more expenses for maintenance equipment availability and reliability against the pressure to cut costs (Brown & Sondalini, n.d.).
The evolution of maintenance must be appreciated for the unprecedented changes it has undergone since the end of World War II. Those changes have benefited the whole world when production of goods and services today has reached an incredibly high level of quality as well as quality. It will be remembered that before the Industrial Revolution and even some time afterwards, mechanical failure in a tenth of a group of equipment would lead to an overhaul of the entire group. It was the only recourse in those eras and the cost was painfully prohibitive. It meant business loss in that the rest in the group were not likely affected and did not need the overhaul. Business owners of old accpted that fate as justified on account of risk. They operated on the assumption that the older a machine, the more likely it would fail. But too many breakdowns caused many heartbreaks until progressive minds decided to think differently. They visualized the ineptness and useless expensiveness of corrective maintenance and embarked into a new concept from the sheer pressure of extreme shortage and loss. They gradually developed the new concept of planned interventions before a breakdown, damage or poor performance could occur. They envisioned preventive maintenance and the best practices, realizing the primary and crucial role of maintenance in operational efficiency and cost reduction. The new concept considers maintenance not an additional expense but a fundamental investment, an ally rather than as a source of loss. #
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