Maintenance Strategy
Maintenance Strategy
What is strategy?
Samples
Can anyone describe their maintenance strategy in a few words?
What are the major components of that strategy?
The rest of you either don’t know or don’t operate physical assets yourselves.
Dictionary:
strat·e·gy (str t -j )
n. pl. strat·e·gies
1. a. The science and art of using all the forces of a nation to execute approved plans as effectively as possible
during peace or war.
b. The science and art of military command as applied to the overall planning and conduct of large-scale
combat operations.
2. A plan of action resulting from strategy or intended to accomplish a specific goal. Synonym: plan.
3. The art or skill of using stratagems in endeavors such as politics and business.
strat·a·gem (str t -j m)
n.
1. A military maneuver designed to deceive or surprise an enemy.
2. A clever, often underhanded scheme for achieving an objective. Synonym: wile.
Reyes-Picknell
Strategy is a plan of action intended to achieve a specific goal
In most business literature a strategy is a high level plan to achieve a specific business goal
e.g.: A company that produces a commodity product like iron ore, oil, fuel, lumber, paper, etc.
chooses a strategy of operational excellence to achieve market dominance where low cost is the
primary factor in decisions to buy its product
` In this case, the cost of raw materials are difficult to control so the choice is made to control production and
transportation costs, getting product to market at low cost by being efficient and effective in all the activities it
performs.
` If maintenance is a large part of operations costs then efficient and effective maintenance activities support
this business strategy
Both uses are correct but I choose to use the first. I refer to the latter as a “tactic” or “tactical
choice” that helps me execute on a chosen higher level strategy
e.g.: Preventive maintenance is an effective tactic that helps deliver lower cost maintenance and
contributes to overall operational excellence
Dictionary:
tac·tics (t k t ks)
n.
1. a. (used with a sing. verb) The military science that deals with securing objectives set by
strategy, especially the technique of deploying and directing troops, ships, and aircraft in
effective maneuvers against an enemy: Tactics is a required course at all military academies.
b. (used with a pl. verb) Maneuvers used against an enemy: Guerrilla tactics were employed
during most of the war.
2. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A procedure or set of maneuvers engaged in to achieve an end,
an aim, or a goal.
tac·tic (t k t k)
n.
An expedient for achieving a goal; a maneuver.
120
Revenues & Costs %
100
80
Margin Total Costs
Break Even Point
Fixed Costs
60
Variable Costs
40
Current Revenues
20 Production
0
0%
0%
%
%
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
10
Volume of Sales %
Dispose
Asset Strategy
Operate,
Maintain &
Modify
Plan
Build / Procure
Evaluate
Design
100
% of life cycle cost
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Design Build Operate, Dispose
Maintain,
Modify
Commitment Spend
There was too much information for anyone to fully assimilate let alone remember
Vision statement described a “wish”, not a “state” – there was no overall time
frame
The desired future state was too detailed to remember, even for each element that
was described
“To select, procure, operate, maintain, and dispose of the physical assets in order
to meet all stakeholder needs, while maximizing profitability we will work safely
and in an environmentally responsible manner. We will continuously improve our
skills and processes to optimize the return on the physical assets, using world
class methods and technologies.”
No definition of
“stakeholder”.
That is a mission.
All of the statements are helpful here but there are just too many to be
remembered
This is the solution to some of their problems, not the method for achieving a
solution
Useful reference material but not strategy nor tactical action plans
“Everyone” includes everyone in the company – not just the executives, managers
and supervisors
Remember that the work gets done at the shop floor
` Administrators, trades persons, clerks, planners, engineers, technicians, etc. all have
important roles to play
` Each person must choose to execute the strategy or some parts of it will fail
• e.g.: If a planner doesn’t choose to plan in accordance with proven planning practices then his / her plans
won’t effectively use the trades persons’ time resulting in costly work execution. That failure to be cost
effective leaves room for improvement
• e.g.: Supervisors and managers must choose to truly value and trust their employees to execute their
parts of the plan as intended. Lack of trust and micro-management will de-motivate employees and
encourage them to be less creative and less willing to participate. In turn, that will tie up the supervisors’
and managers’ time doing detailed work that could have been done by their subordinates had they been
motivated to do so. This squanders the creative talents of the managers and supervisors and leaves
room for improvement
• e.g.: Executives must choose to support the plan with the necessary funding and leadership or planned
activities will flounder and the plan falls behind schedule. This causes a loss of confidence and credibility
and everyone gives up on the initiative. The result is that nothing changes.
e.g.: John F Kennedy in 1963: “We will put a man on the moon and return him
safely to earth by the end of the decade”.
This was very visual – the mission was absolutely clear (the mission and vision were
virtually identical in this case)
It was a challenge to accomplish
` It had never been done before
` It had a “tight” time line
Sun Tzu, “The Art of War” (500 BC) had a very visual analogy:
“An army may be likened to water: water leaves dry the high places and seeks the hollows; an army turns from
strength and attacks emptiness. The flow of water is regulated by the shape of the ground; victory is gained
by acting in accordance with the state of the enemy.”
The rest of Sun Tsu’s work is largely a collection of tactical rules that are fairly simple to follow:
e.g.: On “waging war”
Victory is the main object in war. If this is long delayed, weapons are blunted and morale depressed. When
troops attack cities, their strength will be exhausted.
When the army engages in protracted campaigns the resources of the state will not suffice
Thus while we have heard of blundering swiftness in war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was
prolonged
For there has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited
Those unable to understand the dangers inherent in employing troops are equally unable to understand the
advantageous ways of doing so
Those adept in waging war do not require a second levy of conscripts nor more than one provisioning
Etc.
There are some roads not to follow; some troops not to strike; some cities not to
assault; and some ground which should not be contested
By taking into account the favourable factors, he makes his plan feasible; by
taking into account the unfavourable, he may resolve the difficulties
Sun Tsu’s work was a collection of rules based on observations of what worked
well in waging war as a successful general
His list was a long one so only a general would remember it all
In business today, that would be a serious flaw because it relies entirely on the wit
and wisdom of the general. It assumes that those who follow can’t think for
themselves
Today we have well educated workers who think for themselves outside of work
They are guided in their day-to-day lives by following simple sets of rules
These rules come from laws, from religion, from basic economics and from our
basic survival instincts
` e.g.: We don’t kill other people, we don’t steal, we respect legitimate authority, we drive on
the right hand side of the road, we lock our doors when we leave our homes, we educate our
children, we sleep when we are tired, we eat healthy food, etc.
If simple rules work in our day-to-day lives, why not use them at work?
Here’s a simple set of principles (rules) that were used at a junior high school where 800
adolescent students helped keep their school environment neat, orderly and working
smoothly:
1. Take care of yourself
2. Take care of each other
3. Take care of this place
Everyone in the school knew the rules and used them to deal with all situations
What would your maintenance department be like if it followed these simple rules?
Framework
Understand the various things you can do in maintenance to support the business strategy
Appreciate successful practices
Appreciate how to apply them successfully
It contains 10 tactical elements that are executed for achieve its goals.
It applies to plants, factories, mills, fleets, infrastructure, utilities, facilities of all sorts
Strategy People Work Materials Basic Care Performance Support Systems Asset Reliability Teamwork Processes
Management Mangement Management
Excellence Complete strategy Fully developed Long term planning Stockouts rare. Full regulatory Fully balanced Full user PM program fully Autonomous teams Processes are
developed with full multi-skilling, cycles and Service level 98% compliance. PM score cards for acceptance and developed using of maintainers and efficient and
participation autonomous teams extensive use of plus. Inventory program features teams. widespread use of RCM. RCFA used operators used effective. No work
including plans in place standard job plans. turns > 2 times. extensive CBM. Improvement management but not needed extensively. arounds in use.
Operators do some results evident in systems. CBM, very often. Mtc Support by Regular reviews
minor PM. performance reliability analysis inputs to design of management and carried out to keep
Equipment trends. and decision new assets. specialists. processes fresh.
condition good. support systems in Consistent Support systems
use. maintenance automate parts of
standards in use. the processes.
Competence Complete strategy Multi-skilling and Scheduling and Inventory turns > 1. Full regulatory Reliability Extensive RCM in use to Area or unit based Processes are
developed by key managed teams of planning well Service level 95% compliance. PM measures in use
management define PM teams of efficient and
personnel with maintainers and established for plus. Stockouts program features and improvement
systems used programs. RCFA maintainers and effective. Some
plans operators most work. less than 5%. some CBM. programs mostly by in use. operators with work arounds may
Compliance high. Operators help with monitored, trends
management. management. be in use. Reviews
PM. Equipment being developed.
Some CBM, Maintenance carried out
condition good. reliability analysis standards applied infrequently.
and decision in each area.
support systems
use.
Understanding Management Some multi-skilling.
Scheduling Inventory turns > Partial regulatory Basic maintenance Management Reliability Maintenance Maintenance
defined strategy & Mostly distributed established, 0.7. Service level compliance. PM performance systems in use. improvement working in area processes
plans maintenance compliance good. 90% plus. program based on measures in use. Some reporting is program in place. teams under reviewed.
teams with Planning for major Inventory analysis fixed interval tasks used. Some CBM RCFA and possibly maintenance Interfacing
conventional work and being performed. with little CBM. support systems in PM Optimization insupervision. processes
supervision shutdowns as work Equipment use. use. Operations untouched. Work
arises. condition fair. separate. arounds in use.
Awareness Documented goals Partly de- Scheduling with Inventory Poor regulatory Financial measures Management Downtime analysis Mix of centralized Processes
but no plans centralized about 50% improvement plans compliance. PM used to analyze systems use is is performed and (shop) labor and documented but
organization based compliance. Plans in place. program under spend patterns. spotty and some individuals not reviewed.
on trades for shutdowns only Measurement of development using Some downtime providing little improvements are assigned to Work arounds in
stores performance traditional methods. records. valuable output. implemented. production areas. use. Inefficiency
started. Equipment Ad hoc systems Conventional evident particularly
condition fair. still in use. CBM supervision. at functional hand
support being offs.
considered.
Innocence No documented Centralized No planning, little Frequent Poor regulatory Only financial Little to no use of Plenty of downtime No teamwork. Processes not
strategy. organization based scheduling and stockouts. Service compliance. measures being management but no analysis of Conventional documented and
Maintenance is on trades poor compliance to level poor. Jobs Minimal or non- watched but no systems. May be causes or attempts supervision. inefficient. Plenty
largely reactive demarcation schedule frequently waiting existent PM analysis of costs using variety of ad to improve. of work arounds.
for parts. program. performed. hoc systems. Plenty of
Equipment complaining.
condition poor.
60
40
Teamwork Work Management
20
Performance Management
Satisfaction
HR3 HR8 HR13 PR4 MM6 HR4 HR10 HR11 HR12 HR14 PR5
MM8
Check dependencies among the various action items and adjust the plan
They don’t just talk about doing it, they go out and do it
When a plan is put into motion it gets all the support that it requires
Human resources – people to execute elements of the plan
Physical resources – the equipment that is needed
Intellectual resources – the software that is needed
Support resources – the outside help, training, etc. that is needed
Financial resources – the funding to pay for it all
Execution is tracked along with the benefits that are being generated by the plan
The work is being monitored and managed
Progress is measured
Results are measured
If progress or results are “off track” then corrective action is taken
Demonstrate that you care – nurture the entire process so you get the results you
are paying for
Watch for:
Flaws in the implementation plan (these can be common)
` Unidentified activity dependencies
` Under-estimated costs and time frames
` Using the wrong resources for the tasks or missing key players
Appreciate that changes can be driven by external events, internal events, errors,
omissions, changes in personnel, disruptive technologies, etc.
Strategies and their implementation plans must remain flexible in order to deal
with these factors
Regular review of the strategy and its implementation will provide early warning of
the need for changes
Recommended Reading:
Campbell, John & Reyes-Picknell, James: Uptime, Strategies for Excellence in
Maintenance Management, 2006, Productivity Press, NY
Web site:
www.consciousasset.com