Planning for organisational success

Successful planning involves stakeholders and departments working together to enable operational efficiency. It requires a consistent, reliable strategy and collaboration of processes from work order notification to final execution. The idea of a maintenance strategy is to maximise the plants lifecycle and achieve optimal operational output. For this to be possible planned maintenance needs to be scoped and executed correctly the first time, every time.

Planning for the unknown

A key skill of the maintenance planner, the unknown must always be planned for to ensure unnecessary delays don’t disrupt site output. Sickness, unplanned holidays and breakdowns are part of life. Contingency planning is an important skill and will save a lot of headaches that result from unexpected occurrences. 

Embedded master data

Planners need to have all the necessary information in front of them, this means master data and updates should always be uploaded to a central system, embedding crucial information for the next round of maintenance, scheduled or unscheduled. When a planner is short-handed with data, plans, drawings and information they can’t successfully execute. Time is wasted finding and developing the correct information for down-the-line stakeholders to execute on. Sharing knowledge is sharing the power to successfully complete planned maintenance.

Undertaking a comprehensive knowledge management program will enable the entire team to share, grow and maintain a knowledge bank that unlocks peak organisational performance. Knowledge is power within an organisation, key stakeholders must have access to what they need so actions can be taken and processes be executed on.

Communication is key between all stakeholders, breakdowns in communication between site, planners and suppliers will have negative effects on production, efficiencies and ultimately profits. The maintenance planning machine needs to be well oiled with collaborative commitment to the process.