Is it possible to increase reliability by simply enhancing or focusing on planning and scheduling? I don’t think so. I remember the old saying “which comes first the chicken or the egg”? Most people, including myself until a couple of years ago, would have said that in order to achieve results quickly, planning and scheduling have to be a major focus.

Look closely at the P-F Curve. Where along that curve your PM/PdM (Preventive Maintenance/Predictive Maintenance) program detected a failure or a defect determines whether any true scheduling and planning can take place. When you know a defect has been introduced and a failure is imminent, do you find it so close to failure that true planning and scheduling has little chance to work? The best way to make planning and scheduling truly work effectively is to implement a maintenance strategy that identifies the start of equipment failure, or as some call a “defect” as soon as possible using some type of Predictive Technology. Review the graphic below and see where you think would be the best place to plan a job.

Figure 1

If it takes an organization 2-7 weeks to plan a job, depending on their maturity in planning, and another 2-6 weeks to schedule, depending on operations scheduled, can you see that you are not supporting a Proactive Maintenance Plan? You are supporting a Run-to-Failure Maintenance plan without even meaning to.  Most companies implement and focus efforts in planning and scheduling yet still experience frustration with this issue.  Stop wasting time with a maintenance program that is ineffective and drive your planning and scheduling success by first improving your earlier identification of defects and work through proactive Condition Monitoring. Only then will planning and scheduling allow you to reap massive rewards.

By: Ricky Smith, CMRP
Instructor/Consultant

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