Elements of Sound Scheduling

Elements of Sound Scheduling

Planning maintenance work is a prerequisite for sound scheduling. In all types of maintenance work the following are necessary requirements for effective scheduling:

1.    Written work orders that are derived from a well conceived planning process. The work orders should explain precisely the work to be done, the methods to be followed, the crafts needed, spare parts needed and priority.

2.    Time standards that are based on work measurement techniques;

3.    Information about craft availability for each shift.

4.    Stocks of spare parts and information on restocking.

5.    Information on the availability of special equipment and tools necessary for maintenance work.

6.    Access to the plant production schedule and knowledge about when the facilities may be available for service without interrupting the production schedule.

7.    Well-defined priorities for the maintenance work. These priorities must be

developed through close coordination between maintenance and production.

8. Information about jobs already scheduled that are behind schedule

(backlogs).

The scheduling procedure should include the following steps as outlined by

Hartman:

1.    Sort backlog work orders by crafts;

2.    Arrange orders by priority;

3.    Compile a list of completed and carry-over jobs;

4.  Consider   job   duration,   location,   travel   distance,

and  possibility  of combining jobs in the same area;

5.    Schedule multi-craft jobs to start at the beginning of every shift;

6.    Issue a daily schedule (except for project and

construction work); and

7. Have a supervisor make work assignments (perform dispatching).

The above elements provide the scheduler with the requirements and the procedure for developing a maintenance schedule. Next, the role of priority in maintenance scheduling is presented together with a methodology for developing the jobs priorities.