Preventative Maintenance Module

Overview

The Preventative Maintenance Module is a comprehensive program which manages every task to be accomplished on every item of equipment (or maintenance unit item) and every facility to be maintained under the contract.  It contains all tools for building the databases through the day to day, week to week, month to month, etc. operation of the program.  A complete management information system provides planning, tracking, and management information, as well as providing pin-point accuracy in identifying problems and suggesting solutions.

The system is used in two phases:  the Installation Phase, and the Operations Phase.

Installation Phase

The installation phase is the part of the PM Module that begins upon contract award and ends when the work orders are printed for the first week of the Operations Phase.

Three components make up the Installation Phase:

1. Inventory of Equipment, Maintenance Units, or Machine Data

2. Maintenance Schedules

3. Workload Balancing

Inventory of Equipment

The Machine Data file is a rich and comprehensive database of information about each machine, maintenance unit, or piece of equipment that will be maintained with the PM module.

In addition to storing machine numbers, names, generic codes, and facility numbers (and the location within the facility), it contains manufacturer's data, brand, and model names and numbers, class and type codes, and serial numbers.  It contains purchase costs and dates, and depreciation information.  It lists utilities serving the machine, and motor information, and stores information about controls, accessories, and components.  Unlimited notes can also be attached to each machine data record.  It connects to a "System" file that associates all members of a group of machines that work together as a set.  A funding code allows the entire machine to be charged to a specific funding source or accounting code.

Each machine includes a "bill of materials", or parts list for that machine.  This sub-file identifies each component of the machine, and cross-indexes it with the part number in inventory, if available.  It can also cross-reference parts that are common between machines of different manufacturers.

Each machine has a "PT&I" flag to indicate whether it is under Predictive Testing Monitoring.  When this flag is set, all work orders issued for the machine alert workers to see the PT&I monitor before working on the machine.

Machines can be items other than traditional machinery.  WorkLine^TM PM Module handles roads and bridges, water and sewer utilities, fleet equipment, grounds, airport runways, and other diverse units requiring scheduled work.  Special screens access unique data for each unit type, such as coordinates, sizes, addresses, etc.

Optional Feature

Equipment drawings and manuals can be stored as graphic displays.

This is an optional feature of the Machine Data component of the PM module, and is available at an extra cost.

Maintenance Schedules

Each machine in the inventory has it's own unique, separate maintenance schedule.  Each maintenance schedule consists of one or more PM tasks that must be done to maintain that machine in the condition defined in the maintenance mission.

The PM task can schedule many different types of work:  inspection, testing, documenting, adjusting, lubricating, cleaning, disassembly, assembly, calibration, recharging, draining, and filling, etc.  The schedule will contain every task required to maintain a machine, on an annual basis, during it's operational life.

PM tasks store a "red line" value, holding a designed value the task should not exceed.  This may be values for temperature, RPM, clearances, measurements, mileage, hours of usage, or any other measurable value.  Work orders generated from these tasks check readings against these "red line" values and generate alert notices when they are exceeded.

Each PM task contains a rich array of information:

Maintenance requirements are obtained from many user-definable sources.  This source code is stored with each task.  Maintenance requirements may be drawn from:

Each PM task has a frequency.  Frequencies can be:

Tasks can be scheduled for a frequency of less than once a year.  An anchor year is entered and the period is indicated.  For example, one might enter 2000 and every 3 years thereafter.

Each PM Task has a time - an estimate provided by competent supervisory personnel, form experience or industry standards, for the average time to accomplish that task.  Unlike an assembly line where there are few variables, this is viewed as a guide or average, and is used for work planning.

The PM Task shows materials normally expended, and their unit of measure.  In addition, it can list any special tools or equipment required.  The PM Task also shows the cost of materials expended in the task.

STN provides a comprehensive Standard PM Tasks database that is comprised of over 200 standard tasks.  These permit consistent, quick, and accurate scheduling of common tasks such as cleaning, motor maintenance, and maintenance of belt drives, gear heads, hydraulic systems, bearings, and electrical sub-systems of machines.

Maintenance Schedules for actual machines can be built using WorkLine's famous "Load-Mark-Load" technology from quickly locating and extracting data from Standard Tasks, Model Machines, and other Actual Machines.

STN trains the staff on-site, and works with them during the development of the maintenance schedules, advising and supervising in efficient methods and good data techniques.  STN programmers accept any available computerized data and can convert it to maintenance schedules wherever feasible.

STN can also work closely with consulting and engineering firms who perform the data collection and maintenance schedule construction where the site does not have the staff to do this work.

Workload Balance

Workload Balancing is a remarkable program.  It works with one shop at a time, and spreads the work for that shop through the year on a work-time basis, attempting to give the shop an even amount of work from week to week.  Workload Balancing allows the staff to place constraints on it to meet the specific needs of the site.  These constraints may include:

When finished, Workload Balancing creates an Annual Work Plan for each shop.  It is broken down into each week of the year, indicating man-hour requirements for both the corrective and preventative maintenance.  It takes into consideration holidays and special events, as well has overhead or indirect labor, to determine manpower requirements throughout the year.

Operations Phase

The Operations Phase consists of:

Daily Administration

Work assignments are issued to workers on a daily basis.  Supervisors now supervise workers for Quality and Efficiency.  They have been relieved of the clerical drudgery of trying to manage and juggle a backlog of interruptions to their schedule.

Unscheduled work that is required and uncovered during PM inspections is documented with Service Orders.  The Service Order Module captures the work done, the down time on the machine, the causes of this unscheduled work, the corrective action taken, and the materials used.

Weekly Planning

Every week the Work Control Chief, using the Weekly Planning Report, plans the work for each shop.  Service Orders and Project Work is selected along with the PM work to match the man-hours available for each shop.  Time for emergency work is predicted, along with a forecast allowance for overhead, and the workload is matched to the manpower available.

Monthly Management

Monthly management of the site is enhanced with reports from the PM Module.  This includes a Monthly Summary Report, and two exception reports.  One shows scheduled and priority work NOT done by machine, and the reasons the work was not done.  A three month track record is reported to show trends.  The other exception report shows unscheduled work that WAS done, by machine, and what caused the work.

Semi-Annual Management