The Planning and

Scheduling Machine
By Michael V. Brown, New Standard Institute

Get your organization focused on equipment condition and turn your maintenance effort into a
planning and scheduling machine.

Maintenance workers are sometimes accused of taking too long or even stretching the time they
take to perform maintenance tasks. However, the vast majority of maintenance workers would
prefer to be gainfully employed when they come to work, but instead are interrupted or held up in
the performance of their assigned duties. Interruptions to a typical maintenance job include:

• Trips to and from the storeroom for parts

• Trips to and from the shop for special tools
• Waiting for equipment availability (such as a fork truck, or crane)
• Waiting for another craft

Interruptions are not caused by laziness or lack of motivation, but rather by lack of adequate
planning and scheduling techniques. A properly planned job will have the needed parts,
equipment and tools identified, and the availability of these items will be confirmed prior to
scheduling the job. The craft and labor hour requirements to complete the jobs will be known
once the jobs are planned, so the correct personnel can be assigned at the proper time.

Unplanned jobs or jobs resulting from equipment breakdown still make up a large percentage of a
maintenance worker’s day. It is admittedly difficult to move away from the breakdown mode to a
planned approach, but more and more companies are finding out that the status quo
maintenance will not sustain them in the long run. There are four steps to achieving a planned
approach to maintenance:

1. Identify and document the work that needs to be performed.

2. Develop a structured process to plan maintenance work.
3. Build a file of plans for future use.
4. Modify and expand on saved plans to fit new situations as they arise.

Identify and Document the Work

Early information is key to proper maintenance. Focus the eyes and ears of all facility personnel
on equipment condition and you will get the information you seek. Equipment operators are one
source (often under utilized) of this information. Operations personnel should be trained to detect
equipment problems early on. An operator in a planning organization doesn’t wait for the
equipment to fail before contacting maintenance. Signs of beginning equipment problems, such
as leaks, temperature anomalies, and odd sounds, are noted by an observant operator. No
problem is too small to report. Even a false alarm can be turned into a training opportunity, which
will help fine tune the operator’s observation skills to discover beginning problems.

Preventive and predictive maintenance efforts provide a more structured approach to work
identification. A robust preventive maintenance (PM) program would include cleaning, lubricating,
adjusting, testing, calibrating, rebuilds, preemptive replacements, and inspections. The best

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 programs include well written procedures with data entry forms and management spot checks.
The success of a PM program is often measured by how many hours are logged or how many
inspections are performed. A more definitive measure would be a count of corrective actions
derived from PM activities. As rule of thumb, three corrective actions should be derived from
every ten PM inspections.

A predictive maintenance (PDM) effort is also a major source of plannable work. A predictive
approach can be applied to any equipment problem if, first, a physical parameter like vibration,
temperature, pressure, voltage, current, or resistance can be measured. An engineering limit for
the measured physical parameter must be, established so a problem can be detected during
routine monitoring. The physical parameters are measured periodically (weekly, biweekly,
monthly, etc.). If the measurement exceeds the established engineering limit, it must be analyzed
further. Analysis can take many forms. For example, a vibration vs. frequency plot can be taken
on rotating equipment. A trained analyst may review the plot for common problems, such as
misalignment or imbalance, as well as for not-so-common problems, like resonance. Once the
source of the problem is determined, the best repair activity can be chosen. If the engineering
limit is set low enough, there will still be plenty of time to correct the problem before further
damage occurs.

Develop a Structured Process to Plan Work

Work that is defined early can be planned. However the planning process needs to be nurtured
and controlled. Organizations that have a structured approach to planning work seem to be the
most successful. For years, aids have been developed to estimate construction jobs. The
construction industry has compiled these estimates in publications available to all who work in
that field. Maintenance work can have a similar structured approach. Plans can be developed for
pending work, and stored for future use. The following example illustrates one maintenance plan
structure.

An inspection of a V-belt drive indicated that the belts were cracked and worn. A corrective
action work request to replace the belts was written by the inspector. The planner visited the job
site and prepared the following planning sheet.

Planning Sheet
W/O # Equip. Seq. Planner Date
24585 West Dust Collector Blower TMH 22 May 02
Job Title: Change V-belts. Cracked and worn.
Job Scope Material, Tools & Equipment
Est.
Job Steps Crew Hours Description Qty Stock # Cost
1 ME
1. Lock out and tag motor starter .5
2. Remove belt guard, loosen, and jack the motor. .25
Remove belts.
3. Check both sheaves for sidewall wear, radial .5 Dial indicator, mag base (tool crib)
runout and wobble. Runout and wobble should Sheave gauge (tool crib) If needed
not be more than .4mm for the large sheave and If sheaves are worn:
.2mm for the small. Replace worn sheave or hubs 4MV5V150R sheave 1 ea 43-515-100 $173.00
if required. 7/8" bore R1 bushing 1 ea 43-923-750 24.00
4MV5V109R sheave 1 ea 43-510-100 124.00
1 1/8" bore R1 bushing 1 ea 43-918-750 24.00
4. Install new belts, align sheaves, tighten motor 1.0 5V1120 belts 4 ea 06-510-112 53.00
bolts. Belt laser alignment tool
5. Tension belts using force deflection method, .5 Belt tension gauge (tool crib)
and recheck alignment.
6. Re-install guard. .25
7. Remove locks, release to operations and .5
clean up.
Total Labor Cost Total Mat. Cost $
Drawings/Forms:
Total Hours 3.5 $ 130 53.00
Total Job Estimate $ 183.00

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 Each step is written out along with an estimate of the time required to complete the work. Work
standards (sheave run-out and wobble tolerances) are also noted. The formal definition of job
steps also triggers a note for needed tools (dial indicator, belt tension gauge, etc.) or parts
(5V1120 belts). On the day the job is executed, the mechanic can pull the belts out of the
storeroom and withdraw the tools from the tool crib first thing. It is now more likely that the job
goes as planned and is completed in the estimated time.

Build and Save Plans

The effectiveness of a planning effort is based on economics. It is assumed that the cost of the
planner’s time to review work ahead of time will be more than recovered in efficiencies derived
from improved job performance. Equipment downtime and lost labor time can be reduced by
ensuring that materials, tools and equipment are made available before the job starts, not during
the job.

A common misconception presumes that jobs that occur frequently do not need to be planned at
all. The conclusion is made that these jobs are performed so often that the maintenance worker
should know what has to be done and what is needed to do the work. However, it is precisely
these jobs that are frequently interrupted by trips from the job site to get a tool, or trips to and
from a storeroom as additional materials and parts are required. A planned job would not only
include a description of job steps and an estimate. The plan will include a list of parts and tools
required for the job. This list can be improved and updated based on actual experience.

Modify and Expand on Saved Plans

Consider the previous job of changing V-belts on a small blower. The belts were 5V1120 in size,
indicating a belt circumference of 2845 mm (112 inches). The motor size with 4 groove sheaves
would probably not exceed 20 HP, and the shaft centers are not separated by much more than
one meter. One mechanic can perform the job easily. Now consider another blower that is
driven by a 150 HP motor and 8 groove sheaves employing 8V4500 belts. In this installation, the
belt guard must be lifted by a crane or series of chain-falls and the whole job will now require at
least two mechanics. However, most the job steps involved in changing these belts are the same
as for the smaller motor. The resources needed will change, but these resources are much
easier to identify and quantify when a list of job steps already exists. In other words, one plan
can be used to build another more quickly as shown below.

Planning Sheet
W/O # Equip. Seq. Planner Date
24678 Bigger Blower TMH 22 May 02
Job Title:Change V-belts. Cracked and worn.
Job Scope Material, Tools & Equipment
Est.
Job Steps Crew Hours Description Qty Stock # Cost
2 ME
1. Lock out and tag motor starter .5
2. Remove belt guard, loosen, and jack the motor. .75 2 ea. 1-ton Chain-falls
Remove belts.
3. Check both sheaves for sidewall wear, radial .5 Dial indicator, mag base (tool crib)
runout and wobble. Runout and wobble should Sheave gauge (tool crib) If needed
not be more than .5mm for the large and small If sheaves are worn:
.sheave. Replace worn sheave or hubs 8MV8V250S sheave 1 ea 43-515-230 $245.00
if required. 1 7/8" bore S bushing 1 ea 43-924-650 57.00
8MV8V207S sheave 1 ea 43-511-150 224.00
2 3/8" bore S bushing 1 ea 43-919-100 65.00
4. Install new belts, align sheaves, tighten motor 1.5 8V4500 belts 8 ea 06-510-145 182.00
bolts. Belt laser alignment tool
5. Tension belts using force deflection method, 1.0 Belt tension gauge (tool crib)
and recheck alignment.
6. Re-install guard. .75
7. Remove locks, release to operations and .5
clean up.
Total Labor Cost Total Mat. Cost $
Drawings/Forms:
Total Hours 5.5 $ 410 182.00
Total Job Estimate $ 592.00

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 Job plans generated for generic maintenance work can also be used to plan out work that may
involve some unusual aspects. A job plan developed for changing out a 50 HP motor located at
ground level with easy access, could also be used as a basis for a plan to change out a motor
located down in a pit. The job steps remain relatively unchanged. The resources required to
accomplish many of the steps will probably change. For example, the initial step of gaining
physical access to the motor will involve more than a lock-out procedure. Now a confined space
entry procedure will also be needed and a safety watch individual may have to be added to the
crew.

Contrary to numerous advertising campaigns, most things are not “maintenance free”. Owners
have a choice. Equipment or facilities are either allowed to fail in service or are refurbished in
advance of failure.

Scheduling the Work

Truly only planned work can be scheduled. We have to know the resources required (people,
equipment, tools and parts) and must have an estimate of the job duration before the work can be
scheduled. A schedule without planned jobs is just a “wish list”. An example of a schedule for a
typical week is shown below.

Schedule for the Week Beginning 7 Sept. 02

Area: D Available Hours: 180 hours + 52 PM hours = 232 hours
Est S/D
W/O# Equip # Description Hrs Date
P14315 26C420 PM – Compressor quarterly 4 9 Sep
P14318 GEN PM – Greasing route D4 11
P14321 GEN PM – Oil route D5 16
P14322 MOB23 PM – Pickup truck safety check 2
P14324 GEN PDM – Vibration monitoring – Week 27 7
P14326 37T910 PM – E13D transmitter calibration 4 11 Sep
P14327 47R100 PM – Perform leak test on reactor 8
03426 47R200 Repair minor leak at reactor seal 14
03357 37R907 Remove knock-out pot 8
03398 37R907 Replace rupture disc. with lower pressure 7 11 Sep
03402 05P201 Repair stuck drawer 2
03364 05BLDG Annual shop floor treatment 16
03369 05T905 Replace frayed hose 6
03414 26B501 Increase fan speed, change sheave & motor 11 9 Sep
03415 10B501 Replace fan bearings – per vibration analysis 9 8 Sep
03450 37C031 Balance compressor lobes – per vib. analysis 4 11 Sep
03430 10M210 Replace worn mixer blades 11 8 Sep
03339 14PK205 Fabricate and install new bagger guide 15
03447 26G204 Change oil in gearbox – per lube analysis 5 9 Sep
03458 37P303B Cut down impeller size 6
03351 05V108 Paint vessel and piping 14
03372 26T200 Replace T-200 modify pipe 6 9 Sep
03454 37P201 Replace guard and nipple 25
03353 26T607 Weld tank crack 6 9 Sep
03465 37T973 Relocate level controls and dipleg 15
Total 232

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 The schedule was developed on the Friday before (4 September) with the intention to provide a
week's worth of work for each employee in Area B. Some equipment in the plant may have to be
scheduled down by operations. The S/D Date column indicates the best day in the week to
perform some jobs. Operations should get a copy of the weekly schedule to help arrange
equipment shutdowns and other coordination with the maintenance work force.

Some planner/schedulers simply turn over the weekly schedule to the maintenance supervisor
and wash their hands of what happens from day to day. In these cases the maintenance
supervisor or team leader must determine which jobs should be worked each day and must also
coordinate equipment availability with operations. This can add a burden that is really
unnecessary.

Many planner/schedulers develop a daily schedule to free the supervisor or team leader from
some of the coordination requirements. The form shown below is typical of a daily schedule used
at many facilities.

Daily Schedule
Area Day Date
D Tuesday 7 Sept 02

t
A. art up
Me let
lc

Ha ers
St h

n
J. mit
R. uff

al

nso
y
S

B
H
Days Orig. Act.
on Est. Compl. Hours

J.
D.

A.
W/O # Equip. # Description Sched. Hours Hours Today

03415 10B501 Replace fan bearings 4.5 4.5 2 9 0 9

03430 10M210 Replace worn mixer blades 5.5 5.5 0 11 0 11
P14321 PLANT PM - Oiling route D5 2.5 2.5 1 16 11 5
03465 37T973 Relocate level controls 3.5 3.5 1 15 8 7
P14318 PLANT PM - Greasing route D4 X 1 11 0 0
P14322 MOB23 PM - Pickup truck safety check X 0 2 0 0
03454 37P101 Replace guard and nipple 6 4 25 8 6

03481 35P201 EMERGENCY - Replace pump seal 10 10

03480 37M120 EMERGENCY - Replace sample valve 2 2

Straight Time 8 8 8 8 8 8 NOTE: Circle Act. Hours for

Completed Jobs
Overtime 2 0 0 0 0 0

The schedule is developed for the next workday (Tuesday) and for a specific area (Area D).
Operations should review the schedule to determine which equipment must be shut down for
maintenance. The first two jobs on the schedule require a shutdown discussed with operations
the week before. Permitting and lockout requirements can also be discussed at this time.

In the example, an effort was made by the planner/scheduler to provide a day's work for each
maintenance employee in the area. The normal staff was listed along the top of the schedule.
Some information has been added to the schedule to help anyone who might want to audit it
later. Using the computerized maintenance management system, the planner/scheduler has
listed the number of times each job has been placed on a schedule. The original estimate (Orig.
Est. Hours) and the hours already charged to the job (Compl. Hours) are also listed.

It is usually the responsibility of the team leader or maintenance supervisor to assign the right
person or persons to each job. The team leader or maintenance supervisor also has the
responsibility to make every effort to start each job on the schedule. The jobs that were not
completed may be put on the schedule for the next day or left for another day during the week.

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 Auditing a Completed Daily Schedule

A daily schedule can provide very good control over weekly schedule activity. Jobs on a weekly
schedule are easily ignored in lieu of, so called, emergencies. Maintenance supervisors and
team leaders are often persuaded to perform "added jobs" which were not discussed with the
planner/scheduler.

A completed daily schedule tells all. If a scheduled job has not been performed a maintenance
manager can ask some key questions. The maintenance managers should ask questions like:
"Why wasn't this job started today?"
or
"Why wasn't this job completed today?"

The answers will often resemble these.

"The parts and materials were not available."
"Operations didn't shut down the equipment."
"An emergency job came up."
"The estimate was too low for the work involved."

These answers should evoke more questions, this time directed toward the responsible
individuals. The maintenance manager may ask the planner/scheduler why parts were not
available for a job on the schedule. The planner/scheduler should also be asked if they had
arranged to have the necessary equipment shut down with operations. The operations
department should be questioned as to the validity of an emergency job and why it was
necessary to displace a scheduled job if it was not an emergency.

The maintenance manager may also ask about the progress of longer jobs that were not
completed. Jobs that have been on the daily schedule a number of times and not completed
should also be scrutinized. The maintenance supervisor may put off some jobs because they
wrongly feel they are not as important as others. This happens more often when the daily
schedule includes many more jobs than can be completed within a normal workday.

If the actual time spent on a long job exceeds the estimate, the maintenance manager should
determine the reason why. Both the planner/scheduler and the maintenance supervisor should
be included in a discussion to determine if the problem is with the job performance or the
estimate.

On the other hand, the maintenance manager should also ask questions if all the scheduled jobs
were completed within the estimate. This is especially questionable if added jobs or emergencies
were also completed during the day. The job estimates may be too high when this occurs.

The maintenance manager should correct this situation because questionable estimates call all
other components of a scheduling effort into question. High backlogs that seem to indicate the
need for a larger work force are suspect. Operations may disbelieve the time estimates for
downtime required on certain jobs. If this situation persists, weekly schedules and daily
schedules will also be considered invalid by facility personnel.

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 The Payoff

When PM, PDM and planned work makes up the large majority of the workday:
1. The planner's work is already completed, and the planner can concentrate on developing
solid work plans for the remaining corrective type work orders.
2. Breakdowns and unscheduled downtime are dramatically reduced.
3. Stores inventory can be minimized because supplies and materials required for PM and
planned jobs are defined ahead of time. Much of the maintenance can be purchased just
prior to the scheduling of the work.
4. Work can be completed more efficiently without interruption, which means the same
workforce can complete even more work.
5. The working climate of maintenance is improved and the morale of the work force is
boosted. (No one really likes working a world of constant breakdowns and emergencies.)
6. The budgeting process is streamlined when PM and PDM makes up the most of the work
performed. The manager knows what the labor requirements are as well as materials
and supplies needed.

This article was written by a consultant from New Standard Institute, Inc. For other articles on Maintenance-
related subjects, view our website at http://www.newstandardinstitute.com or contact us via email at
[email protected] or call (203) 783-1582 to discuss the subject with one of our consultants.

Copyright © 1999 by New Standard Institute, Inc.

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Information contained in this article is extracted from New Standard

Institute's seminar entitled Maintenance Planning and Scheduling.
This seminar is available for onsite presentation and is also held at
select locations throughout the year.
Visit our website at www.newstandardinstitute.com
to view the outline, dates and locations.
New! Now available as downloadable computer based training.

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