October 2019

authorisation to proceed is a significant element in the process and, while this can be organised to minimise any delays for planned work, significant time can be spent searching for authorisers for unforeseen events such as breakdowns or changes to pre-authorised schedules of work. While phones and pagers enable swift contact to be made, there is a need for an authorisation to be recorded in a way which can be audited at a later stage and time can be lost as requester and authoriser locate one another to ensure a signature is obtained. Some companies are now accepting electronic authorisation as an acceptable alternative to hand written signatures thus allowing time to be saved without reduction in safety. As any maintenance software will require technician time to update data, it is essential that such time is kept to the minimum consistent with benefiting all concerned. Finally, while a computer cannot prevent staff non-attendance due to sickness, it can help with reorganising depleted resources within short time frames. To recap - software generally helps save time by locating information quickly, performing routine tasks efficiently and executing complex calculations accurately and speedily. These benefits need not only apply to technical staff productivity. Consider regular production of KPIs for example. It can take clerical staff (and how often is this skilled technical staff?) significant time compiling statistics from manual records while with the correct software they can be produced & updated automatically making them available on demand. If a new analysis of data is required this takes minutes rather than hours as data retrieval from modern databases is quick and simple. So how does knowing the benefits of software help in producing a Maintenance Management Software Strategy? It’s unlikely that budgets will stretch to buying maintenance management software to cater for all the department’s needs in one go so some prioritisation will be required. The functions selected for early implementation will be those which fit with the maintenance management strategy and provide the biggest efficiency savings. A value analysis of this sort can only be produced with an understanding of the various cost-saving mechanisms offered by software in general. Integration As a maintenance management software strategy will take a long-term view, it is necessary to consider how later software modules will need to interact with existing or initial software implementations. Integration can, if properly applied, save time duplicating data 14 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk October 2019 Maintenance Matters Focus on: Maintenance Software entry and provide solid reference points to tie information from different systems together for reporting purposes. Unless software modules scheduled for later implementation have been designed to integrate seamlessly with existing or initial software, integration is likely to be an expensive process and so benefits should be substantial or integration ruled out as a requirement. Two main methods of integrating software Option 1 Integration by transferring data (normally used when modules are supplied by different suppliers) Option 2 Integration by using a single data source (normally only used when all modules are provided by the same supplier) Implementation Many managers underestimate the length of time needed to implement a software module properly. Implementation stages include: Business Process Mapping Data collection and database population Software installation and configuration (only configuration if using SaaS) Staff training Trial runs Go-live & follow-up reviews The above assumes there are no software modifications included in the process as this would add specification production, time for software development, factory acceptance tests and site acceptance tests thereby lengthening the process considerably. Depending on the complexity of the software and the nature of its effects on business processes implementation can take anywhere between a few months to a year or more. Data is a significant element and much depends on the level and quality of basic data needed and available to populate the database. A green field site relies heavily on data provided by construction contractors and/or equipment suppliers which often requires effort to check and ensure quality is good – the alternative is the more time consuming manual process. Upgrading an existing system however can be relatively quick in comparison so long as data quality is good, as extraction and import is a simple matter with problems restricted to compatible field sizes and data types. Staff training should also not be underestimated. The success of all software implementations relies on staff involvement which in turn demands good communication and training in the lead up to software introduction. Even with good staff cooperation there will be a period of inconsistent use requiring management input to instil new ways of working until they become automatic. Finally, never fall into the trap of thinking the project is over once the system is live. Software usually has many more features than can be sensibly implemented at a single stroke. Some features will never be of any use to a particular operation but others will be good candidates for introduction once the system’s use has settled down over a period of time. Producing a Maintenance Management Software Strategy There is an old saying maintenance engineers often refer to, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. The American Management Consultant Clark Crouch has adapted this slightly saying: “If it ain’t broke, break it, then fix it. Otherwise you may be destined to address tomorrow’s problems with yesterday’s solutions.” He is also credited with the drier but apposite: “Strategic Planning is a process by which we can envision the future and develop the necessary procedures and operations to influence and achieve that future.” Maintenance Management software modules can be highly productive tools or unjustifiably expensive burdens on a workforce. The difference between these two extremes is strategic planning. Strategic planning is not difficult. It requires effort to understand the subject in its broadest sense and the ability to think in overview rather than in detail. The key steps in producing a Maintenance Management Software Strategy are: Identify how maintenance is currently being administered and managed Describe a vision of how maintenance is to be administered and managed in the future Know which maintenance disciplines can be helped by software Understand how software can be of benefit Determine if integration is appropriate and if so how much Calculate the cost benefit of each module Produce a prioritised list of software required Assess the time required to implement each module Determine the steps required to achieve the vision Align the maintenance software strategy with the company’s maintenance strategy By considering each of these steps the strategy practically writes itself. It is as much about the journey as the destination and a strategy is only the first stage in changing things for the better but as the Chinese proverb says, “even the longest journey begins with a single step”.