The Challenge. Key Challenges at CG Power Systems (Ireland) When Stephen McSharry (Engineering Manager), took over the responsibility

Transcription

1 The Challenge Key Challenges at CG Power Systems (Ireland) When Stephen McSharry (Engineering Manager), took over the responsibility of the maintenance department in CG Power Systems Ireland (CG) in 2007, he encountered a number of issues with the existing work-order management system. The paper based system in place was administrative intensive: job requests were being logged by a designated person, then manually handed out in paper format to the maintenance workers on the floor. This manual process created the potential for error and misinterpretation of the work requests by the maintenance team. CG also ran a high risk that paper based work requests would be misplaced, lost or forgotten. It was also possible that jobs could be left undone or incomplete, without an appropriate follow-up action scheduled on the Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS). Paper based Work Order management System in use Manual processes in place Not utilising their CMMS to its full potential Lack of transparency on the volume and status of the Maintenance department s overall workload Difficulty managing and prioritising tasks and to allocating work equally between the day and night shifts. Key Maintenance data not available for Production meetings

2 Stephen also noted that there was a lack of transparency on the volume and status of the Maintenance department s overall workload and on individual workers assignments; it was therefore extremely difficult to manage and prioritise tasks and to allocate work equally between the day and night shifts. While Stephen worked the day shift, where he had some level of visibility on the work requested, there was no structure in place to monitor the amount of work the night shift completed. Subsequently, in Production meetings, Stephen didn t have the information which was necessary to demonstrate the level of work maintenance personnel were completing. It was very frustrating for me going into Production meetings without having the information I needed I was hearing about the work that wasn t being done but there was no structure in place to show me the status of these jobs or what was actually completed. With a wealth of previous industry experience, Stephen had seen firsthand the benefits which could be gained from having an efficient work order management system. In an attempt to put a short-term fix in place, Stephen s team tried using Excel spreadsheets to track the work requests. This method proved unsuccessful however as it could not provide the level of transparency that was required. When I took on the responsibility of Maintenance in CG, we had production running around the clock. I worked the day shift, so I was only seeing a certain amount of work, I wasn t seeing it all. I didn t have the information to show me how busy the night shift was and how many work requests they had completed..we tried using Excel in an attempt to manage the process in the short-term, where the team would track the jobs they were working on but it didn t give us a true picture of the overall workload. After a while, maintaining these spreadsheets just became messy.

3 The Decision Stephen wanted a user-friendly tool to manage the Maintenance workflow. Since many of the operations and maintenance personnel were not very familiar with using computers, it was essential that the system implemented would be easy to use to ensure maximum adoption. The team were used to phones, a lot of them didn t use computers, I needed something that was going to be user -friendly, quick, that these guys could use and that I could depend on. CG had been utilising PMI Software s CMMS, PEMAC Maintenance for a number of years, which enabled them to implement a preventative maintenance strategy for all of their assets, reducing equipment failures and hence downtime. However, using a paper based work management system, CG were unable to unlock the full potential of the PEMAC Maintenance system because often completed work was not being tracked on the CMMS. Consequently, the true workload was not evident and the scheduling of preventative Maintenance tasks was often delayed because Maintenance personnel were working on breakdowns. After a thorough review of the alternatives available, Stephen selected the PEMAC Web Helpdesk from their existing and trusted CMMS vendor PMI Software.

4 The Results The PEMAC Web Helpdesk integrates seamlessly with the PEMAC Maintenance system which means that both planned and unplanned maintenance activities are stored in one place. It enables the maintenance department in CG to effectively manage all of their workload, either using a PC or remotely using mobile devices. It provides complete visibility on all work undertaken, showing the live status of all work requests. This PEMAC Web Helpdesk system allows production to raise unplanned work requests for maintenance in a simple and quick way. The Maintenance team can subsequently close-out the job or create a follow up action. The system automatically sends an back to production when the job is completed providing visibility and feedback to both teams. Crucially, the PEMAC Web Helpdesk provides a full history of the entire maintenance workload for both reporting and future analysis. At any given time, users can check on the status of any work request and see exactly who created, assigned and completed the request there is complete accountability for all parties involved in the process. The system acts as a shift log allowing for faster shift changeovers and improved communication. Thankfully the PEMAC Web Helpdesk ticked all the boxes. Stephen, who is delighted with the results of the PEMAC Web Helpdesk, outlines 7 key benefits he and his team have experienced thus far:

5 1. User-Friendliness The PEMAC Web Helpdesk is very user-friendly. We have over 100 people currently using the system in CG. I especially like the search functions, if we don t know a work request number; we can look up the job using a series of other information such as the requestor s name or asset description to find out what the issue is or if a work request has been raised. 2. Paperless System = Reduced Resources It s not easy to get extra resources and with the PEMAC Web Helpdesk, it s paperless - I don t need anybody handing out jobs or lists anymore. It speeds up the whole process and also eliminates the risk of error associated with using a paper based system. 3. Reduced Administration Another big benefit I have experienced since implementing the PEMAC Web Helpdesk is that it stopped a lot of the calls coming through to myself. If there are any issues that require escalation, I can deal with these issues but basically all of the workflow is automatic now. Operations personnel put through their request on the PEMAC Web Helpdesk and Maintenance pick up the job from there. The work request creator automatically receives s to advise them on the status of their request, which cuts down on administration and calls. They can see exactly who is working on their request and can therefore follow up directly with that Maintenance person. 4. Increased Accuracy Levels The PEMAC Web Helpdesk makes work requests a lot more accurate. Now the operation s supervisor can create the work request themselves and the maintenance team can respond to their request directly. The maintenance team benefit from being able to contact the requestor directly if more detail or clarity is required on the work request. Similarly, operations personnel benefit from knowing which maintenance worker is dealing with their request. In the past, a third party was required for logging the requests and handing out the work sheets, often resulting in information being lost or misunderstood. Thankfully, now the whole workflow is simplified and the accuracy levels are much higher.

6 5. Key Data/KPI s available for Meetings Since implementing PEMAC Web Helpdesk, I have the information and key data that is required at Production meetings. I can provide a full overview on all the work completed, in progress and what work needs to be assigned. If someone queries a job that I am not personally aware of, I can ask them for the PEMAC work request number and give them an instant update on it. 6. Visibility on the Maintenance department s overall workload Using the PEMAC Web Helpdesk we are grabbing 95% or more of the workload coming through and I can check the status of any job at any time. I can see exactly how many work requests are coming through and how many PM s (Preventative Maintenance Jobs) are being completed by each shift and by individual Maintenance workers. This critical data has enabled me to take a lot of the PM s off the day shift and put them on the night shift when the machines are idle. I can control the workflow without hands-on supervising that shift. 7. Complete Traceability and Accountability The system records a full work history, meaning that I can review work orders that were completed last week or last year. If ever an issue is raised regarding the completion of a job, I can instantly check who the job was assigned to and what action was taken. Each maintenance worker is fully accountable for the work that they are completing. It gives me the complete flexibility and visibility on key data that s required at this level. With over 450 people working here at CG, there is a lot of workload going through the maintenance department; now we can effectively manage that workflow.

7 About PMI Software Irish and UK based PMI Software has been providing software solutions for the Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage, Industrial Manufacturing and Healthcare industries since PMI Software helps companies to protect their investment in vital assets, implement Lean practices to identify and eliminate non value-adding activities and comply with strict regulatory requirements. PMI Software products include; PEMAC Maintenance, PEMAC Care, PEMAC Mobile Handheld, PEMAC Stock Control Handheld, PEMAC Business Process Workflow, PEMAC Web Helpdesk, PEMAC Root Cause Analysis and PEMAC Excel Plug-In. To find out more about how PEMAC can enhance your Lean Management practices: See: or PMI Software Unit 7 Kingswood Road Citywest Business Campus Dublin 24 Ireland PMI Software SIAC House Ballycurreen Cross Airport Road Cork Ireland PMI Software Spencer House Spencer Parade Northampton NN1 5AA UK