Having a maintenance plan in place is essential for businesses to ensure that their equipment and buildings are in optimal condition. Planned maintenance reduces downtime, keeps employees active and productive, and prevents unexpected equipment failures. It also helps to minimize loss of productivity and save money. To create an effective maintenance plan, business owners and maintenance planners should first assess the condition of their equipment and buildings.
If the equipment needs to be repaired or replaced, they should schedule the maintenance and repair outside of normal business hours to minimize disruption. The primary purpose of a preventive maintenance plan is to ensure that all listed equipment is properly serviced to maintain maximum productivity. Maintenance planning and scheduling prioritizes and organizes work so that it can be executed in a highly efficient manner. A designated planner draws up a work plan for each work request, which details everything a technician should do and use to accomplish the task.
To ensure that the maintenance plan is successful, there are six maintenance planning principles that should be followed. Additionally, industry-leading maintenance scheduling software such as Valuekeep can be used to create preventive maintenance plans and get an overview of all sites and equipment. Coordinating between preventive and planned maintenance can help to minimize risks and surprises. The preventive maintenance plan should include an overview of the equipment and the periods of time during which it must be verified throughout the year (weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual).
It should also list the personnel responsible for the tasks, the time budgeted for completion, and the spare parts needed for maintenance tasks. Computerized maintenance management (CMMS) software can be used to generate maintenance schedules, create work orders, and keep track of task completion dates and work times. With a well-planned maintenance program in place, businesses can make the most of preventive maintenance while reducing downtime.
