FLEETDRIVE
Step 3 - Focus on Reliability and not just cost
Including the cost of asset downtime into maintenance cost calculations allows you to recognise that failing to act on common repairs that occur between scheduled maintenance can be costly . The aim of a good Reliability function is to improve uptime through the elimination or reduction of having to undertake maintenance tasks in the first place . At a minimum , all maintenance tasks are to be planned and not to occur out of cycle .
Key considerations :
• Optimise Maintenance Schedules – Optimising maintenance schedules involves conducting analysis on every task to determine the value it provides to your overall objectives . Every dollar spent on scheduled maintenance must deliver an outcome less it is wasted .
• Identify & Analyse Functional Failures – Implement a means of being able to identify common failures and conduct root cause analysis . Failure to conduct proper root cause analysis results in rework and in the context of a fleet this can cost many hours down-time and significant repair costs .
Step 4 – Implement your Maintenance program with Excellence
Excellence , mostly referred to as Business Excellence or Operational Excellence , can loosely be defined as a continuous improvement methodology albeit in a structured way . Chain of Responsibility and WHS compliance obligations are important to the vast majority of Fleet and Maintenance Managers . It is critical that your organisation can demonstrate compliance and hence implementing using an Excellence approach should not be underestimated .
Considerations include :
• Document your Maintenance program – Ensure that processes , roles , and responsibilities of those people within the Maintenance program have been identified and documented . It is a good idea to ensure records that are to be kept as demonstratable evidence of compliance o regulatory obligations are identified and documented .
• Educate those with Responsibilities – Ensure that people , both internal and external to your organisation , have appropriate qualifications to undertake their role and have been trained in their responsibilities .
• Implement an Audit & Review Program – Implementing an audit and review program will ensure that the systems and processes established are effective and efficient . Where issues are identified these can be programed into action plans and strategies as per the planning practices outlined in Step 1 .
Your Maintenance program should be commensurate to the size and complexity of your fleet and capabilities held within your organisation . For this reason , I would encourage the adaptation of any of the considerations outlined in this article to suit your own needs .
Implementing a mature Maintenance program will lead to safer assets and improved fleet performance . Uptime can be increased leading to improved productivity whilst expenditure is optimised through improved cost controls and a focus on reliability . Compliance can become demonstratable at the request of authorities should an incident occur and save considerable time and effort not to mention the reputation of your organisation . Ensuring employees are trained on their responsibilities and educated to perform their tasks leads to increased capacity and capability within your organisation and further productivity and employee engagement . As I am sure you agree , the implementation of a best practice Maintenance program is not only about
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