Developing The Maintenance
Function
What is Maintenance Management?
In
order to insure consistency within the text, it will be beneficial to define
the following terms:
Maintenance
-
The
work of keeping something in proper condition; upkeep
Maintain
-
To
keep in a condition of good repair or efficiency
Manage
-
To
direct or control the use of; handle
-
To
exert control over
-
To
direct the affairs or interests of
-
To
succeed in accomplishing or achieving, especially with difficulty
Management
-
The
act, manner, or practice of managing; handling, supervision, or control
-
The
person or persons who control or direct a business or other enterprise
-
Skill
in managing; executive ability
Manager
-
One
who handles, controls, or directs, especially a.One who directs a business
or other enterprise
Measuring
-
To
estimate by evaluation or comparison
-
To
bring into comparison
Indicator
-
Any
of various statistical values that together provide an indication of the
condition or direction of an entity
Performance
-
The
way in which someone or something functions
Perform
-
To
take action in accordance with the requirements of; fulfill
-
To
fulfill an obligation or requirement; accomplish something as promised or
expected
In
today’s business environment, terms like Best Practices, Benchmarking, World
Class and others continuously bombard us. Two other terms to recently emerge
are performance indicators and performance measurement. These indicators or
measures can be applied to any function within an industrial plant or facility,
public or private organization, or even non-profit organization. There are
performance measures for quality, production, processes, and even financial
departments. However, one function within organizations that is beginning to
emerge as a key to future competitiveness is the maintenance function. The
focus of the maintenance function is to insure that all company assets meet and
continue to meet the design function of the asset. What is Maintenance Management
(sometimes referred to as Asset Management) and of what importance is it for
managers in corporations today?
Maintenance
(Asset) Management can be defined as “the management of all assets owned by a
company, based on maximizing the return on investment in the asset.” This
definition encompasses the philosophies contained in many of the more popular
techniques currently being utilized by companies today.
What
techniques would fall under the definition of maintenance (asset) management?
The list would include, but not be limited to, the following:
Preventive Maintenance
Stores and Procurement
Work Flow Systems
Computerized
Maintenance Management
Systems (CMMS) and
Enterprise
Asset Management Systems (EAM)
Interpersonal Training
Operational Involvement
Predictive Maintenance
Reliability-Centered Maintenance
Total Productive Maintenance
Statistical Financial Optimization
Continuous Improvement
Each
of these initiatives is a building block for the maintenance (asset) management
process. A brief examination of each will show its importance to the (asset)
management process.