Chapter 10
Organization of Maintenance Resources
December, 2023
By : Behailu Mamo
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Introduction
Maintenance organization can take an infinite
number of forms.
The best form for particular situation is determined by
a systematic consideration of the influencing factors.
Organization of maintenance resources for a multi-
trade maintenance work load is a difficult managerial
problem which involves three areas of organization
decision making.
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1) Those concerned with the mix, location, and size of the
maintenance resources
2) Those concerned with the nature and type of
administrative procedures
3) Those concerned with the type of work planning and
scheduling systems necessary to match the level and
supply of resources to the work load.
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Maintenance Resource Structure:
Here, the objective is to set up the mix, location and size of
resources which will best respond to the expected maintenance
workload.
The workload in general falls into two categories:
Deterministic work load: which can be planned and scheduled in
the long term. (preventive maintenance , modifications project)
Probabilistic load: those which can be scheduled only in the
short-term.(Corrective and emergency maintenance)
The fluctuating nature of the latter makes the organization of
4 maintenance resource a difficult task.
a) Trade force mix:
The work load is usually divided according to trade.
This demarcation according to trade influences the
range of plant equipment that can be effectively dealt
with by an individual tradesman. This demarcation:
determines the number and size of teams
makes more difficult the achievement of high labour
utilization
renders work planning more difficult due to the complexity of
trade coordination.
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b) Trade force location:
The trade force location must reduce the time of plant
unavailability.
If the work load is widely distributed and contains a large
proportion of high cost emergency maintenance, permanent
decentralization of the trade force reduces the cost, both direct
and indirect.
For a localized work load, centralization of the maintenance
improves utilization of resources.
For infrequent, but anticipated, highly specialized work, the use
6 of contract labour must be considered.
The aim of trade-force location is to balance the advantages of
centralization against the cost associated with traveling.
The solution is often a partially decentralized system. In this
case, the maintenance gangs carry-out the emergency work as
priority and also as much of the scheduled work as possible,
while the functions of the main workshop are:
to act as a reserve of labour for the area gangs;
to undertake the major reconditioning and overhaul work;
to act as a base for those trades men who are better
centralized;
7 to coordinate the externally contracted work .
A partially decentralized maintenance structure is
shown in the figure.
Each area gang is responsible for maintenance activities within
the section.
Major overhaul and complex repairs are taken care of by the
central workshop.
For a few specialized maintenance workload which is beyond
the capability of the central workshop, contracted labour is
utilized.
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- Overhauls,
- Complex repair work
..cont’d Substore
A - Major reconditioning
Maintenance workload - Area work overload
from production area A
AREA GANG A
(Repair and
Service)
Work completed
Substore CENTRAL
B WORKSHOP
Maintenance workload
from production area B
AREA GANG B - Overhauls
(Repair and - Spare parts
Service) - Reconditioning
Work completed - Area work overload
support
- Cobtracting outside
expertise
Substore
C
Maintenance workload
from production area C
AREA GANG C
(Repair and Completed work
Service)
Work completed
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c) Trade force size:
If the workload is deterministic, it is not difficult to determine the
best size of the trade force. However, in most manufacturing
situations the work load usually contains large probabilistic
components which render setting of trade force size a difficult
task.
The basic aim should be to achieve a trade force size and structure
which minimizes the total cost of labour and waiting time.
In most cases clear understanding of the maintenance situation
coupled with efficient costing will enable a sound resource
structure to be developed and subsequently adjusted as necessary.
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Administrative Structure:
Two important facts
1. There is no ideal administrative structure for maintenance, in
general.
2. The administrative structure should be designed in
conjunction with and to suit the resource structure.
In general maintenance administrative structure is based on
division of the work into specialization including centralized
planning functions.
An example of an administrative structure is shown in the figure
below.
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Con’d
Maintenance
Manager
Building Maintenance Mechanical Maintenance Electrical Maintenance
Head Head Head
Building Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Workshop Electrical
Foreman Foreman Foreman Foreman Foreman Foreman
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Cont’d
EAL (GM)
Engineering Finance
AABIAL Regional airports Department Department
Technique Operation Finance Airport
Division Division Division Security Management Facilitation
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Cont’d
Technical Division
(Maintenance Department)
Mechanical Electrical Radio Civil Work
Section Section Electronics Section
Section
Drainage Building &
Inventory Experts Workshop System road Repair
(Engineers) Control
Foreman Machinist Welder Mechanic
Technicians
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Area foremen are responsible for maintenance workload
within the specified area and are accountable to the
maintenance engineer.
Maintenance engineers, i.e. mechanical, electrical and
building, are responsible for
overseeing and supervising all maintenance workload
undertakings directly under them;
are accountable to the maintenance manager.
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Main function of the maintenance manager and
engineers may include:
1. Set maintenance objectives and determine maintenance
policy.
2. Assist with technical advice and decision making.
3. Assist with medium term work planning and scheduling.
4. Look after day-to-day personnel problems.
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Work Planning and Scheduling
The objective of work planning and scheduling is to get
the right resources to the right place, to do the right job
in the right way and at the right time in order to carry
out the maintenance function at minimum overall cost.
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a) Work planning
Some basic rules to be observed in designing a maintenance work
planning
1. The work planner must have the authority to make the
necessary decisions (allocation of priorities) which affect the
work load and the resources.
2. The work planner must have the right information at the right
time about both the work load and the resources. It is essential
to have different levels of work planning.
3. The areas of responsibility and lines of communication between
18 the planning levels must be clearly defined.
In setting a workable maintenance plan, the
maintenance workload should be categorized based on
the nature of the workload as
random, and
deterministic
a) Random or probabilistic workload:
This category consists of the emergency and corrective
maintenance workload which is random in nature.
This workload fluctuates with time.
The repair situation can be represented by queuing mode.
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The function of a maintenance department as regards
the probabilistic workload is to:
locate the malfunction;
diagnose the fault;
prescribe the action to correct the malfunction;
decide on the work priority;
plan the resources necessary to undertake the work;
schedule the work;
issue job instructions;
check that the work is satisfactory.
Such a work can only be scheduled, with any degree of
certainty, a short time ahead
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b) Deterministic workload:
This consists of the preventive maintenance work and the
necessary plant modifications.
It can be planned in detail and scheduled some time ahead.
The functions of a maintenance department as regards the
deterministic workload is to:
schedule all preventive maintenance and fixed-time maintenance;
perform all performance monitoring and set schedules based on the
condition of the plant;
determine all reconditioning activities;
recommend appropriate long tem solution to recurring problems to
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enhance plant maintenance and maintainability.
Equipment record
Proper work planning is facilitated by appropriate
equipment records. Two important equipment records
are:
I. Equipment record card which contains useful data regarding the
acquisition and installation of the equipment, and
II. Equipment history record card in which all faults, corrections,
replacements, repairs, etc. are recorded during its operation
time.
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Equipment Code Equipment Card no.
Equipment Location Date Entered
Equipment Serial no.
Equipment Details
Type
Equipment Accessories Purchase Order no
Dimensions
Weight
Date of Purchase
Input: Voltage, current,...
Manufacturer Agent Price
Installation Cost Equipment/
Services Needed
Machine
Cost of Services
record
Card
Spares Requiremnets
Originally Supplied Subsequent Acquisitions Costs
Lubrication Equipment History Card no.
Lub type Location Lub Method Frequency
Design, Operation and Maintenance Specifications Installation Manual
Operation Manual
23 Maintenance Manual
Equipment Code Equipment History Card no.
Equipment Location Date Opened
Equipment Record Card no.
Work Details Performed Parts Man-hour Downtime Name of Recorded
Serial
on Equipment Replaced Required Personnel by
no.
Signature
Work Details
Performed
on Equipment
Equipment/Machine history record card
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Maintenance Scheduling
Maintenance scheduling is a sequential arrangement of
maintenance jobs showing priorities.
A maintenance schedule shows
the maintenance work to be done,
frequency of the work,
by whom the work has to be done, and
estimated time required to complete the work.
The queuing of workload to be accomplished depends on
priority set, and
availability of spares, skilled labour and equipment.
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The maintenance schedule has to be prepared in
collaboration with production department.
In setting up a maintenance schedule, guidelines must
be provided by the manufacturer.
An example of a maintenance schedule is shown below.
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Equipment Code Equipment Date
Equipment Location
Trade Frequency Detail of Maintenance Work Estimated Time
Maintenance scheduling card
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Equipment Description Specification no.
Equipment Code
Job Description Special Requirements Safety Needs
Maintenance Work Details Estimated Time Materials/ Trade
Spares Required
Services Needed
Tradesman Name Total Time Materials/ Labour Material Total
Taken Spares Cost Cost Cost
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Maintenance work description card
Maintenance Job Order
A maintenance job order is a detailed and complete work
order by means of which a technician, a mechanic, an electrician
or any other skilled person is given the authority to attend to a
specific maintenance workload.
In addition to the workload, the job order card lists the
equipment, spares, estimated time, skill required, etc.
A typical job order card is shown in the figure below.
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Job Order no.
Equipment Code
Type of Job Name of Equipment Location Date
CM______
PM______
OH______
Priority
Details of Defect / Planned Work Breakdown Impact
a) Shutdown _________
b) Standby Reduction _________
c) Reduced Efficiency _________
Originator/ Signature Department Date Time
Planner
Description of Workload Manpower Required
Estimated Duration
Start of Maintenance
Date Time
Completion of Maintenance
Date Time
Ready for Operation
Date Time
Actual Duration
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Maintenance job order card
Job Order no.
Equipment Code
Type of Job Name of Equipment Location Date
CM______
PM______
OH______
Priority
Details of Defect / Planned Work Breakdown Impact
a) Shutdown _________
b) Standby Reduction _________
c) Reduced Efficiency _________
Originator/ Signature Department Date Time
Planner
Description of Workload Manpower Required
Estimated Duration
Start of Maintenance
Date Time
Maintenance job order
Completion of Maintenance
Date Time
card
Ready for Operation
Date Time
Actual Duration
Spares/Materials Required/Used Special Tools Required/Used
Special Services Required/Used Job Assignment
Name
Remarks by Area Maintenance Engineer Signature
Date Time
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CM - Corrective Maintenance, PM - Preventive Maintenance, OH - Overhaul
Defects analysis record card
Upon completion of a maintenance task, defects analysis
should be done in order to assist further diagnostics on
an equipment.
Information on
nature of the defect
causes
action taken are filled on defects analysis card.
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Equipment Description Location Card no.
Equipment Code
Component Defect Cause Action Maintenance Total Maintenance
Date
Noticed Identified Taken Time Downtime Manager
Signature
Defects analysis record card
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Thank you
If you have any questions ???
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