Opinion Rules for configuration Taiichi Ohno, considered the father of lean production, said: Having no problems is the biggest problem of all. Here, Jason Weis explains his four rules for improving preventive maintenance in asset management systems Jason Weis Your facilities preventive maintenance (PM) compliance is top notch, after all, your key performance indicators tell you so. What if, under the surface, something wasnt quite right? Should someone perform an audit to make sure everything is functioning as well as the maintenance department thinks it is? If you cannot answer with conviction that all of your PM jobs are working as originally configured, how you thought they would, then the answer is YES! Its time to dig into the data and find out! 1. Understand key fields and what they do Each system is perfectly designed to give you exactly what you are getting today W Edwards Deming Systems are only as good as we design them, the data we input, and the people working in them Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) are ideal for managing many maintenance functions including preventive maintenance. The idea is to create the PM job in the application and the PM will generate a work order signalling the maintenance folks that the activity needs to be performed. The work order will be scheduled, executed, then closed in the application at completion. In the future, the PM job will generate a new work order based on its frequency and lead time before the next due date. The person responsible for creating PM jobs must understand how the system functions based on the master data entered in the key fields. For a PM job to function as intended, it requires the proper training and understanding of what is required of the PM job and how the functionality can deliver it. There is usually more than one way to skin a cat; you need to determine the most effective way. 2. Standardise the data in the key fields Input quality data, output quality performance Christian Baloga Data integrity is critical to configuring PM jobs. The master data in the key fields is what drives PM job functionality. Incomplete or incorrect data can prevent the PM job from functioning as expected or generating a work order at all. This is why control around creating PMs is crucial to maintaining the quality of the data in the key fields. Understanding the functionality that is driven by the master data input in the key fields is a critical component to successfully configuring the record. Create a data plan and standardise data for key fields. This will help with managing the data and identifying outliers that can cause issues so they can be addressed. Quality standardised data means quality information, means quality decisions. 3. Monitoring and controlling the PM application Data is like garbage. Youd better know what you are going to do with it before you collect it Mark Twain Jason Weis began his career completing a five-year apprenticeship with the IBEW. He later went on to become a certified instrument technician working in refineries, coal-burning powerhouses, and nuclear generating plants. He has extensive experience both in the field and in planning and scheduling, work management and project management. Weis earned his BA from the National Labor College, concentrating on construction management. He also has a Graduate Certificate in Project Management from the Penn State Sam and Irene Black School of Business. Most recently, he earned the Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute while managing CMMS optimisation projects. Does the PM application itself need preventive maintenance? Whether the facility has 10 PM jobs or 3,000 PM jobs, you should know each one is working exactly as expected. Audit the PM application on a set frequency like a PM. The data in the key fields for PM jobs can be monitored with a dashboard or comprehensive report. The monitoring of key fields by someone, ideally the person responsible for creating the PM jobs, allows them to spot issues with PM jobs and resolve them. These data guardians are most familiar with PM application functionality and will find value in the data. Implementing an auditing process is a no brainer. These items were important enough to create a PM to generate a work order, consume resources and maintain equipment, so make sure it is working. 4. Standardise document processes If you cant describe what you are doing as a process, you dont know what youre doing W Edwards Deming Steer the ship. There need to be controls and documented processes in place that are adhered to allowing processes to work as intended. Processes should be standardised with roles and responsibilities from beginning to end. Not having a standardised process and guidelines will weaken the ability to maintain overall system integrity and weaken the intended effectiveness of the system. Without the proper controls, someone will end up doing what they think is right, not knowing that a minor change they make could have a negative impact somewhere in the overall process. Systems are only as good as we design them, the data we input, and the people working in them. Remember, W Edwards Deming said: Put a good person in a bad system and the bad system wins, no contest. Create a good system, maintain the system, audit the system and improve it when the opportunity is there.