Maintenance control and documentation system

[gerard]

Hi,

I am looking at a system where each piece of equipment in our plant has a bar-code. This bar-code is then scanned by a portable device that will bring up a form containing the equipment check-list. This form is then filled in and stored in a data base. This can be done using an iPhone and Adobe form central but I would be happier using a dedicated, well established system. Can anyone use or recommend a system?

Cheers,

 

[Engineer54]

Each of your machines should already be on a PPM program. You don't need a bar-coded system, that brings up equipment check lists. PPM program allows you to input all that sort of data, and will automatically print out a maintenance checklist/job sheet at the manufacturers specified maintenance schedules. There are plenty of well proven PPM programs that are far superior to what your suggesting. Every possible regular check, and recommended replacement materials can be incorporated in these programs.... They can be as comprehensive as you want or need them to be.

 

[Knobhead]

I’ve seen some PPM systems near cripple companies maintenance departments. Top heavy, inflexible, you name it!
EASE (Event Activated Servicing of Equipment) was the first one I came across, 3 hours waiting for a schedule print out wasn’t uncommon.
MAXIMO was a disaster before it even got of the ground.
The only one I’ve come across that was any good was a bespoke system for Polysius plants. They were in use from day one of the plant being built. It was a god send, the number of times it got my ares out of the fire………. We were each allotted 1 Hr a day to enter up data, consumables used, observations and most importantly any faults.
I had a fault on a 2500HP variable speed motor (Kramer rotor control), I found the same fault had been logged 10 years before and it pointed me close to the fault. When I did my report it took more than one hour to write up, but it’s there for the future.

 

[sbrown2]

its not usually the systems but the lck of training and understanding of the people using the systems. You need correct management of the systems to ensure the information you get into the system is correct.

Barcoding can be beneficial because you get your initial information into your data base easily and without ambiguity. Its massively important because as the years pass people respect plant less and less and need to understand maintenance and plant an building s and maintenance costs concisely.

 

[gerard]

Hi,
I have a PPM in place but as we are a small/medium company, I designed it myself. I created check-lists for each machine and carry out weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc checks. I also have files on spare parts, work carried out, when , where and all that. We are growing steadily and adding new bits of kit here and there and as my system is paper based - I'm sick of it and it's becoming ineffective. My boss has given me the go ahead to bring in such a system but I can't see him purchasing an expensive software package. I can create check-list forms on Acrobat Form Central - these are stored in the 'clouds' or on server. These forms can be accessed by a remote device when carrying out the maintenance. They can then be filled in and submitted for storage. Can anyone recommend a similar type system and keep things as simple as possible!

Thanks

 

[Engineer54]

I can't i'm afraid, Most of the PPM programs i deal with now day's, come as part of the project BMS system. All i would suggest, is that you buy nothing from Johnson controls, they use customers as Guinea Pigs, never come accross such a deceitful company...

As far as i know you can find PPM programs that are cut down versions of the full blown programs, that are geared towards the small to small medium sized company needs.
As i said earlier, you can make or design your PPM system, be whatever you need it to be. All need constant updating with information for them to deliver the goods, from the likes of job sheets and material used sheets to modification notices. As someone said above, they are only as good as the information that is fed into them.

 

[Knobhead]

I’ll be brutally honest, trying to set up a system X number of years down the road is flogging a dead horse. I’ve seen too many fail after 1000’s of hours of work.

You can set up a maintenance procedure for each machine and incorporate commonly used spares and stores requisition codes to speed things up on the shop floor. But for a history of machines, time and effort is needed by all members of the team.

It’s not a job to be given to Jane from the typing pool, it needs to be someone that knows that what they’re typing isn’t a load of b*ll*cks. I spent weeks writing a procedure for a major part of our plant, by the time Glenda had typed it for me I was near to tears, it was nothing like the document I gave her! This was in the days of tripe-writers and carbon paper.

For a small/medium sized plant you’re looking at 12 months dedicated time for a tradesman, if he can type at a decent rate. That would be using a proprietary package. There’s more to it than that. Things become obsolete, at some point in the past part No. XXXX has been replaced by YYYY, it all has to be recorded. You can’t just base things on the manufacturers specifications.

If you go ahead, you have my blessing and deepest sympathy.

 

[sbrown2]

I am in a small section of a massive corporation. As part of a project I implemented I undertook investigationinto the benefits of CMMS for small companies. Being a sequenced supplier in the automotive industry our part of the company employs fourty personnel and two (one on each shift) being maintenance. One of the conclusions was that people in small companies like ours will potentially work harder and have a greater breadth of tasks to complete and therefore systems like these can eventually have benefits if implemented correctly.

Previously I had used proprietory packages like COSWIN(SIVECO) and MP2(DATASTREAM) but these are large heavy systems. In this company I, also, had a demonstration by a company called SOFTSOLS. The package is Agility and is a web based package. We have had it in use over six years and I will tell you it has developed massively. Its not a system that has been adapted to be web based its been designed specifically for this platform. The costs were also far lower as they give you a basic system that you then develop.
In the CBA over five years this system stood out. I will say the system had a lot of bugs and problems but anybody getting the system now would be getting a excellent system for the cost.
Because of the small number of employees we have we utilise the system for tracking production consumables as well as maintenance activities. Its also monitored as part of our ISO 14001, ISO9001, and I would imagine TS1649 (I think!) standards.

Anyway good luck.

sbrown2

 

[gerard]

Thanks guys - I have made enquiries about a handheld device that may be suitable. The Agility system stands out here so will check it out. Hopefully I can muster up some sort of system - will keep you posted.

 

[malcoa]

Hi gerard
I have used a system call a system called Miquest, very good but not cheap mind, as tony mentioned, a meaniningfull system needs a competent administrator that understands the equipment and findings from th PM's and can then generate work orders for repair work (its usually an engineers job to be honest), i had the program modified to show PM's in blue for the week before due date, in green for the week from due date and red after that to give an instant visual when you boot up, i think this may be standard on this software now. Will the agility system enable you or other engineers to create reactive maintenance and work orders from the hand held?

 

[gerard]

Thanks for that - i will check it out. I enquired about a handheld device today and it costs about €1750 and custom made software would cost €5100, so I think I'll have to do a bit more homework on this one.

 

[Knobhead]

Gerard, please don’t forget the time and effort required to implement the system. It will cost a lot more that the hardware/software. It’s where most systems fall flat on their face. “Management” aren’t seeing an immediate return on investment and so rapidly loose interest.

I’m sorry to be a wet blanket, but I’ve seen so many systems fail because “management” see you sat at a desk and not out on the plant twiddling your screwdriver doing “real work”. It’s a part of their training which follows the frontal lobotomy.

 

[gerard]

I understand exactly where you are coming from. There's a small management team in our company and I have explained what I am trying to implement. That said, I am taking your point well on board - it's hard to keep up with paperwork/documentation, even when doing the bare bones.

 

[sbrown2]

Hi Gerard

We are currently on AGILITY 3.4. It appears to be a system designed for use with PDA's. We do not use them on this site as we have an assembly site and then a local warehouse within walking distance.
Because of the small number of employees we have we uploaded inventory from a excel spreadsheet. This still needed editting and was at a additional cost. I implemented a numbering system for the main assets to get the system up and running so we could get data into the system. I also added fault codings, cost codes, and implements administritive tasks as updating the year code. All updates and the server are managed by my plant manager in line with the other company servers ie general shared drives, sequenced supply software etc. I believe this is good IT maintenance.
It does take a while to get a system functioning and I would argue does anybody interogate the system as I do. But as a tool to demonstrate compliance ie PUWER it is most probably not going to be beaten. I am sure you are aware of this.

I was fully aware of failed system implementations. Due to companies and engineering and maintenance departments being to amibtious. Think small to start with. Ask the questions. Is your paper based system that bad? Ultimately a CMMS is just a relational database what information do you want to link? Look at maintenance CMMS models and trim them to what you require ie inventory, equipment, personnel, faults, work orders, cost.

Anyway, all the best

sbrown2

 

[gerard]

Ok - well at the moment I am in early stages of this project. No, the paper system isn't that bad but it's nice to move with the times i suppose! I don't want something too heavy like you all suggested - simple is best I believe. I will do some more homework and see what I can come up with - ideally I would like to create it myself and then use a handheld device/computer to access the info.

 

[sbrown2]

If my memory serves me correctly, at one company I worked for we had a process engineer in my department who developed a system in MS Access, at a cost this was migrated to an off the shelf package by DATASTREAM called maintain it, and then as the system developed onto MP2 by DATASTREAM which was an enterprise wide system. At the core of all these systems is a database whether it be SQL, oracle etc

 

[desertbootz]

Completely echo SBrown and others sentiments/instincts, keep it SIMPLE!

Wouldn't dare suggest a specific. Can think of a multitude of great features and terrible annoyances with every system I've worked with.