28/10/2011 22:01
mintek.com
What is Better Asset and Maintenance
Management?
W
hat does it really mean to when someone leaders in all industries, have recognized that the
says you need to have better asset and way you run your facilities operations is often indi-
maintenance management? Does it mean cative of how the company as a whole is run.
that you need the latest technology in an attempt to
streamline your operations or perhaps just a few Asset management and maintenance management
simple adjustments to your current practices? are inseparable even though they are actually diffe-
rent functions. Maintenance management is a subset
of asset management. However, without good main-
tenance management practices, asset management
cannot be effective. This becomes clearer if we take
a look at each area.
Better maintenance management means that fa-
cility, plant, government, utility, amusement park,
sports arena and property managers etc., have im-
plemented practices designed to:
• Extend the useful lifecycle of assets.
• Make sure that equipment remains or is
more energy efficient.
• Decrease the frequency of breakdowns
occur.
• Minimize downtime.
• Do more with the same amount of resources
(labor costs are planned, minimal unplan-
ned overtime).
Finding the Maintenance Management
Balance
In order to do this, maintenance management must
find the correct balance between:
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• Maintenance expenditures and metho-
Because of the economic conditions we have all lived dologies such as preventive maintenance,
through these past few years, asset management predictive maintenance, condition based
has gained important exposure for its impact on maintenance etc. Each operation is unique
Printed with
an organization’s bottom line. Moreover, intelligent and it is possible that more than one metho-
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What is Better Asset and Maintenance Management?
dology may be needed. The decision should planned major repairs. When poor main-
be based upon the objectives above. tenance and/or asset knowledge leads to
• Proactive and reactive maintenance. unexpected cash needs, this will take away
Reactive maintenance is almost always money from planned asset improvements.
more expensive then proactive main- Whether it is a roof or a boiler, cash flow is
tenance but it will never go away as so- critical for all organizations.
mething, somewhere will inevitably break • Know where all the asset documents are
down when least expected. Some compa- for vendors and assets: Using an Enter-
nies strive for an 80/20 ratio of proactive/ prise Asset Management (EAM) system or
reactive maintenance. This may or may not similar product will allow contract, blue-
be achievable in every organization but it print, warranty, contact information as well
is important that mechanisms for greater as any other documents that can be scanned
proactive maintenance are put in place. to be electronically attached to the assets file
• Technology and knowledge earned for ease of use.
through experience. Technology tools such • Create a knowledge base: Make sure that
as a CMMS, vibration analysis, infrared the knowledge accumulated by the expe-
thermography, can provide valuable ex- rienced maintenance professional is being
pense savings through a combination of bet- captured and will not be lost when the aging
ter diagnostics and automation. However, maintenance professional retires. Kee-
an over reliance on technology tools over ping an accurate work order detail history
knowledge and instinct will open the door that includes what work was performed,
for the unexpected and unplanned major by whom and the results will enable this
repair or replacement. knowledge to be transferred or trained to
others.
The simplest way to describe asset management is • Establish best practices: This is the de-
that it is the knowledge derived from asset mainte- termination of which asset maintenance
nance plus the planning and actions tools needed practices work best to establish standard
to ascertain the greatest organizational impact on operating procedures across multiple faci-
the company’s bottom line. lities. This may include the use of mobile
handheld devices or a recommended ins-
For better asset management, executives and ma- pection schedule for specified assets. Still
nagers need to: other assets may be identified as having a
need for more specialized predictive tech-
• Know their assets: Exactly what assets they nologies. The key is, management has the
have, where they are, what condition they historical information available to make
are in, their maintenance history and trend. smart decisions.
This ensures asset managers have the most
updated information for repair, refurbish or So what is better asset and maintenance manage-
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replacement decisions. ment? The answer is the ability to make intelligent
• Accurately forecast capital budget needs: decisions about how to maximize the useful lifecycle
Accurate capital analysis and planning of an asset while at the same time balancing tech-
helps the organization to plan cash flow so nology and costs over the long term. Better asset
Printed with
money is available for planned purchases or and maintenance management is a course of action
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What is Better Asset and Maintenance Management?
taken to constantly improve the efficiency and ef-
fectiveness of operations.
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