Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

For the moment, let's jump over all the fantastic predictive maintenance tools and software available today. I would like to talk about replacing the low skill, high costs portions of maintenance this week.

To me, the highest cost, lowest skill activity in the maintenance department is the round trip back to the central shop to get a tool or a part that was either forgotten or discovered after the particular maintenance work was started.

Personnel wise, this occupies the person retrieving what is missing, perhaps a period of idleness on the part of the crew at the job site, tool crib and storeroom personnel and who knows what else.

How do we improve this?

The low-cost methods are accurate records from the last time this job was done are a good starting point. If maintenance is equipped with wi-fi connected tablets with screens, the task's needs can be recorded every time it is done. This is simple and easy to set up. If this is a non-emergency repair, the computer system can regurgitate the tools, diagrams, and parts requirements one or two shifts before the task will be done. This is merely an electronic version of what maintenance planners have done forever.

The crew can leave central maintenance for the job site as equipped with knowledge, parts and tools as is possible, for it was all assembled a shift or two ahead of time.

The next step is to have storeroom and tool crib personnel trained to monitor radios. They should immediately pick up when the maintenance team calls in with a need. The storeroom and tool crib personnel should have powered carts that allow them to immediately load up and deliver what is needed. Why do they do this? They are lower costs maintenance personnel than the skilled electricians and mechanics.

To make the communication back to storeroom/tool crib as efficient and clear as possible, there should be a "Nine Line" style system developed for communications. "Nine Lines" are used by military personnel for emergency medical evacuations (MEDEVAC) or casualty evacuations (CASEVAC). You will have to develop your own. The field will call in and say (for example) "1. 10 ton hydraulic," 2. 15 mm socket" and so forth. The receiving end is writing these down (or maybe they were put in the pad and can come out at the other end). "1" means jack, then the description follows. "2" means "socket" and "15 mm" is the size. Your mill can develop its own Nine Line; the key is everyone has the same one.

The only thing new in this description is putting electronic pads everywhere. Nothing fancy here, merely organization and protocols.

Be safe and we will talk next week.

For a deeper understanding, go here.

Study Guide: Improving Maintenance Efficiency

Quiz: Key Concepts in Maintenance Optimization

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences, based on the provided text.

1. According to the author, what specific activity represents the highest cost and lowest skill component of the maintenance function?
2. Beyond the individual retrieving an item, who else is affected by the inefficiency of a maintenance worker returning to the central shop?
3. What is the recommended low-cost method for improving preparation for a maintenance task?
4. How can the use of wi-fi connected tablets with screens enhance the maintenance planning process?
5. What role can a computer system play in preparing for a non-emergency repair job?
6. What is the proposed role for storeroom and tool crib personnel when a maintenance team needs an item from the central shop?
7. What is the primary justification for having storeroom personnel, rather than skilled mechanics or electricians, deliver needed items to a job site?
8. What is a "Nine Line" system and from what field does this communication concept originate?
9. How is the "Nine Line" system specifically adapted for use in maintenance communications?
10. Besides the use of electronic pads, what two core elements does the author identify as central to the proposed improvements?

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Answer Key

1. The highest cost, lowest skill activity in the maintenance department is identified as the round trip a worker must make back to the central shop to get a tool or a part that was either forgotten or discovered to be needed after the work had already begun.
2. The inefficiency affects multiple personnel groups. Besides the person retrieving the item, the crew at the job site may experience a period of idleness, and it also occupies the time of tool crib and storeroom personnel.
3. The recommended low-cost method for improvement is to use accurate records from the last time the same job was performed. This information serves as a starting point to ensure all necessary items are gathered beforehand.
4. Wi-fi connected tablets allow maintenance crews to easily and accurately record the specific needs of a task--including tools, diagrams, and parts--every time it is performed. This creates a detailed and up-to-date record for future planning.
5. For a non-emergency repair, a computer system can process the historical data for the task and automatically "regurgitate" a list of the required tools, diagrams, and parts. This can be done one or two shifts before the job is scheduled to begin, allowing for advance preparation.
6. The proposed role for storeroom and tool crib personnel is to be trained to monitor radios for requests from maintenance teams. They should then use powered carts to immediately load up and deliver the needed items directly to the job site.
7. The justification is that storeroom and tool crib personnel are lower-cost personnel compared to the skilled electricians and mechanics on the job site. Having them perform the delivery tasks is a more cost-effective use of labor.
8. A "Nine Line" system is a structured communication protocol used to make requests clear and efficient. The concept originates from its use by military personnel for emergency medical evacuations (MEDEVAC) or casualty evacuations (CASEVAC).
9. For maintenance, a custom "Nine Line" system would be developed where each numbered line corresponds to a category of item. For example, "1" might mean "jack" and "2" might mean "socket," followed by a specific description, ensuring the request is unambiguous.
10. The author states that the core elements of the proposed improvements are organization and protocols. The implementation of electronic pads is presented as the only new technological component, with the emphasis being on standardized procedures.

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Essay Questions

Develop a detailed essay-format response for each of the following prompts, using only information and arguments presented in the source text.

1. Analyze the cascading effects of a single maintenance worker having to return to the central shop for a forgotten part or tool. Discuss all the personnel groups affected and the nature of the costs incurred, as described in the text.
2. Explain the evolution of maintenance planning from traditional methods to the electronically-assisted approach suggested in the article. How does the proposed use of tablets and computer systems enhance, rather than replace, what maintenance planners have "done forever"?
3. Evaluate the proposal to shift the responsibility of retrieving parts and tools from skilled mechanics to storeroom personnel. What are the key arguments for this change, and what infrastructure (e.g., equipment, training, communication) is required to support this new workflow?
4. Describe the "Nine Line" communication protocol. Explain its military origins and detail how a maintenance department can adapt this system to create a clear, efficient, and standardized method for requesting items from the field.
5. The author states, "The only thing new in this description is putting electronic pads everywhere. Nothing fancy here, merely organization and protocols." Based on the source text, construct an argument that either supports or challenges this assertion, detailing the interplay between technology, organization, and procedure in the proposed solution.

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Glossary of Key Terms

Term Definition

CASEVAC An acronym for Casualty Evacuation, a military term for transporting injured personnel. It is cited as an origin for the "Nine Line" system.

Central Shop / Central Maintenance The main, centralized location where tools, parts, and other maintenance resources are stored and from which crews are dispatched.

Low Skill, High Cost Activity An activity that does not require advanced expertise but consumes significant resources (time and money). The text identifies the round trip to the central shop for a forgotten item as the primary example.

Maintenance Planners Personnel who have traditionally been responsible for organizing the tools, diagrams, and parts requirements for a maintenance job before it begins. The electronic system is described as an evolution of their work.

MEDEVAC An acronym for Medical Evacuation, a military term for transporting injured personnel. It is cited as an origin for the "Nine Line" system.

Nine Line System A structured communication protocol adapted from military use. In a maintenance context, it is a system where each numbered line corresponds to a specific type of request (e.g., "1" for a jack, "2" for a socket) to ensure clarity and efficiency.

Powered Carts Recommended equipment for storeroom and tool crib personnel to use for quickly loading and delivering needed items from the central shop to a job site.

Predictive Maintenance A category of advanced tools and software used in maintenance. The author explicitly sets this topic aside to focus on improving more fundamental, low-skill components of the maintenance function.

Wi-fi connected tablets Electronic devices suggested for maintenance crews to use at the job site. Their purpose is to record the tools, parts, and diagrams needed for a task each time it is performed, creating an accurate historical record for future planning.

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