The problem with solving problems is often the rush, but...
This article is part of the maintenance development article series. See other articles at these links:
- Kunnossapitotehtävien suunnittelu
- Viisi vinkkiä - hyvän huolto-ohjelman laatiminen
- Kunnossapidon kehittämistä ruohonjuuritasolla
- Tehtyjen töiden todentaminen - miksi se on vaikeaa?
- Kunnossapidon työnohjaus - työjonojen hallinta
Many challenges and problems can be solved if we take a moment to think about their root causes and explore alternative ways to solve things. People should not be forgotten in this matter. Only when machines and robots - maybe someday - perform all the maintenance independently (solving the problems themselves), can humans be forgotten from the equation.
What is important to a person in problem solving?
Whether it's a maintenance manager or a service technician, both have challenges and problems to solve every day. Both of you will probably appreciate that:
- There are functional tools that can be used for problem solving
- There is a clear method - a way of doing things or a "process" by which the work is done
- There is an effective way to pass information on how to solve the problem
- There is a clear way for a problem that cannot be solved to be escalated to the front, up or to the side - so that it can be solved.
One root cause of maintenance problems
One of the typical problems with maintenance is "information overload" and not having a proper tool to handle all the information.
Many of our customers have been in exactly this kind of situation. As such, "everything works", but no one is particularly happy with the situation. Problems arise because the situation, if it continues for a long time, leads to a de facto situation where not all work can be done, the documentation is incomplete and the quality cannot be guaranteed.
How do we go about solving this root problem?
- It is recognized that if the tools (maintenance system) are not such that enable efficient data processing, the matter must be corrected
- It is accepted that people must be able to change the way things are done in order for the organization to achieve its goals
The keys to the solution
A good maintenance system includes all the functions that were presented in the picture above, in addition to which it can include numerous other things that support maintenance.
In addition to a good maintenance system, working processes are needed to help the organization operate correctly and efficiently in, for example, these typical situations:
- Error messages
- Tasks of advance maintenance
- Quality deviations
- Lean, Kaizen, 5s and other similar messages/tasks
- Spare parts management
At the center of everything is the fact that the tools and the agreed operating models with which the tools are used support the organization in achieving its goals - this is only possible when people feel that the tool is functional and makes everyday life easier.
Read more about maintenance development here
