Optimizing the PM Generation Cycle

Challenge:

Optimize the PM generation cycle to promote resource balancing or desired PM generation.

Methodology:

Mainsaver users frequently want to balance their PM work order loading across a week or month in order to effectively utilize Maintenance resources. Other times, users may want their PM schedule set up so that all PM’s are generated at the beginning of a month, then due on the last day of the month. Mainsaver has the capability to accomplish these, and most any desired scheduling objectives through PM Frequency configuration settings.

The key to balancing or manipulating how PM’s are generated in Mainsaver is through effective configuration of the PM Frequency codes. Below gives an explanation of how to manipulate frequency codes to effect a desired result.

Lead % – designates the percentage of time that a work order will generate prior to its due date. Use this value to give more or less time between the creation date and the PM due date. Example: Lead time 10% on a monthly PM. System will call for work order to be created 3 days prior to its due date.

Day of Week – normally used on short frequency PMs of 1 week or shorter. Skews the PM due date to a certain day of the week. Example – set day of week to Friday for a weekly PM and all weekly PM due dates will be skewed to Friday regardless of its normal cycle date.

Day of Month – Skews the PM due date to a certain day of the Month.

Week of the Month – Skews the PM due date to a certain week of the month. Many times used to equally spread monthly PM’s across the entire month for resource balancing. See example above where 4 frequencies (MON-1, MON-2, MON-3, MON-4) are created. When the 4 frequencies are applied to monthly PMs, generated work orders will be skewed/distributed across 4 weeks of the month.

Due Last DOM – Skews the PM due date to the last day of the month. Works for months with 28, 29, 30, and 31 days automatically. Frequently used by those that like to generate all monthly PM’s at the beginning the of the month and allow completion anytime prior to the end of month

Benefit:

Properly applying the PM frequency configuration settings as given above allows the flexibility to create most any desired PM program.