How Centralized Asset Care Improves Performance

The key to maximizing operational efficiency and ensuring the reliability of production assets lies in standardized, well-implemented maintenance strategies. Companies that operate on a multi-site or global scale face many challenges in maintaining uniformity across their operations, making the adoption of centralized preventive maintenance strategies essential. This article explores a best practice way of working, also describing a client success story.

A foundational aspect of these strategies involves Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM). This approach not only identifies the critical functions and components of a system but also assesses potential failure modes, their impacts on safety, operations, and costs, and prescribes maintenance strategies tailored to enhance system reliability and efficiency. In other words, when applied in the right way, this method significantly improves asset reliability which reduces downtime and saves cost. The standardized approach, furthermore, opens up the way for less labor intensive work as a site can benefit from work, insights and best practices of other plants.

For preventive maintenance strategies based on RCM to be effective, a detailed and pragmatic approach is essential. With practical expertise accrued over decades, MaxGrip developed an approach that effectively implements these strategies at multi-site or global level involving both remote and on-site work with local teams. Before rolling out at sites, a blueprint is an important central foundation to develop. This describes ‘what good will look like’ or what the centralized asset care standard should be. It also entails the steps to get there across five elements: data, systems & tools, processes, roles & responsibilities and way of working.

The roll out process for sites encompasses:

1. Preparation and Kick-Off: This initial phase starts with assembling site project teams. Together with the MaxGrip deployment team the scope for the facility is defined and together the teams create a feasible project planning.
2. Asset Master Data Validation: The deployment team carries out an on-site as-built validation of the asset hierarchy data in line with the standardization blueprint and the applicable data standards. This is based on the available data from the Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system and the asset OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) documentation. The local team is highly involved and provides all input and support that is needed.
3. Benchmarking PM Setup: The method is heavily based on Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and is used to pragmatically decide on maintenance strategies. In this step, the existing PM strategies in the local facility are compared to the new centralized standards. This is done based on the PM and task lists data available in the EAM system. The benchmark is an important baseline for the standardization.
4. Customizing Standards: Recognizing that no two sites are the same, customization ensures adherence to standards while accommodating local requirements. The deployment team works with the local engineers to validate the gap report and formulate local requirements if needed. The deployment team works together with the site teams to define the local requirements.
5. BOMs and Spare Parts Validation: Based on extracts of the current Bill of Materials (BOMs) and spare parts from the EAM system, local spare parts are allocated to PM task lists and assets.
6. Maintenance Workload Leveling: Aims to distribute maintenance workload evenly over the years, considering seasonality and planned stops and includes existing and newly introduced PM strategies.
7. Upload Strategies to EAM System, Validation, and Handover: Finalizes the process by uploading new PM strategies to the EAM system for local validation.