Last May, MASA participated in Gijón in the XII Technical Conference on Maintenance in the Chemical and Process Industry organised by the Spanish Maintenance Association.

José Luis Bernal Santiago, Director of MASA's Technical Services, and José Daniel Guirado Camacho, head of Digitalisation and Maintenance Projects, were in charge of leading the conference. Here is a summary of the presentations and conclusions.

IMPORTANCE OF THE MOBILITY TOOL IN THE MAINTENANCE PLAN

INDEX

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. MASTER MAINTENANCE PLAN
  3. STUDIES AND ANALYSES IN THE FIELD.
  4. MAINTENANCE PERFORMANCE INDEX
  5. DIGITISATION OF THE DEMING CYCLE
  6. MASS MAINTENANCE MOBILITY TOOL MOBILITY
  7. PHASES OF THE FIELD
  8. SUCCESS STORIES

1. INTRODUCTION

A good maintenance strategy is based on a well-designed plan, which is underpinned by several aspects:

  • Maintenance engineering tools
  • Permanent action plan for continuous improvement
  • Incorporation of new technologies into our plan

We assume that the MAINTENANCE 4.0 strategy should be considered as a chapter within a... «GLOBAL DIGITALISATION PROJECT».»

Focusing on maintenance 4.0, we should add that digitisation should be a tool at the service of strategy. «LET'S DIGITISE ONLY WHAT WORKS».»

The key tools that allow us to tackle a digitisation project in maintenance will be:

  • Field studies and analysis
  • Associated action plans
  • Maintenance Performance Index

On this occasion we will deal with digitalisation projects of the Deming cycle (PDCA cycle, Plan-Do-Check-Act), explaining in an orderly manner, how we have tackled these projects in plants in different sectors.

We will support our dissertation with a couple of success stories, in which we have implemented our strategy based on the “MASS MODEL”.

2. MASTER MAINTENANCE PLAN

As we have seen in the Introduction chapter, the Maintenance Master Plan would be composed of:

  • Maintenance engineering tools
  • Permanent action plan for continuous improvement
  • Incorporation of new technologies into our plan

2.1 Maintenance engineering

In the chapter on maintenance engineering we can highlight:

  • Operating procedure
  • Maintenance management indicators
  • Register of knowledge
  • Computer-assisted management
  • Concrete ideas for progress
  • Capacity and competence matrix
  • Technical studies and analyses
  • HR Management.

Indicator monitoring

Regarding the “Control and decision-making through IGMs” mentioned in the previous section, MASA has developed an internal tool for analysis and monitoring through a control panel with a simple and intuitive interface.

This general tool can be easily adapted to the specific requirements of each contract, and only needs to be periodically fed with the data to be monitored.

The application automatically returns calculations, graphs and reports with the aim of making it easy for anyone in the company to detect incidents and trends in indicators and other parameters, as well as generating a complete and visual historical base for MASA.

2.2 Action Plan

Taking this statement into account and based on our extensive experience, we recommend that as a starting point, a prior study of the degree of maturity for the change to maintenance 4.0 is essential, through our studies and analyses carried out by the technical services department of Masa “EAC”.

2.3 Incorporating new technologies into our plan
Once this analysis has been carried out, and we have controlled what our “IDM” maintenance performance index is, we must bring it to a level that guarantees that we can tackle a well-integrated digitisation project.

3. FIELD SURVEY AND ANALYSIS

In these EACs, we will distinguish between two main objective blocks of the analysis:

BLOCK 1.

Composed of direct aspects of our designed maintenance management strategy in the following areas:

  • Organisation, personnel and relations
  • Planning (preparation)
  • Prioritisation and preparation of work
  • Maintenance engineering (plans and KPI's)
  • Utilisation factor
  • Warehousing and purchasing...

BLOCK 2

Composed of aspects related to the following technological areas of advanced digital self-diagnosis:

  • Automation
  • Connectivity
  • Applications and digital data
  • Relationship between IT/OT
  • Mobility
  • Etc.

A very important part of the improvement actions detected are related to the complexity of the information and communication flows and channels of each process, as well as to the lack of definition and dissemination of the functions of each of the actors, which must be clearly defined before the introduction of digital environments, otherwise their contribution would not have the desired impact.

The study will result in an Action Plan with a series of proposals for improvement to guarantee our objectives as set out in the already defined maintenance strategy.

Each of these proposals will have a different impact, both in terms of the value provided and the difficulty/time required for full implementation.

A matrix will be established to classify the order of application of the proposed improvements; basically following a priority in terms of level of intervention (high, medium, low) and a degree of technical-economic implementation (easy, medium and complex).

Based on the levels established in the priority matrix and the difficulty of implementation, the final ranking will be obtained.

The final Action Plan, the prioritisation of actions, the identification of those responsible for implementation and the phases for the implementation of improvements will be agreed by both organisations.

“COMMITMENT OF ALL PARTIES”.”

4. MAINTENANCE PERFORMANCE INDEX (MPI)

We could define the MDI as the index that allows us to know with a high degree of accuracy, the quality of performance within the global maintenance management strategy.

This index is the result of the analysis carried out through our EAC studies, which covers areas such as: organisation, staffing, engineering, management, and the use of the

maintenance, efficiency, productivity, warehouse, application of new technologies. This index evolves according to the achievement of the different actions that make up the action plan derived from the aforementioned study.

Improving this indicator will allow us to tackle digitalisation projects, among others, with guarantees:

First cycle. Identifies and corrects

Second cycle. Analyse and compare

At the end of the process a new IMPROVED MDI is obtained. This leads to a reduction of resources for the realisation of the maintenance contract while preserving the same levels of service and quality.

The cycle repeats periodically until the appropriate level for digitisation of the process is reached.

5. DIGITISATION OF THE DEMING CYCLE

Stages of Digitisation

5.1 Kick-off meeting

Tasks to be performed:

  • Organisation, launching and scope of the project.
  • Creation of a working team composed of:
    • Digitisation, Maintenance and Customer Systems Technicians.
    • Customer CMMS development technician.
    • Technology partner.
    • MASA technicians.
  • Definition of work plans, outputs and deliverables for each of the following phases.
  • Definition of the approach and of management and documentation tools.
  • Confirm implementation strategy.
  • Team building activities and integration between members of the project team.

Main Deliverables:

  • Kick-Off Document.
  • Detailed planning.

5.2 Functional analysis and design

Tasks to be performed:

  • Detailed requirements specification:
    • Process maps (planning, programming, execution,...).
    • Integration with other systems.
    • Organisational Structure and Hierarchy.
    • Profile management.
    • Types of work.
  • Functional Design:
    • Definition and design of the operational modules of the solution (web and mobile environment).
    • Definition and management of users, document management, notifications,...
    • Integration modules, where information exchange needs are defined.

Main Deliverables:

  • Functional Requirements Document (FRD).
  • Elaboration of a Navigable Prototype.

5.3 Technical design, construction and implementation

Tasks to be performed:

  • Definition of the System Data Model.
  • Design of entities and components.
  • Integration between systems. Establish methods of information exchange between the two platforms.
  • Installation of the technology base (if required):
    • Application and database server.
    • Architecture and connectors to external systems (VPN).
    • Synchronisation mechanisms (offline / online)

Main Deliverables:

  • Detailed System Design Document (DDS).
  • Installation, Configuration and Operations Manuals.
  • Source code of the components created.
  • Operational Technology Platform.

5.4 Test Plan

Tasks to be performed:

  • System unit tests.
  • Integration Testing.
  • Acceptance tests.

Main Deliverables:

  • Integrated Test Plan Document.
  • Definition and Review of the Test Plan.
  • Evaluation of the outcome of the tests.

5.5 Training and dissemination plan

Tasks to be performed:

  • Training of system administrators for system support and maintenance.
  • User training.

Main Deliverables:

  • Technical Instructions.
  • Manuals and guides.

5.6 Start-up and support

Tasks to be performed:

  • After testing and training, the solution will be published in the production environment. From then on, remote support of the platform will be available.

“COMMITMENT OF ALL PARTIES”.”

6. MOBILITY TOOL (MASS MAINTENANCE MOBILITY)

Existing technological advances allow for the customised design of mobility tools in maintenance services, which are becoming increasingly common in industrial environments.

Technology alone does not solve a problem, it is the proper and organised use of reliable technology that solves it.

Therefore, digitisation must become a...

“TOOL AT THE SERVICE OF STRATEGY”.”

These tools provide numerous benefits in the execution of the work order cycle:

  • Improvements in information flows and associated responsibilities.
  • Off-line/on-line management.
  • Integration of maintenance plans.
  • Creation of fault messages.
  • Work planning.
  • Weekly programming of activities.
  • Real-time monitoring and reporting of progress.
  • Redistribution of workload.

7. THE PHASES OF CHANGE

However, the job is not finished. The people involved will follow the widely documented pattern known as the Change Curve.

7.1 PHASE OF DENIAL

The people involved will feel uncertain. The first months with the tool in place may be more difficult than in previous years.

It will be necessary to become familiar with the tool, correct errors not detected in previous phases,...

7.2 ENDURANCE PHASE

Staff will discover advantages over their previous way of working as they get to know and use the tool.

It will have to transform its initial ideas to start integrating into the system.

7.3 ACCEPTANCE PHASE

This is the moment when the person accepts that the change is beneficial for him/her and his/her organisation. This step leads to exploration and testing, making full use of the tool.

A momentum that drives staff to face new challenges with renewed confidence.

8. SUCCESS CASES

On this occasion we show a couple of examples of digitalisation projects of the Deming cycle (PDCA cycle, Plan-Do-Check-Act), in plants from different sectors in which we have put into practice our strategy based on the “MASS MODEL”.

8.1 STEEL INDUSTRY. INDUSTRY

EXAMPLE DIGITISATION OF THE DEMING CYCLE IN PROGRESS.

  • Digitisation of the PDCA cycle and the management of the CMMS system:
    • 400,000 hours/year.
    • 15,000 WO/year
    • 147 cost centres
    • 10,500 assets
  • OT management platform
  • Digitisation of processes via mobile application (Planning, Programming, Execution,...)
  • Integration with client CMMS.
  • Creation of forms/checklist.
  • Creation, Review and Finalisation of the work.
  • User and contract management.
  • Developments in programming.
  • Report generation

8.2 FOOD. INDUSTRY

EXAMPLE DIGITISATION OF THE DEMING CYCLE IN PROGRESS.

In this case, maintenance is carried out at different plants and facilities located several kilometres away from each other.

This means that a significant amount of time is spent on travel.

The tool allows the analysis and creation of routes in order to optimise lost travel time.

8.3 REFINING. INDUSTRY

DIGITISATION MENTION MAINTENANCE (NO DEMING CYCLE)

  • Maintenance Management
  • Creation of Forms
  • List of Inspections
  • Repair management
  • Contribution of Multimedia.

8.4 CHEMISTRY. INDUSTRY

NEW PROPOSAL FOR DIGITISATION DEMING CYCLE.

  • Proposal for the Digitalisation of the PDCA cycle and the management of the CMMS system.
  • OT management platform
  • Digitisation of processes via mobile application (Planning, Programming, Execution,...)
  • Creation of forms/checklist.
  • Creation, Review and Finalisation of the work.
  • User and contract management.
  • Developments in programming.
  • Report generation