World Grain - April 2023 - 50

MILLING OPERATIONS
was included. However,
inventory
likely
practices menprovide
tioned
previously would
not
legitimate
detail for such a
charge. Missing was breakdown
of where or on what
department
systems or
operation were the maintenance
budget expenditures
incurred. The information
could assist identification
of problem areas, perhaps
justifying replacements or
upgrades when the cost of
ownership is too great. The
experience made clear that
maintenance is not an island
in the milling organization
and that information
consuming, but the reward was the ability to establish a preventive
maintenance schedule and reduce time used to identify
repair part requirements and reduce downtime.
The next step taken was to inventory spare parts available
in various locations of the facility, including the " bone yard, "
where old motors, gear reducers, airlocks, fans, and blowers
in various states of wear were stored in no order and with no
consideration for safety. Similarly observed in disarray were
various collections of belts, chains, sprockets, pulleys, and
bearings.
While appreciating the creativity of putting together a temporary
solution to keep the place running, it often took an excessive
amount of time to develop the solution. The solution
sometimes compromised safety, and often it became permanent
to the detriment of the operation, product, and machine.
Tracking of maintenance activities was by memory or on paper
list, resulting in activities being dropped or forgotten and
delays causing avoidable collateral damage and downtime.
Moreover, the list approach failed to provide data needed to
improve maintenance efficiency, leading me to consider developing
a work order system to identify the activity until
completion and provide meaningful data such as who made
the repair, how long did it take, what parts were required from
the storeroom or to be ordered, and future equipment needs.
Assignment changes and other opportunities prevented further
development in this endeavor, but the development of
maintenance strategies, including Computerized Maintenance
Management Systems (CMMS), continue to intrigue me.
Maintenance budget cost was presented as a single lineitem
value per unit of production. As a result, the components
of the cost were never identified for management purposes.
Clearly the sources included overall maintenance labor, tools,
repair parts, outside shop services, and consumable materials
such as drive components and lubricants.
Perhaps the carrying cost for maintenance inventory also
50
shared within and between other disciplines within the organization
enhances organizational communication and efficiency.
CMMS for maintenance support
CMMS are intended to provide maintenance support in organizations
seeking to improve maintenance and operational
efficiency and, as a result, asset utilization. Prior to CMMS
selection, goals and objectives of CMMS must be identified
and supporting justification developed. The team to outline
objectives and develop justification must include people and
job functions selected to choose and implement the system.
Ideally the team includes maintenance, purchasing and procurement,
and accounting functions associated with labor and
other cost allocations to various cost centers, asset management,
including property and inventory control.
A team member or function not to be forgotten is an information
technology staff member or specialist responsible for
integrating the selected systems or modules system into existing
or future proposed computer-based programs, including
automation and enterprise resource programs (ERP).
Finally, support is required of upper management at the
plant and corporate offices as well as marketing and sales
representatives depending on the company structure and communications
network existing or proposed. Whether the site
is small with few employees, each responsible for many functions,
or large with numerous employees, each having a single
job function, the team effort is essential for proper selection
and implementation of CMMS.
CMMS goals and criteria
The goals and criteria of the team may best be met by selection
of specific modules or functions available from the
CMMS vendor. Typical module offerings may include preventive
maintenance scheduling, work orders, inventory control,
purchasing, predictive maintenance, mobile accessibility,
April 2023 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
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World Grain - April 2023

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