HOW TO MANAGE THE PLANNING PHASE

Hi everyone, in this article, I will talk about how to manage the planning phase. I made a scheme to explain easily the process in a maintenance system. This flow could be used even for other processes, it depends on which job are you engaged.

In the picture the numbers 1,2,3 mean INPUT for me. I call them Input because are the first part of the process. A planner receives input in many ways. We can consider a Planner as a "switch" to route information and choose how to set up the scheduling ( in another article I will show you the Excel sheet, programmed by me, that I use to schedule). Obviously, in this process, you have to know the dynamics of the process.

In my case, but you can extend it in all fields, I address to:

• Problems inside the plant: You have to consider location, interference with other works close to you.
• Availability of workers: There are more variables that you can face in this case.
• SAFETY: Remember safety first, you have to understand how the works will be conducted and if they can be done. Which tools will be used. Sometimes you need to do a risk assessment. In this case, in my organization,the risk assessment is primarily for safety risks. In many cases, you will consider the different type of risks. You can put them in a matrix where you can compare the impact with the probability to happen, it because you have to try to mitigate this issues that you can be faced.
• Economic: Most of the time you call firms to do some works, you can negotiate the best prices to each one in accord with your budget. But this is not the moment to talk about it.
•  Production: You need to understand if your work could have an impact on the production by interacting with operation manager, this is the key trying to figure out a good solution for both.
• Timing: How much time do you need to do the works??
• Coordination the supervising: I am even the supervisor, I have to ascertain about the work. especially for workers that come from other organization. 

Therefore, during the week you prepare your scheduling considering each feature that I listed, picking up information ( INPUT), reflecting about them and within the end of the week you prepare the schedule for 1 or 2 weeks forward.
Skills that you need:

• Technical skills in your sector.
• Attention to details.
• Organization skills.
• You have to establish a strong relationship with contractors and providers, that can help you in the wrong moment!

We spend time on the phone to organize, to ask, to plan, to reprogram, for supervising the work, to store and to complete the work.

When a job is completed you will be able to save a job in software or reschedule if necessary.
This process is always changing and you will never be annoyed!

Emanuele Battista

Mechanical Engineer