ABSTRACT

Off-highway plant and equipment must operate efficiently and with minimum unscheduled stoppages, if desirable levels of productivity are to be achieved. Realising this objective will cost the organisation in terms of maintenance works required to sustain production. However, ensuring maximum plant reliability can only be achieved via a carefully planned maintenance strategy. The strategy must coincide with production requirements and schedules so that it causes minimum stoppage and loss of production. It should therefore consider the overall business situation and not only embrace pure maintenance practice but also the wider economic ‘cost implications’ in the context of the organisation’s broader portfolio. The maintenance programme will normally be bespoke and subject to continual monitoring and improvement and will be based upon both practice and experience. Once the maintenance framework has been developed, management must ensure that works conducted conform to policy. The organisation is not selling plant maintenance. Rather plant maintenance is required for its contribution to the overall function of the business.