ABSTRACT
The duration of turnaround event is short and utilizes large manpower resources that include plant and maintenance personnel, technicians, craftsmen, and skilled and specialist contractors� The magnitude of the interrelated activities of the turnaround event requires stringent control and coordination�
Control can be defined as the process where the following actions can be done:
• Tracking progress: Knowing where you are, compared with where you’re supposed to be� The shutdown manager will want to use a periodic reporting system that identifies the status of every activity scheduled for work since the last progress report� These reports summarize the progress for the current period as well as the cumulative progress for the entire shutdown�
• Detecting variance from plan: Variance reports are of particular importance to management� They are simple and intuitive, and they give managers an excellent tool by which to quickly assess the health of a shutdown� To detect variance, the shutdown manager needs to compare planned performance to actual performance� Exception reports, variance reports, and graphical reports give management the information necessary for decision making in a concise format�
• Forecasting and evaluating potential problem areas: This can be done prior to their occurrence so that preventive action can be taken�
• Taking corrective action: To take corrective action, it is necessary to know where the problem is and to have that information in time to do something about it� Once there is a significant variance from the plan, the next step is to determine whether corrective action is needed and then act appropriately� In complex shutdowns, this requires examining a number of what-ifs� When problems occur in the shutdown, delays result and the shutdown falls behind schedule� For the shutdown to get back on schedule, resources might have to be reallocated� In larger shutdowns, the computer can assist in examining a number of resource reallocation alternatives and help to pick the best�
• Knowing what lies ahead that can affect you: This action reviews trends or situations so that their impact can be analyzed and, if possible, an action proposed to alleviate the situation�
• Providing constant surveillance of shutdown conditions: This is useful so that a “no-surprise” situation is created effectively and economically�
The controlling process group is involved in taking measurements and performing inspections to find out if there are variances in the plan� If variances are discovered, corrective action is taken to get the shutdown back on track, and the affected shutdown planning processes are repeated to make adjustments to the plan as a result of the variances� Shutdown managers often make the same mistake when trying to keep control of their job� They get wrapped up in the here and now-the measurement and evaluation of their future situation is ignored�
Two of the targets pertain to the consumption of resources:
1� Schedule: Was the shutdown completed on time? 2� Cost: Did the shutdown come in at cost?
