When creating a maintenance staff plan, it is essential to determine the optimal number of technicians needed based on the number of machines in operation. This includes considering the necessary amount of electricians, mechanics, PdM techs, Reliability Engineers, and other personnel required to support the equipment efficiently. Are there industry benchmarks or studies available that correlate the number of pieces of equipment to the appropriate level of maintenance personnel needed for optimal performance?
A few years ago, I undertook a thorough process that proved to be quite time-consuming but essential for proper maintenance planning. This process entails meticulously identifying all equipment, systems, and spaces in need of maintenance. By identifying maintenance tasks such as PM, PdM, repairs, mods, and customer calls, along with their frequency and estimated labor hours, you can calculate the total labor hours required. Adjusting this number for technician wrench time efficiency is crucial. To determine the actual labor hours contributed by an employee, start with 52 weeks multiplied by 40 hours, deducting non-working time like vacation, sick days, training, and company meetings. This will give you the labor hours per employee per year. By dividing the maintenance hours required by the labor hours per employee per year, you can estimate the number of technicians needed for the job. Setting up a CMMS or work order system plays a significant role in this process, as it involves tasks like equipment identification, task identification, and labor hour estimation. If you're short on time, consider visiting www.ifma.org to order their benchmarking research report, which provides valuable insights into facilities maintenance costs and staffing requirements based on square footage. Another helpful resource could be RS Means Facilities Maintenance and Repair Cost Data, although the most recent version may need to be sought out. Good luck on your maintenance planning journey!
Determining the appropriate number of personnel is not a one-size-fits-all process. It involves industrial engineering techniques such as time studies. Understanding wrench-time concepts and ensuring planners are familiar with personnel qualifications and task completion times based on experience levels are essential. Conducting a thorough RCM analysis and identifying critical equipment within your facility can provide valuable insights to establish the optimal number of personnel needed to effectively run your program. This approach, when executed correctly, can be a great starting point in workforce planning.
Absolutely agree, creating a right-sized maintenance team is critical for operational efficiency. In most scenarios, the 'one-size-fits-all' concept doesn't apply due to the varying complexity and needs of different types of equipment. While there might not be a definitive industry benchmark, the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) offers a lot of excellent resources and guidelines to help formulate a personnel plan. Also, some companies utilize a ratio of maintenance personnel to assets, but this often needs to be adjusted based on the complexity of the asset, the age, the production intensity, and other factors. Building a predictive model based on your organization's historical data might be the most effective way to correlate equipment number to staffing level.
While there might not be a universal guideline or a one-size-fits-all ratio of technicians to machines because factors like machine complexity, type and age, drive maintenance needs, I've observed that successful organizations often develop and follow their custom benchmarks over time. They consider their historical data, machine downtimes, and maintenance schedules. Recently, I came across a NETA report mentioning an ideal ratio of around 15-20 pieces of equipment per PdM tech in an advanced industrial setup. However, individual scenarios may vary greatly. It would be beneficial to conduct a thorough analysis considering your assets' unique needs and then develop a reliable maintenance plan accordingly.
While I don't have any specific studies to hand, I can tell you that the optimal staffing level can vary widely depending on the type of machinery, its age and complexity, and the intensity of its use. Also, the capability and skill level of your maintenance staff matters a lot. Highly skilled personnel can manage more machines effectively. Switching to predictive maintenance can also reduce manpower needs by preventing breakdowns before they happen. However, be aware that industrial averages for staffing may not be applicable to your specific situation. A detailed assessment of your equipment and operations by a professional maintenance consultant might provide the most accurate answers.
While I don't know of any specific studies that outline an exact correlation between the number of machines and maintenance staff required, I do believe that the ratio varies greatly depending on the complexity and reliability of the equipment. Highly automated, newer machinery may require fewer technicians but higher skilled ones, whereas older equipment may require more personnel due to frequent breakdowns. Keep in mind, the quality of your preventive maintenance program can also play a significant role. Additionally, you might want to consider doing a workload analysis to see how many man-hours are currently spent on maintenance tasks. The findings should give you a realistic ratio for your unique circumstances.
✅ Work Order Management
✅ Asset Tracking
✅ Preventive Maintenance
✅ Inspection Report
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Answer: - Factors to consider include the types of machines, their criticality, maintenance requirements, complexity, and the skill sets needed for maintenance tasks.
Answer: - Yes, there are industry benchmarks and studies available that correlate the number of pieces of equipment to the appropriate level of maintenance personnel needed. These benchmarks can provide valuable insights into staffing ratios and best practices.
Answer: - To ensure the maintenance staff plan is effective, regular reviews and adjustments based on workload, downtime analysis, feedback from technicians, and performance metrics are essential. Continuous improvement processes should be in place to optimize resource allocation.
Answer: - A comprehensive maintenance staff plan should include roles such as electricians, mechanics, Predictive Maintenance (PdM) technicians, Reliability Engineers, and other personnel with specialized skills required for maintaining different types of equipment efficiently.
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