Problem
A multinational chemical company is facing a complex and challenging transformation of its business model following the adoption of new production technology. One of its plants, located in Northern Italy, has become strategic in this transition and needs to make drastic and urgent improvements to the quality of its production processes, with special focus on its Engineering, Technical Services and Maintenance Departments. These areas have built up a large backlog of maintenance operations, with the result that they cannot provide support to the critical new engineering projects required for the future of the plant.
Solution
Contract Manager is called in to manage the technological transformation of the plant and to cover a vacant managerial position in the Maintenance area.
In less than 3 weeks from approval:
- the manager is selected
- an analysis of the most urgent issues to be solved is performed
- an interim manager is brought in as Head of Maintenance, tasked with:
- managing the emergency
- optimizing the maintenance processes
- ensuring proper focus on the production units
- optimizing use of the maintenance management software
Results
– The maintenance management process is analyzed, including the supply of maintenance materials.
– The process is reviewed with special focus on urgent interventions, reducing these by 40%.
– The breakdown logs of critical equipment for the last 5 years are analyzed and the preventive maintenance plan optimized.
– The backlog is frozen, and the number of open issues reduced.
– Maintenance work-in-progress (average maintenance time) is defined.
– A plan to reduce delays is drawn up (ongoing despite the additional difficulties caused by Covid).
– Standard planning processes for maintenance are established and service levels agreed with internal customers.
– The maintenance software is optimized, providing data that allows the company to improve maintenance in terms of both time and costs.
– Supply of spare parts is analyzed, seeking further improvements to be agreed with Corporate:
- rationalizing the supplier portfolio
- strengthening supplier qualification and monitoring processes
- shortening supply times.
– A number of engineering solutions are implemented to prevent those breakdowns having the greatest impact on production.
– A training plan is drawn up by skilled Maintenance staff for production personnel to strengthen self-maintenance.
The very real results outlined above persuaded the client to ask Contract Manager to extend the intervention to a restructuring of the plant’s Engineering Department, which is 50% understaffed. An exciting a new challenge to win together with the client.