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OCS Eureka Scheduling


Eureka Planning Overview

The Eureka Maintenance Scheduling system accesses work order data generated by an existing maintenance management system and together with resource availability and skills data from personnel or roster systems reschedules the work orders to minimize equipment down time and maximize utilization of available resources.

Eureka uses mixed integer program optimization algorithms together with constraint programming and cost modelling techniques to produce a schedule that will reduce maintenance costs and equipment down time, without violating the constraints imposed by the number, type and skill level of maintenance personnel available and safe service margins for items of equipment.

The generated schedule can be viewed and further refined using popular PC based project management tools with the resulting schedule used to update the work order due dates in the maintenance management system.

 

Scheduling Process

Select global schedule criteria of site, work center and date range. Select work orders by plant structure, operational hierarchy, priority, status, and maintenance type or equipment identifier. Select resources to perform the work by team identifier, an individuals name or by skill. Run the scheduling process. Review the project schedule generated and modify if required. Update the maintenance management system with the revised schedule data.

 

Restricted or Shared Access

The schedule can be set to private and is then not available to other users. This prevents access and changes by other users during the development of a schedule. Alternatively the plan can be shared between multiple planners for shared development of the plan.

 

Work Selection

Work order selection is controlled at the macro level by company, schedule from and to dates, site and work center. Work orders can then be selected within the macro level by equipment name, operation structure, plant structure, equipment or individual tasks. By default only work orders that are not currently assigned to another schedule are available for selection.

 

Date Locking

The user can control the scheduling of a particular work order by locking. The scheduler will fix the start date of this work order to its due date as generated by the MMS (Maintenance Management system)

 

Scheduling

The scheduler will manipulate the work order start date to minimize equipment down time and maximize resource utilization. Work order service margins determine how far a work order can be moved from its due date.

 

Resources

Resources can be selected by skill, crew, individual or all available resources.

 

Roster

A roster is generated for the Select resources and takes into account time allocated to other schedules.

 

Graphical Display

The output from the mixed integer program optimization algorithms is displayed in Microsoft Project. Work order task time, dates and resource allocation can be changed. The revised schedule can then update the MMS work order information.

 

Screen Display

After selection of work orders and personnel for the schedule the user may then display the schedule in the work order-planning screen. The work order planning screen displays the work order number, equipment, description, completion flag, resource, work order start date, person allocated to the work, estimated hours for the work order, resource hours, hours remaining for the work order, planned hours, planned overtime, actual hours worked and a comment line. The work order may be allocated across multiple days and to different personnel. The display may be sorted by work order, equipment, description, resource, date or person by selecting the appropriate column header. The user can swap between the graphical and screen views at will. Both tools may be used in conjunction to help create and manage the project plan.

 

Time Entry

All actual times are recorded through the work order time sheet entry screen and allow actual time worked to be entered as well as the time remaining for that segment of the work order. Where the time remaining for the work order/resource is zero then that segment of work is considered complete. When all related work order/resource entries are marked as complete the work order status is set to "PC" plan complete and the work will no longer appear in the back log. The work order must still be processed using the work order completion screen to enter failure codes and other completion data.

 

History

Plans/schedules are kept in history after the work is completed and the schedule closed. Work orders that were not completed in a particular schedule are released on closing the schedule and are available for inclusion in other schedules.

 

Reports

There are comprehensive reports, which include:

  • Plan versus actual
  • Scheduling
  • Master schedule
  • Employee worksheet
  • KPI report
  • Daily Operating
  • Job List

Additional reports and modifications to standard reports can be specified using the software tools provided with the system.

 

Improve Planning Efficiency

Efficient planning of work is often seen as a black art. Eureka planning takes the guess work away from planning providing tools to assist in the planning process, monitor the progress to the plan, record plan alteration and report on the overall planning efficiency.

  • Reduce Equipment Downtime. Correct planning can enable the timely generation of work orders, provision of materials and preparation of required resources. This the reduced the required equipment downtime as it ensure all materials and resources are available at the correct time.
  • Maximize Resource Utilization. Eureka planning quickly identifies and shows shortfalls in available resources and/or skilling. This is shown even where multiple plans are in effect for different areas of the plant, different maintenance requirements or different resource types.
  • Monitor Plan Progress. The integration of the maintenance plan with time sheets ensure the plan can be monitored at all times.
  • Maintenance Planning KPIs. The development of key performance indicators for the planning process will take the guess work out of your planning efficiency. This will allow for further improvements in your planning efficiency and productivity.

 

Manage your Maintenance Plan

  • Helps develop your maintenance plan
  • Identifies short falls in resource availability or skilling
  • Monitor the completion of the plan
  • Record and identify plan alterations
  • Generate maintenance planning KPRs