Maintenance Products

Its on the cards

Maintenance ControlPhilip Heine from T Cards Direct explains why many companies go for a simple approach to coordinating Engineering Staff and Health & Safety

 

· Planned / Preventative Maintenance
· Unscheduled / Reactive Maintenance
· Improvement and Project Management

There are many ways of managing this work, all of which are dependant on the amount of time and money you want to invest in the system. And once the system is up and running, how much time and effort does it take to keep it going? Likewise, what training requirements are there? If a member of staff changes will it effect the management and efficiency of the system?

There are four ways of managing maintenance tasks, each having their own merits:

· Diary
· T Card System
· Software Package with Work Stations
· Fully Integrated IT Solution with PDA’s


It cannot be a surprise to learn that most people use a variety of tools to manage work of which a visual system plays a vital role. Communicating tasks between departments, setting targets and generally keeping staff informed and motivated. There are many advantages of visually co-ordinating work. Even those who deny they need it are actually using a visual system. They are insistent they have an IT solution and therefore do not require a visual tool. Nine times out of ten they have a white board or notice board on their wall!

Whatever system is in place, the key is the competence and commitment of the people who run it. ‘It’s only as good as the people who use it!’. Suffice to say, if you make the process simple, clear and precise you will get greater benefits from your system.

A key issue is skill level. Do you want fully trained engineers logging on and spending valuable time on a PC when the next job needs attention? All production issues are urgent and engineers want to get on with the next job. The goal must be to make the most of an engineers time and thus keep production running efficiently.


We have always done it this way.

A change in system can be less painful than first thought as for most it is not a change in method of working but an improvement in the method. This is most true with regards to T Card Systems. For example, instead of running through reams of print out or searching through a bulldog clip, a parts requisition can be found “At a Glance”.  The most cynical of engineers who are reluctant to change can be the best advertisements for T Card Systems. On many occasions, once trialled, they see the benefits and can be like “limpets” to a system which was alien to them just a few weeks before.

A bonus is having an input from staff that uses the system. This can lead to additional benefits. Many companies have seen their T Card System evolve to encompass a variety of key improvements. TQM and project management have been adapted very easily. Likewise Engineering Hand Over and Subcontractor Work Permit procedures have been made simpler and clearer in a visual way.


Are we going backwards?

A T Card System may be seen by some as a retrograde step. So why do so many people still use a system that was perfect for the 70’s, on its way out in the 80’s and old hat in 90’s. The answer is a simple one. They work in a clear precise cost effective manor, which require little or no training and minimum effort to maintain.

Its old fashion, I hear you say, but when did good simple business practise go out of the window? Proof can be seen in the amount of people who still value them. T Cards Direct, based in Kent sold more T Card Systems in the UK last year than any previous year in their 45 year history and now export all over the world.

T Cards have evolved over the last few years both in presentation and how the system can work. They have become a communication tool for management and staff.

There are several systems available, which can be tailored to fit in with the way your company already works. Elements can be used which are most relevant. Avoid over complicating the system wherever possible. The simple systems are the ones that everyone in the organisation is more likely to buy into.

 

What do I do now?

A telephone call to T Cards Direct on 01732-871417 will save you a lot of time. They will discuss and advise on the most suitable system for you whether you are a small one man maintenance department or a large operation with 3 shift maintenance teams. The system will be supplied fully assembled, with printed headings for a system which is professional as well as functional.

For the cost of less than a PC you can have a system up and running within several days. Training is minimal and improvements in efficiency are seen almost immediately.
Can you afford to ignore clear, sensible business practise?

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