A maintenance planner is a person who works in an industrial setting to keep machinery in good working order. Technical skills and knowledge of or the ability to learn about industrial equipment are usually required for this job. Determining the types of service that need to be performed on various types of machines, as well as outlining relevant details for those tasks, such as the parts and tools required for completion, are among the responsibilities.
When it comes to servicing equipment in an industrial facility, there are two basic options. It can be carried out as a preventative or corrective measure. A maintenance planner is a person who works for a company that understands the importance of preventative maintenance.
Maintenance planning is frequently suggested. This procedure entails laying out a plan to service a plant’s equipment in order to avoid unexpected breakdowns. Because broken equipment can cause issues like interrupted work flow, canceled orders, and overtime, it’s widely assumed that doing so will help boost production and profits.
A maintenance planner is a specialist who studies and is well-versed in the machinery used in the facility where he works. He applies this knowledge to figure out what details and resources are required to keep the equipment running smoothly. He usually collaborates closely with the maintenance scheduler, who determines when work should be completed and who should be chosen to complete it.
In general, the maintenance planner will determine what type of equipment maintenance is required. Some types of work may need to be done much more frequently than others, and a piece of equipment may not require the same type of maintenance each time it is worked on. For example, the maintenance planner might determine that the conveyor belt’s motor needs to be serviced once a year. He might also figure out that the grease dispenser that lubricates the conveyor belt needs to be cleaned on a quarterly basis to keep the machine running smoothly.
His job isn’t done once he’s reached those conclusions. He must then determine which parts and materials are required for these tasks. He will most likely be in charge of obtaining these items, but he may only have to provide the maintenance scheduler with detailed information on how to do so in some cases.
The maintenance planner is also responsible for obtaining the necessary permits for any work that needs to be done. He should inform the maintenance scheduler of the types of skills that will qualify someone to do the work, even though he is not the one who should actually set the appointments. Unless there are multiple maintenance planners at a facility, he is responsible for all of the plant’s equipment.
Although the role of a maintenance planner may appear to be specific, employers often have broad expectations of these individuals. One issue that has been identified with maintenance planners and how they are treated by their employers is that they are frequently assigned special projects or tasks that are unrelated to the work for which they were hired. Many are also given duties that should be assigned to maintenance schedulers. When this happens, there’s a good chance these people won’t be as productive or effective in their primary responsibilities as they could be, and their employers won’t reap the full benefits of having a preventative employee on board.