Labor load leveling
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Posted 3/25/2008 1:09 PM


 

Group: MPulse Admin
Last Login: 11/5/2008 1:32 PM
Posts: 16, Visits: 57
Hi All,

Just recently speaking with a customer in Richmond, IL who is a manufacturer of electric parts.  One of the challenges he faces with MPulse is making sure he has enough labor resources available to handle the work load.  Things go smoothly for the regular work - monthly PMs, basic corrective work, tweaks, etc - but when quarterlies, or major problems come up - the load is skewed.

I gave the customer a few ideas....but then thought this would be a fantastic forum question.  How do the rest of you manage this with or even without MPulse? 

-Randy

Randy Brous
MPulse Maintenance Software
800-944-1796 x1468
541-302-6680 FAX
rbrous@mpulsesoftware.com
http://www.mpulsesoftware.com

Post #21
Posted 3/25/2008 1:43 PM
 

Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 4/17/2008 9:16 AM
Posts: 1, Visits: 3
Thanks for posting this issue Randy. I print off all of my PM's due for the week on Monday and distribute to my crew. As they complete them, I close out the workorders. I have some PM's due each week, others are due bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The problem occurs when some of the non-weekly PM's come up at the same time. My workload has more hours than I have available. I have charted the number of hours each week for about 3 years now and the hours can vary from 30 hours per week to 100. I would love to be able to figure out how to load level it so that the weekly ones still come out weekly, but the others would be automatically loaded based on number of hours left. I am thinking I could somehow use the priority field to have weekly and bi-weekly as high priority, monthly as medium priority and quarterly, semi-annual, and annual as low priority. Then set the number of hours available, and if it exceeds those hours, it automatically bumps the low priority workorders out till next week. I would probably need some type of notification as to how many got bumped out though so I could either plan on overtime or reschedule other things.

Alan Harnacke


Alan Harnacke
Facilities Manager
Watlow
Richmond, IL
Post #22
Posted 3/26/2008 10:16 AM


 

Group: MPulse Employee
Last Login: 10/16/2008 1:46 PM
Posts: 8, Visits: 26
Alan said: Then set the number of hours available, and if it exceeds those hours, it automatically bumps the low priority workorders out till next week. I would probably need some type of notification as to how many got bumped out though so I could either plan on overtime or reschedule other things.

 

Good thought, Alan, and you're right, you'd need something to make sure the low priority ones just didn't keep getting bumped for lack of available hours and never get on the schedule. 

 

How many of you are using the Estimated Hours in the Maintenance Task records for planning?

 

-- Jeff

Jeff Miller

MPulse Maintenance Software - PA Office

610-796-1761

jmiller@mpulsesoftware.com

 

Post #23
Posted 3/27/2008 11:31 AM
 

Group: MPulse Steward
Last Login: 10/29/2008 8:47 AM
Posts: 7, Visits: 28
We do not use the estimated time feature. Once work orders are generated, they leave my hands and the scheduling and priorities are taken care of by our three foremen. I do; however, dispatch for urgent situations or priorities.

Sharon M. Dvorak
Work Order Specialist
Division of Supporting Service
Maintenance Department
St. Mary's County Public Schools
Post #24
Posted 4/1/2008 9:59 AM
 

Group: MPulse Steward
Last Login: 7/25/2008 2:05 PM
Posts: 7, Visits: 37
This very situation is an issue with us also. One way we handled some of the annuals were to set them up by area. If we have units on the first floor that are set to quarterly PM's then we made sure to set those same units annual PM's due in one of the months the quarterly was set for. As in many cases, the annual is a more thorough PM than the quarterly or even if different tasks they can still be covered in just one visit to that unit.

As for additional PM's, we calculate how many man hours we have available for each month. Reduce the available hours amount by an estimate of the "off the wall" work orders time, then take off the PM hours already scheduled. Look at the time the new units need, divide them up according to months available (keeping in compliance) and schedule them out.

The more you can group corresponding work orders together, the better it becomes. A fan coil unit might have PM's monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual, each with a little different or additional work to be performed. If you schedule them to come out at the same time, they can be achieved with a minimum of additional time per man hours added.
Post #25
Posted 4/15/2008 6:36 AM
 

Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 9/30/2008 7:04 AM
Posts: 4, Visits: 9
This is an issue for or facilities also. We have a requirement to perform Predictive Scheduling. We currently use a mixture of MPulse reports of estimated hours required and manual accounting of technician hours available. Have tried to retrieve information from MPulse system but cannot get reports to work. Possible enhancement to system?
Post #29
Posted 4/17/2008 3:10 PM


 

Group: MPulse Admin
Last Login: 11/5/2008 1:32 PM
Posts: 16, Visits: 57
Hi all,

Great topic...keep the ideas coming. 

Interestingly enough, a consultant working with an MPulse customer in Georgia has also asked for a similar report.  Because of the increased interest in this feature, we will be including a new Sched Maintenance Estimated Man Hour report in the next release of MPulse.  This report will show your scheduled maintenance grouped by week, and the total estimated hours for each week.  The last page of the report will have a graph, similar to the one below. 

My question: is this enough?  Do you think you need more tools than this?  If so, what would they look like? 

Thanks again for the great ideas.

-Randy

Randy Brous
MPulse Maintenance Software
800-944-1796 x1468
541-302-6680 FAX
rbrous@mpulsesoftware.com
http://www.mpulsesoftware.com

Post #31
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