ALIGNING PROJECT & OVERHAUL

4.1.3 Aligning Project with Overhaul

Note: As targets for the Support Project have been defined without appointments, issues will present themselves as a choice between unplanned costs and unplanned Overhaul.

The primary objectives for the Overhaul are prearranged. The available budget is an assumption, derived from previous projects increased with 10%. Example: Management is putting emphasis on the need of reducing the cost for this overhaul, based on the fact that the economic life of the equipment is at stake.

The project manager proposes, to omit the repair of the main component of the equipment, resulting in shortening the turnaround with one week. The rotating equipment engineer (REE) claims that reliability and performance of the unit will decrease with some percentages.

This situation asks as far as possible for ‘alignment’ of Project & Overhaul. The next case studies are possible and have to be considered and, if applicable, have to be calculated.

Case-1: omitting the repair will result in a reduced reliability and performance; assumptions for reducing percentages, in a best case, realistic case and worst case, have to be calculated.

Case-2: working in shifts could in many cases reduce the duration of a turnaround; but the gain shouldn't be exaggerated. The first and the last phase, has often to be performed with one shift. The total efficiency of working in teams is also less due to handover between shifts and working during the night. A third threat arises, if the number of skilled mechanics is scarce.

Case-3: one skilled mechanic is more productive and cheaper than two mechanics without tacit knowledge for two reasons: a) a skilled mechanic is better, faster and could work with only a few instructions and b) his time-rate is lesser than two layman’s rates. Another argument comprises that smaller teams working easier from a logistic point of view. Uncertainty arises when the planning is based on skilled mechanics, but management had made a contract for dabblers.

Case-4: ‘cutting corners’, taking shortcuts, is based on making the wrong decisions by management and have to be avoided.

Case-5: Documents such as task risk analyses, welding and grinding in confined spaces, balancing and commissioning procedures ought to be available.