Lean in maintenance processes
Yes, Lean is also suitable for maintenance.
Maintenance is considered an activity that contributes to improving the availability, efficiency and productivity of each piece of equipment. Several techniques have been used to achieve greater maintenance efficiency, among which we can find the Lean maintenance philosophy.
This methodology allowed the prescription of appropriate Lean techniques to solve the main deficiencies of the maintenance function, obtaining important results and making the maintenance activity more efficient.
Maintenance has become crucial in today's production systems. A paradigm shift towards more efficient asset life cycle management has led to the incorporation of different techniques, philosophies and technologies to achieve higher levels of performance and sustainability.
The implementation of the LEAN methodology allows faster adaptation of production systems to market fluctuations, producing only the required amount of products at the time required by the market. In recent years, Lean philosophy has become popular in many sectors such as the food industry, manufacturing, processing and even service industries. In industry, as in Maintenance, applying Lean means reducing or eliminating activities that do not add value.
Similarities can be made between production losses and maintenance inefficiency. For example, the transport of materials from production is similar to the transport of spare parts and tools. The list can go on for all 7 types of losses identified in Production.
In any improvement project it is necessary to define and apply a procedure that leads to better results. Lean maintenance is no exception. Thus, procedures have been developed to cover all the phases necessary to implement the Lean philosophy in maintenance, such as:
• Knowledge of philosophy through training courses, staff awareness and team building
• Organizational diagnosis through diagnostic questionnaires
• Implementation by selecting Lean techniques, prioritization and project planning
• Continuous improvement through evaluation, motivation and involvement of workers, presentation of results
In summary, by applying the Lean philosophy, the process of eliminating losses is achieved. In terms of maintenance, the elimination of losses can be classified as: reduction of over-maintenance, better organization of spare parts warehouses, better maintenance (shorter average repair time - MTTR), better organization of maintenance and standardization of maintenance procedures.
Maintenance is considered an activity that contributes to improving the availability, efficiency and productivity of each piece of equipment. Several techniques have been used to achieve greater maintenance efficiency, among which we can find the Lean maintenance philosophy.
This methodology allowed the prescription of appropriate Lean techniques to solve the main deficiencies of the maintenance function, obtaining important results and making the maintenance activity more efficient.
Maintenance has become crucial in today's production systems. A paradigm shift towards more efficient asset life cycle management has led to the incorporation of different techniques, philosophies and technologies to achieve higher levels of performance and sustainability.
The implementation of the LEAN methodology allows faster adaptation of production systems to market fluctuations, producing only the required amount of products at the time required by the market. In recent years, Lean philosophy has become popular in many sectors such as the food industry, manufacturing, processing and even service industries. In industry, as in Maintenance, applying Lean means reducing or eliminating activities that do not add value.
Similarities can be made between production losses and maintenance inefficiency. For example, the transport of materials from production is similar to the transport of spare parts and tools. The list can go on for all 7 types of losses identified in Production.
In any improvement project it is necessary to define and apply a procedure that leads to better results. Lean maintenance is no exception. Thus, procedures have been developed to cover all the phases necessary to implement the Lean philosophy in maintenance, such as:
• Knowledge of philosophy through training courses, staff awareness and team building
• Organizational diagnosis through diagnostic questionnaires
• Implementation by selecting Lean techniques, prioritization and project planning
• Continuous improvement through evaluation, motivation and involvement of workers, presentation of results
In summary, by applying the Lean philosophy, the process of eliminating losses is achieved. In terms of maintenance, the elimination of losses can be classified as: reduction of over-maintenance, better organization of spare parts warehouses, better maintenance (shorter average repair time - MTTR), better organization of maintenance and standardization of maintenance procedures.
