The document discusses common issues with maintenance planner/scheduler positions and provides recommendations for effective utilization. Five key factors that lead to ineffective planner/schedulers are identified: overlapping job responsibilities, being overworked, lack of proper qualifications, becoming careless over time, and poor communication. The roles and responsibilities of planner/schedulers need to be clearly defined to focus on planning and scheduling. They also need to be properly staffed and receive formal training to develop the necessary skills. Regular performance reviews and communication across maintenance teams can help planner/schedulers operate effectively and reduce downtime.

1. Avoid the Misguided Application of the
Maintenance Planner Scheduler
By Tim Kister of Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in the September 2006 issue of Plant Engineering
If you consider all of the organizations and companies that have maintenance departments,
typically only one third of them have the planner/scheduler position in place. Within that
group of companies, typically only 10% of those planner/schedulers are effectively being
utilized. Why is there such a gap in the effective utilization of the planner/scheduler
position? The main reason is the lack of understanding of the definition of an effective
planner/scheduler.
There are five dominant factors that answer that question. The five factors are: Overlapping
Job Responsibilities, Overworked Planner, Unqualified Planner, Careless Planner and Lack
of Communications. Let’s look at these five factors in more depth as we identify ways to
change the misguided application of the planner scheduler function.
Overlapping Job Responsibilities
Oftentimes, planner/schedulers act as gophers, parts chasers, clerks, purchasing agents,
expeditors, fill-in supervisors or even return back to their tools when breakdowns occur.
Additional tasks such as these detract from the core responsibilities of planning and
scheduling, which is to prepare work plans and scheduling for the next week and beyond.
The planner/scheduler position has to be dedicated to the process and they must know what
they are accountable for. For this understanding to happen, lines of responsibilities have to
be clearly defined. The best way to accomplish a clear definition of roles and
responsibilities is by developing a work control process flow. The outcome of this effort
defines each step of the work process and from there specific assignments of
responsibilities and accountabilities are able to be identified. Thus the planner/scheduler
function can focus on true responsibilities.
Overworked Planner/Scheduler
This is typically driven by the fact that there are too few planners on staff to support the
number of maintenance personnel resulting in incomplete or poorly planned work, missing
repair parts or equipment, and inadequate coordination of asset availability for repairs.
Ultimately, this results in inefficient labor personnel and extended downtime. To counter
this, the proper ratio of planner/schedulers to tradespersons has to be established. In a very
disciplined and mature process this ratio is 1 to 20. However, if that maturity and discipline
is not in place the ratio will be less.
Unqualified Planner/Scheduler

2. A vast majority of planner/scheduler positions are filled based only on the maintenance
technician with the most seniority or just a body to fill the position. This is not the best, nor
most effective, way to select the proper person to function as a planner/scheduler. Once the
roles, responsibilities and work control processes are in place, the proper selection and
training of planner/scheduler candidates is essential. Planner/scheduler candidates need to
be selected based on specific credentials and abilities, rather than simply because they are
the most senior person in the current workforce. A specific selection process must be in
place that takes into consideration the trade experience of the candidate, that person’s
respect from and rapport with their peers. The candidate should believe and support the
proactive philosophies of the company and should be highly motivated, visionary,
organized and effective in time management as well as a strong leader and a communicator.
Formal training is also essential for success. Planner/schedulers need CMMS and planning
and scheduling training to be effective. CMMS training provides the necessary knowledge
of how to use the organization’s CMMS tool properly. This will save time in the planning
and scheduling process, as well as reduce the frustrations of the planner/scheduler. Relying
on ‘hand-me-downs’ or ‘here is how I do it’ transfer of planning practices and knowledge
from older planner/schedulers to the new candidate breeds inefficiencies and bad practices.
Formal training establishes the standards of best practices as well as examples of how to
transition towards achieving those best practices. On the job training is of great benefit, but
formal training is a necessity for them to hone their skills. Don’t forget on-going technical
training to help planners develop even better job plans to support their maintenance
personnel.
Careless Planner/Scheduler
This factor tends to sneak in as individuals drift off course as time goes by. Audits and
performance agreements should be in place to address specific aspects of the processes to
keep complacency and carelessness from showing up. Typical indicators of this trend are
incomplete work packages, parts not available and scheduling and coordination not
happening. The end result is poor performance of work, unnecessary downtimes, increased
rework, and ultimately a return to a reactive state.
Lack of Communications
In order for the process to be effective it must be built on clear, concise, and effective
communications between all members of the team. Planner/schedulers need to develop a
close team/partnership between operations, maintenance supervision and the maintenance
workforce. The closer this team works together, the better the communications will be. If
the communications is effective, the result is better feedback from all levels, operators,
maintenance technicians, supervision and others.
The planning and scheduling function in industry cannot stay at the low level of
effectiveness. Organizations have to take steps to improve their processes or they will not
survive in the competitive world economy. Effective planning and scheduling is one way to
assist in becoming and staying competitive. Typical returns are three hours saved in work
execution or reduced downtime for every hour invested in effective planning and

3. scheduling. A transition has to be made from the old processes of the ineffective reactivity
of parts chaser, gopher, and clerk to that of an effective, proactive professional
planner/scheduler. This transition will allow maintenance supervisors to spend more time
directing their labor resources. Maintenance crews become more effective and efficient by
having the right tools, equipment, materials, and instructions to perform the work assigned.
Scheduling and coordination provides the way to optimize the utilization of the
maintenance personnel by reducing delays and ultimately reduces asset downtime. If the
investment is not made to develop the planner/scheduler properly, then the benefits will
never be realized and failure is imminent. Remember, the primary goal of an effective
planner/scheduler is the reduction of delays and waits during work execution. To make this
possible, planner/schedulers have to be allowed to focus on the future. The focus of
successful planner/schedulers is next week and beyond.
© 2007 Life Cycle Engineering, Inc.