Actions for deploying the maintenance module
1. Adding a machine or device
Terakes link: Admin->Management summary page -> Machines and equipment
The maintenance module can be used for Machines and equipment registered in Terakes, so adding machines and equipment is a prerequisite for using the maintenance module. When adding a machine or device, it is possible to fill in many fields, but only one of them is mandatory: “name”.
The term “Maintenance Schedule”
If the maintenance schedule already exists in Terakes, it can be registered to the machine immediately. If there are no maintenances yet, they can be done after the maintenances are described. It is more logical to first register all the machines and equipment, and then only to assess what maintenance, flashes and activities are necessary to maintain these machines, and as a result to register the types of maintenance.
Definition of “Responsible Person”
This person is administratively responsible for the machine. The responsible person keeps inventory records of the machine or equipment, rents them out or writes authorizations, is responsible for ensuring that the paperwork for the machine or equipment is in order, that the insurance and inspection are valid and that the subject matter has been paid. He acts as the transferor and receiver of the machine in the inventory activities.
The term “Responsible for maintenance”
The person responsible for maintenance organizes the condition and maintenance of the machine. He receives notifications about the approach of maintenance and about faults registered on the machine. If the company’s machine fleet is large, there may be a risk that some machines do not have a responsible person assigned – this can be easily checked by taking a look at the list of machines in Terakes, which also includes the name of the person responsible for maintenance.
2. Description of maintenance schedules, maintenance intervals and maintenance activities
Terakes link: Maintenance module->Admin
The term “Maintenance schedule”
The maintenance schedule consists of maintenance intervals and activities.
Your company may have very different types of machines or equipment, the maintenance of which takes place at different intervals and includes different activities. There is no need to lubricate the crane boom or check the hydraulic hoses on the passenger car, while there is no need to add window washing liquid to the boiler house, etc. What schedules you create in Terakes is up to you and depends on your company’s machines, equipment, practice and convenience. If there are only one type of machines in the company’s fleet (for example, only passenger cars), which are of different brands, but are all maintained at more or less the same intervals and the maintenance includes the same activities, only one schedule, “Passenger car maintenance”, can be registered. Even a boiler house and a passenger car can have the same schedule if there is no need for excessive complexity. However, it is still advisable to record activities and maintenance intervals according to the manufacturer’s device manual.
The term “Maintenance interval”
The period and regularity after which the machine is serviced. Typically specified in the device’s user manual. In Terakes, the maintenance interval or period can be recorded using three metrics: motorcycle hours, mileage based on the odometer reading, and calendar days. It is possible to use several metrics at the same time, for example, the “regular maintenance” interval on a passenger car can be set for 365 days or 15,000 km mileage. In this case, a notification is sent to the person responsible for the maintenance of the machine according to whether the maintenance time is approaching according to either metric, and the machine is colored “red” in the list of machines when either of the metrics of the period has arrived. The notification metric is recorded along with the maintenance interval.
Definition of “Activity”
Every single action during maintenance. These activities help the specialist carrying out the maintenance to keep track of what needs to be done during the maintenance, and later it is possible to check from the maintenance history of the machine when exactly and by whom something was done. The activity log is also an important input for those who monitor or audit the machine or device.
If the activity is registered as a “replacement activity” of a device’s cost part, then this action resets the life meter of the device’s corresponding cost part. If the activity is registered as an “inspection or measurement activity” of a part of the equipment, then the measurement of the wear of a part must be entered during it, for example the remaining tire pattern or the thickness of the brake disc in mm.
Once the maintenance has been described, it is worth returning to point “1. Add a machine or device” and fill out the maintenance schedule for the machines.
5. Adding a machine part
Terakes link: Admin->Management summary page -> Machines and equipment -> button “Change” in the list of machines -> Tab “Parts”
Machine part refers to any consumable part of a machine that has a specified lifetime or measurable wear after which the part must be replaced. The most typical example for a passenger car is engine oil, the life of which is typically measured in kilometers driven and/or engine oil age in calendar days.
Adding a machine part is done by pressing the “Add” button. The entered data can be changed later using the “Settings” button in the already registered Part block. The following data can be entered in the machine part change window:
“Name”: The general name of the machine part, such as “engine oil” or “front brake discs”.
“Serial Number”: Part serial number if relevant.
“Replacement Action”: An action in the machine or equipment maintenance schedule that resets the life metric.
“Inspection or measurement activity”: if it is necessary to evaluate the residual life of a machine part manually (for example, the thickness of brake discs needs to be measured), then this activity. There is no need to enter automatic actions such as registering the odometer reading, registering the motorcycle hour reading, or the number of calendar days that have passed since the previous shift. It does not make sense to enter, for example, “oil level control”, because the oil dipstick is not usually a measure of the life of the oil.
“Expendable part of the device”: Specifically, which manufacturer’s oil with which marking has been poured into the engine, or which manufacturer’s specific brake discs are attached to the car. New material can also be added while adding a part.
“Quantity”: quantity to be exchanged at once, according to the unit of material. For example, if the unit of engine oil is “liter”, then the amount according to how much is poured into this vehicle during maintenance: “4.7” [liters]. If brake discs are measured in pieces but are always replaced in pairs, the quantity is “2” [pieces].
“Additional information”: all other important information that needs to be written down about this part of the machine.
After pressing the “Save and close” button, a new block with the newly entered machine part will appear on the “Parts” tab.
There are two options for initializing the life metrics of a newly added machine part. One option is to use the “Replace” button in the “Parts” tab, during which you can enter known values (for example, if the mileage of the machine is 55,000, the oil change was done at 45,000 and the next oil change is at 60,000, then this can also be described using the “Replace” button. Another option is to leave the part without the initial value, plan regular maintenance, which includes the replacement of consumable parts, and the readings are updated during the maintenance.
6. Maintenance registration
Terekes link: Maintenance module->Maintenance tasks->button “Add new”
If there is a machine, maintenance with flashes and activities, equipment consumables, machine parts, it is time to register the next maintenance.
The following data can be entered when registering for maintenance:
“Machine”: The machine or device for which maintenance is planned.
“Maintenance schedule”: the schedule from which maintenance activities are taken. Filled in automatically if the Maintenance schedule is already registered in the machine view.
Maintenance window: the window for which maintenance is planned. The schedule with the interval determines the list of activities to be performed during the maintenance (so-called “Checklist”).
“Responsible person”: the person on whom the finger is pointed when maintenance is not done. Filled in automatically if “Maintenance person” is registered in the machine view.
“Planned start”: approximately when the machine could be called in for maintenance, to help schedule the mechanics’ working hours.
“Planned end”: approximately when the maintenance of the machine could be done, to help schedule the mechanics’ working hours. The planned start and end can also be taken into account by those who plan to use the machine in the Planning subsection.
“Machine engine hours” and “Kilometers”: expected engine hours or odometer reading during maintenance. Predictable readings can be set at the time of planning. After maintenance, they should be replaced with the actual reading. These readings are used as a basis for planning the next routine maintenance.
“Maintenance done” checkmark: ticked when the maintenance person has pressed the “Mark maintenance done” button.
“Approved” checkmark: ticked when the maintenance approver has pressed the “Mark maintenance approved” button.
After pressing the “Save” button, it is possible to plan Tasks, an Activities list will appear where you can add the necessary materials to each activity, and the “Materials” block will automatically be filled with the materials required by the machine parts replacement activities.
Tasks: Tasks (work orders) scheduled for this maintenance on the work schedule timeline for specific maintenance team members. The entire maintenance can be carried out by one team member, but a larger maintenance can be planned for several people over several days.
Activities: Activities determined by schedule and schedule during maintenance. The list of activities is added to the planned tasks. If several people are involved in the care, each person chooses from the list the activities that he/she did or were under his/her responsibility.
Material costs: a summary list of materials required to carry out the maintenance, with quantities and costs.
If during the maintenance one of the activities is the exchange of some consumable parts, the corresponding material is automatically registered with the maintenance. If an activity, such as an engine oil change, involves the need for other materials (engine oil filter, engine air filter, oil pan cap gasket), they could be added manually when registering maintenance to keep an accurate record of maintenance costs. It is reasonable to do this at the moment when you know which specific materials and at what price are available in the warehouse (there may be several alternative variants in the warehouse and the state of the warehouse may change, so it may not be practical to do this too much in advance).
At the same time, you can plan the materials in advance and coordinate the planned materials with the inventory right before the maintenance time arrives.