Use These Tools for PM Compliance

By Kristina Gordon, Illumiti

An Efficient Plant reader recently asked if I would explain how to track PM Compliance as a performance metric and how to manage PMs in SAP when they cannot get completed by their due date. The reader also wanted to know what functions show compliance/noncompliance and how that factor is measured in SAP. In addition, are there better ways to manipulate the maintenance plans or PM orders to obtain an accurate metric and manage the PMs easily and effectively when work cannot go to schedule?

This is an excellent series of questions because PM compliance is critical for keeping your assets properly maintained, along with maintaining proper audit records.  In many situations, where compliance is monitored by government regulatory agencies, companies could be heavily fined for not keeping proper documentation on the history of critical equipment. There are several ways to set indicators in SAP to measure compliance and track overdue PMs.

Activating the permit feature in the equipment master

Once permits are configured, add as many of them to the individual equipment master as needed. Below is an example of several permits that have been added to a piece of equipment:

You can add permits in the equipment master by clicking on GOTO>PERMITS in the equipment-master record. You must check the proposal box once permits are added if you wish for the permit(s) to be carried with the object to the work order. Use the search feature in the equipment master (IE03) and when displaying work orders (IW39). Permits is a searchable field, allowing you to export data on the number of assets you have assigned to a particular permit, along with all open work orders and due dates.

Use maintenance-activity types on maintenance plans 

Adding maintenance-activity types to a maintenance plan is another way to achieve PM compliance. While this is a searchable field, not all maintenance plans for critical equipment are critical. Use care when creating a plan with multiple items, strategies, or object lists.

Set a batch job or run a manual report to view overdue maintenance plans on a set frequency

Transaction IP24 shows your scheduling overview list. This transaction can be set to run on a nightly batch job or manually.  This report will allow you to better monitor work by showing scheduling start dates and activity types.

If work cannot be performed on a scheduled due date, especially when PM compliant, one option is to use a user status in SAP. This can be configured and added to the equipment master and also to the work order. You can create a status called Authorized Extension and enter an explanation in the work-order-notification field for the extension. I see this used often when a site is preparing for a shut down and optimal timing to PM the asset is when the line is down. User status can be added to meet the needs of the business.

Reporting and KPIs are a large part of compliance, along with having the overall data needed to make informed decisions. This extensive topic will be the focus of next month’s article. EP

Kristina Gordon is SAP principal consultant at Illumiti, Thornhill, Ontario (illumiti.com). If you have SAP questions, send them to editors@efficientplantmag.com and we’ll forward them to Kristina.