How to build high performance maintenance teams

HIRE SLOWLY AND FIRE QUICKLY! This maxim also applies to the formation of maintenance teams.

Having a structured selection and hiring process, with the job description, is what is expected from the candidate in terms of education and qualification is only a starting point.

Theoretical training and practical application usually come after the integration of the new employee, and the NR-12 Standard, which deals with work safety procedures, is the text of the legislation of mandatory knowledge for production and maintenance managers.

The knowledge of the risks to which the employee will be exposed to in his/her function and which safety equipment will be used in the exercise of daily activities are also part of the necessary orientations.

The knowledge of the risks to which the employee will be exposed in his function and which safety equipment will be used in the exercise of daily activities are also part of the necessary orientations.

MAINTENANCE STAFF IS THE MOST REPRESENTATIVE COST (INVESTMENT) ITEM

In its 2017 National Document, ABRAMAN, highlights the relative cost of own personnel as the most representative item in the industrial maintenance budget, followed by materials for use in performing the work and outsourced contracting.

In contracting there will also be technicians and managers responsible for planning and executing the outsourced maintenance, that is, more people involved.

Experience shows that those who perform the tasks, who daily deal with the activities inherent to their function, end up becoming the best reference in specific knowledge and, therefore, an important source for the suggestion of improvements.

If your manager is able to encourage this interaction through daily support, through leading by example, if he/she knows how to listen, he/she will motivate his team to engage, to collaborate with interdependent sectors to continuously improve, avoiding waste, reducing risks, increasing productivity and, of course, the satisfaction of each team member.

In a maintenance team, technical skills are very important, and their reinforcement and continuous training is necessary.

More than technical skills, the manager must have the ability to recognize the behaviors of the individuals on his team.

After all, technical competence is useless if there is no commitment to the safe, correct, and agile execution of each task.

If there is no commitment and encouragement to point out opportunities for improvement, and even with the need to support the colleague whose understanding of the activity needs clarification, the best performance will not be achieved.

WORK SAFETY

Brazilian Regulatory Standard NR-12 and its annexes define technical references, fundamental principles, and protection measures to ensure the health and physical integrity of workers and establish minimum requirements for the prevention of accidents and occupational illnesses.

It is an extensive standard that must be respected in the various phases of equipment use, whether in design, use, or manufacturing in all economic activities.

It is not enough, however, that people have knowledge and access to the norms, rules, and descriptive documents.

There is a need for continuous verification by the manager to ensure that the best practices are assimilated by the employees and effectively applied to their daily tasks.

After all, the employee is a human being, who is (or is not) motivated to adopt best practices.

WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED?

As said by the management guru Peter Drucker. This is true for the performance of any industry and its work teams. It has to be defined what to measure, which metrics or indicators are relevant for the maintenance team.

What are the department’s key indicators and their breakdown for each team member? How will these measurements be communicated within the department and between interdependent departments?

The organization’s key indicators and the specific direction will be reflected and broken down into indicators that support them, in all departments related to that steering function, including maintenance.

Well indentified indicators generate focus on what really matters.

HOW TO PLAY THE LEADER ROLE IN MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT?

For the work to be considered well done, it must be done safely, efficiently, and within the expected quality.

It means that all work must be done without causing accidents or incidents, for people and the environment.

It should be accomplished using as few resources as possible, being them people, time, materials, etc.

It must be done right the first time, avoiding rework.

The leader gets involved when there is a problem, supports, guides, and helps to solve problems. He also has the role of a coach who prepares his team to win.

In this role, the leader guides and trains his team, communicates and works on their motivation.

The leader also has the authority function that makes each individual on his or her team take responsibility for their activities.

It doesn’t mean cursing, yelling, or threatening, but it does mean provoking commitment in each individual so that the team continuously delivers on its goals.

The leader’s role in maintenance management can and should include searching for solutions that improve the team’s productivity, that increase the safety of routine inspections, and that add value to the team’s work.

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