Below are 23 categories intended to capture all observed maintenance activities.  Occasionally, activities are observed which do not fall neatly into one of the pre-defined categories.  When necessary, after consulting with either the maintenance supervisor or maintenance manager, a category is selected and an appropriate category clarification is made in these instances.

It is Category 1 that is considered direct work or “wrench time.”  The objective of planning and scheduling is to help keep craft labor hours in this category.  Evaluating how much time is spent in the other categories facilitates this objective.

The criteria for choosing a category are usually twofold.  First, preference is given to the benefit of the craft, i.e., gives them credit for more wrench time.  This preference is very important to avoid giving unnecessary reason for criticism of the wrench time study by the crafts themselves.  Secondly, by choosing a category other than category 1, the observer is of the mindset that a planner has an opportunity to leverage planning time to reduce or eliminate the observed delay or productivity loss.

(Note:  We are only interested in studying persons who are available to work, that is, persons available to the supervisor to work an entire shift.  The planner and supervisor can do nothing to leverage administrative time (vacations, illness, training, etc.) and so it is of no interest here.

1.  Direct Work (Wrench Time): This category is used when persons are performing work (including trouble shooting) physically at the work site or shop.  Also, this category includes completing any job related paperwork (includes entering time, materials, and feedback into CMMS) or conferring with a planner to help the planner plan future work.  If one or more persons of a work team are working, and other members of the team are idle, then all members of the team are judged as working.  An example would be the “Confined space attendant” who must be outside a boiler when others are working inside. This category may include Lock Out Tag Out, Confined Space Permitting and / or TASSA’s being performed by the person(s) observed.

1.5 Troubleshooting (Wrench Time):  This category is used when persons are researching underlying issues to which the corrective maintenance solution is not yet known, and is directly related to the work at hand.

2.  Travel: This category includes walking or traveling by vehicle to the work site, the shop, supply room, tool room, operations room, break room, etc. Traveling within the work task location (e.g., as from one side of the boiler to the other) is not included in this category, but rather is considered as Category 1 above.

(Note:  It is invaluable to ask and tabulate why someone is traveling because travel is not done unto itself.  For example, if getting parts causes most of the travel, then that valuable information guides the improvement of planning or other maintenance processes.)

3.  Set-Up and Take Down: This category includes large activities at the jobsite such as scaffolding.

4.  Work Assignment: Work assignment includes any regular meeting, such as pre-shift meetings for sharing information, and any occasion involving reassignment to another task, including obtaining tools. This category includes being idle between jobs unless in the break room or other break area.

5.  Wrap-Up: Wrap-Up is only used at the end of the day when persons are cleaning up, putting away tools, passing information to next shift/Supervisor and / or meeting at the end of the shift.

6. Obtaining Materials: This category is used when a person is at the storeroom or elsewhere for materials; or in the case of a team, when persons are waiting for another person to return with the supplies or materials needed for them to continue their job.

7.  Obtaining Tools: This category is used when a person is at the Tool Room or elsewhere; or in the case of a team, when persons are waiting for another person to return with a tool(s) needed by them to continue their job.

8.  Obtaining Instruction: This category is used when persons engaged in performing the job are delayed by the necessity to acquire additional information to complete the job whether at the jobsite or not. This also includes whenever a person was discussing any work related question with a co-worker or supervisor.

9.  Clearance Delay: Clearance delay is employed as a category when a team is delayed from working by the necessity to acquire clearance for a piece of equipment prior to work commencing. This category is used when waiting for others to clear equipment. If the observed person is assisting in the clearance, use Cat 1.

10.  Interference: This category is used when a person or team is not able to perform their job until another person or team has completed theirs.

11.  Waiting for Cleaning: This category is used when waiting for operations or others to clean an area or equipment to allow access.

12.  Waiting for Operator: This category is used when the observed person is idle because an operator or engineer is required to inspect or assist in the work.

13.  Weather Delay

14.  Gross Cleaning: This category is used when the person being observed is cleaning the area or piece of equipment prior to commencing the maintenance work required.

15.  Meetings:  Meetings with operators, supervisors, or vendors that are brief and usually unscheduled are included in the study.

16.  Training: Training is excluded from the study.

17.  Idle: Idle is used (usually at the job site) when work, tools, equipment, assignment, etc., appear to be available, the person does not appear to be performing work, and there does not appear to be any obvious interference or delay preventing the employee from performing the job.

18.  Rest room: This category is used when persons are in the rest room at times other than traditional break time or lunch.

19.  On Break: Persons are considered on break from the time they arrive at the break room or at either their desks or the shop area table without work until the time they leave.  Traveling to and from the break room is categorized is “travel,” as described in Category 2 above.  It is also utilized when persons are in the break room or washing up early for lunch or remaining after lunch.

20.  Other Personal Allowance: This category is utilized when persons are conducting what appears to be personal business not required by their assigned task, such as taking medication (unless in the break room).

23. Unaccountable: This category was used when a person could not be found at the person’s assigned work location, or the tool room, storeroom, office, etc., and was only utilized after a 15-20 minute attempt to locate the person was unsuccessful.  This category is not intended to indicate that the employee was either working or not working, but simply that the employee could not be located.

Contact Doc Palmer for questions about planning and scheduling or for a proposal for training at your facility. Email Doc