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Machinery & Equipment MRO
February 2022
THE ROLE OF A MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR As the planner develops the maintenance plan to service the equipment, the supervisor then determines when the job will be done and who the work will be assigned to.
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ne of the primary duties of a maintenance supervisor is scheduling work. In other words, the supervisor will create a schedule to execute the planned work. The job of scheduling work orders is not a job to be taken lightly. There is always more work to be done than available manpower and time. The supervisor needs to take in consider-
ation the nature of the work, time needed and equipment. Priority equipment comes first and preventive maintenance (PM) and repairs must be completed on these machines, but other work order considerations need to be made. There are safety work orders, request from other departments requiring assistance from maintenance techs for equipment modifications, production, and quali-
ty improvements. Therefore, it is easy to see that the supervisor walks a tight rope trying to include everyone’s needs, at the same time maintaining the equipment to prevent failures. In most manufacturing facilities, there is a limited amount of time to complete maintenance and repairs. Maintenance departments struggle to keep up with demand and often fall far behind with
Photos: wavebreak3 / Adobe Stock
Photo: wavebreak3 / Adobe Stock
BY PETER PHILLIPS
