This chapter explains the final concepts necessary to make planning work. These concepts make planners do different things for different types of jobs and greatly influence the overall application of the principles. Lack of appreciating these factors frequently makes planning programs fail. The programs fail because they try a one-size-fits-all approach to different types of jobs. Primarily, the programs are not sensitive to the immediate needs of reactive jobs. This chapter distinguishes between proactive and reactive maintenance. Likewise, it distinguishes between extensive and minimum maintenance. Most importantly, this chapter describes the resulting planning adjustments. This chapter also discusses communication and management support regarding these adjustments.

The preceding chapter's second illustration of Plant Calvin depicted a fundamental maintenance concept. While the plant should actively engage in activities to prevent problems, problems must be dealt with quickly once they arise.

At Plant Calvin, maintenance crews understood the importance of accomplishing scheduled preventive maintenance and other work to keep the plant reactive work to a minimum. Furthermore, crews also never failed to take charge of emergencies and were quick to resolve otherwise urgent situations before they became emergencies. Management ensured that supervisors understood their role to keep the plant out of trouble.

On one hand, maintenance supervisors must change their past philosophy of executing mostly reactive work. Supervisors must assign more proactive work to head off reactive work. Advance scheduling helps facilitate this change. On the other hand, planners must change their past philosophy of planning all jobs as proactive work. Planning must...