Transcript Practical Usage of PDA's for Maintenance / Repair Operations Maurice Dorris

North Texas Plant Engineering and Facilities
Maintenance Conference
Practical Usage of PDA's for
Maintenance / Repair Operations
Presented by:
Maurice Dorris
Paradigm Information Systems
Los Angeles, CA
Speaker Biography
Maurice Dorris
• Over 18 years in the information technology field
• Specialty is Field Service Solutions using PDA’s and databases
• Experienced architect of database applications and systems
• Designed and developed a wireless time ticket program for a large
elevator service company
• Developed a Maintenance Management System that is currently in use
by various companies throughout the US and Canada
• Founder and President of Paradigm Information Systems (1995)
• Current customers include Elevator Companies, Hospitals,
Manufacturing Plants and Colleges
Topics for Discussion
1. Different PDA devices. Palm VS. PocketPC .
2. When and where to use PDA’s in the
maintenance/facilities department.
3. Tasks that are not best suited for PDA’s.
4. Real world ROI analysis.
5. Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Definitions
• PDA – Personal Digital Assistant
• Database – software that stores, manages and secures
information and makes it available to one or more people.
• Synchronization – process that occurs between the PDA
and your computer where the information is transferred
between the two.
• Conduit – software that converts and interprets data on the
PDA to be understandable by your computer (and vice
versa). The conduit runs automatically during the
synchronization process.
• Server – High powered computer suitable for use by
multiple users simultaneously.
• Firewall – a server that monitors and controls access to a
wide area network from the Internet.
Palm vs. Pocket PC
o
There are two major PDA platforms available
o
Palm is based on the ever popular “Palm Pilot” and has
been around for almost 8 years.
o
o
Lowest cost device is $99
o
Simple and easy to use
o
Less powerful, but fully functional
PocketPC is based on the MS Windows look and feel
o
Built in email, Word, Excel, Outlook
o
Powerful processor, multitasking device
o
Integrates well with windows programs
o
Lowest cost device is $300
Key Evaluators
• Cost * - The cost of PDA’s can never be ignored. Price
ranges from $99 to $2500.
• Size – must be small enough to carry but big enough to
read the screen.
• Battery Life * - The battery has to last a few days If the
battery is dead, the device is not usable.
• Screen Colors and Display – The screen must be easy to
read.
• Ease of Use - learning curve must be minimal
• Integration with exiting windows programs
• Durability – the device has to withstand the stress of
everyday use by maintenance workers
• * = Most Important Feature
Maurice’s Personal Preference for Maintenance Workers
Palm OS Device
• Low cost of $99 is insignificant.
• The battery life is outstanding and will
go for days and days on a single charge
• The palm device is more durable that
PocketPC. Will easy hold up to the
stress of a maintenance tech. If not,
then the replacement cost is only $99.
• Simple and easy to use
• Thousands and thousand of third party
programs.
Question:
When should PDA’s be
used and when should they
not be used?
First lets define the typical workflow
After the data is validated, reports can be run.
Reports
CMMS
Database
Users submit requests via
Electronic Service Request.
PM’s
(System
Generated)
Printed
Work Order
The system generates all PM work
orders for a month
CMMS software generates a
printed work order that is assigned
to a maintenance person.
A pleasant, but persistent department manager verbally
requests service from a maintenance person. No work
order is created.
After completing the
work, the maintenance
person documents the
entire activity in the
Palm Pilot At the end
of the day, the data in
the Palm Pilot is
loaded into the
database.
Printed
Work Order
The hardcopy is sent to
the recycle bin.
Use PDA’s To…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Reduce the paperwork generated by
maintenance mechanics/technicians.
Avoid data entry problems
Collect accurate information at the
point, place and time of service
(“PPT”)
Eliminate “Fixed”, “Done” or
“Completed” from the solution
descriptions.
Capture and create information for
new work orders
Collect and process work order data
daily.
PDA’s do not work well when you…
1.
Use them to direct the work force.
–
–
–
Don’t use the PDA to tell the technician where to go or what his
priorities are. This is best done verbally or face-to-face.
More practical to have a printout of all assigned work orders
Real world usage of PDA’s is mainly to document activity AFTER the
service has been performed, not before.
2. Try to read lots of text, such as maintenance instructions
–
–
–
–
Screens are too small to look at for extended periods of time
It is not practical to refer to the device in between maintenance steps
While this seems like a good idea, it doesn’t always work well in
practical applications.
Use paper, there is still a place for it.
Paperless Process – Is it possible?
Yes, but…
• PDA must capture all important information.
• The data must be electronically shared with the
various other systems that need it.
• There must be a mechanism for “two-way”
synchronization since data could change in the
office and field simultaneously..
•
Best Approach
• Be prepared to change and improve on existing
processes to make them compatible with
PDA’s.
• Use custom programs to make sure that the
quality of the information collected is accurate.
• Before you eliminate the paper, make sure that
the database can output reports that are
identical to the manual forms.
• Continue to use paper where it makes sense.
ROI Analysis – Labor Costs
Administrative Labor Cost
$12/hour X 2000 hours per year = $24,000 / year
50% of Administrative person’s responsibility is data
entry and compiling report data
$24,000 X 50% = $12,000/year computed cost
Compute a three year cost of data entry labor
$12,000 X 3 years = $36,000
ROI Analysis – PDA Costs $150 Device
PDA Device and Software Costs (10 technicians / $150 Device)
$150 X 10 devices = $1500 (first year only)
$300 X 10 SW Licenses = $3000 (first year only)
$1500 + $3000 = $4500 Total Expenditure
Estimate 50% reduction in labor (real world)
$12,000 - 50% = $6,000/year actual cost
$6,000 X 3 years = $18,000
Total Three Year System and Labor Costs with PDA
$18,000 + $4500 = $22,500
ROI Analysis – PDA Costs $500 Device
PDA Device and Software Costs (10 technicians / $500 Device)
$500 X 10 devices = $5000 (first year only)
$300 X 10 SW Licenses = $3000 (first year only)
$5000 + $3000 = $8000 Total Expenditure
Estimate 50% reduction in labor (real world)
$12,000 - 50% = $6,000/year actual cost
$6,000 X 3 years = $18,000
Total Three Year System and Labor Costs with PDA
$18,000 + $8000 = $26,000
Other Benefits that are hard to Quantify
• Quality of Data – Collected at the point, place and time
of service. (How much is good data worth?)
• Improved Efficiencies – Many decisions will be made
using the accurate data that is collected. The quantitative
value of these decisions may be unmeasured because
labor costs are budgeted annually and are considered
“overhead”
• Reduced Work Order Backlog – Very difficult to
quantify. However, the improved efficiencies should
present itself as a reduced backlog of work orders.
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Background: 350 Bed hospital, multiple medical office
buildings, fully functional generator and steam plant, thousand
of equipment items to be serviced, 500,000 sqft of facility to
maintain.
Problem #1: Outdated maintenance software does not
support current or future operation and reporting requirements
of the organization.
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Problem #2: With over 2000 work orders per month and over
20 maintenance technicians, the data entry does not get
entered in a timely manner. Technicians are not filling out all
necessary fields. Lots of data gets lost while transferring from
paper to electronic format. Information is often unreadable
and is not understandable.
Problem #3: The quality of information collected does not
support the reporting requirements of the organization.
Statistical information is very difficult to compile. .
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Step 1: Agree on the workflow
Validate Data
Event
Manager
CMMS
Users submit requests
via ESR Web interface.
Document
activity
Generate work
order and assign to
a maintenance
person.
Auto-generated PM
work orders
Reports
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Step 2: Implement a new CMMS
• Updated and
modern system
• Can adapt to the
current and future
needs of the
organization
• Web interface for
creating Work
Orders
• PDA Interface for
documenting
technician’s
activity
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Step 3: Automate Work Order Capture
• Web-based
ESR reduces
phone calls.
• Work Order
information is
validated
against the
database.
• Accessible by
all computers
with a browser
• Department
specific reports
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Step 4: Implement PDA’s
• Palm OS devices selected for cost, battery life and
durability
• Place PDA in the hands / shirt pockets of all
maintenance persons.
• Capture accurate information at the point, place and time
of service.
• Drop down lists and pre-defined choices automatically
categorize data to fit statistical reporting requirements
• Download the Palm Pilot directly into the database and
close out the work orders without data entry.
• Daily update of work order information.
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Step 5a: Run Reports from PDA Data
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Step 5b: Run Reports from PDA Data
Case Study: White Memorial Medical Center
Before
After
• 2000 Work Orders / Month
• 2000 Work Orders / Month
• 30+ days to get all data
entered into the system
• Work Order data in uploaded
to the database daily
• Manually written data is not
accurate or complete
• PDA makes it convenient for
technicians to properly
categorize information
• Impossible to run detailed
report
• Difficult to track and manage
maintenance workers and
activities
• Detailed and accurate reports
available daily
• Significantly easier to manage
maintenance operation with
high quality and timely data.
Questions ?
For questions, contact…
Maurice Dorris
Paradigm Information Systems
5042 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 127
Los Angeles, California 90036
310-768-2965
[email protected]
www.paradigminfosystems.com
www.pdis.com