The Benefits of Aligning Turnaround Strategy with Your Business Plan
Smart managers in process plants know that aligning their turnaround strategy with the company’s overall business plan can help to reduce the number of turnarounds, as well as many other important benefits. This includes a focus on increasing profitability and decreasing down time by optimizing the use of resources and minimizing risks associated with turnaround cost and duration overruns. You must have a clear action plan that ensures all departments are completely clear on roles, actions, and responsibilities. Here are three vital steps to implement with this approach.
One: Use a Turnaround Interval Extension Workflow
The ultimate goal of this strategy is to reduce the number of needed turnarounds. The benefits of reducing the number of turnarounds include but are not limited to:
- Cost savings due to the elimination of downtime, work performed, and costs/parts/etc. needed for the turnaround.
- Reduced safety concerns when turnarounds happen less often. Fewer contractors and other personnel are needed on site.
- More time to plan the turnarounds that are scheduled, which allows for superior procurement processes given the extra time. In addition, there is less stress on equipment by eliminating the need to stop and start them.
This can be achieved a number of ways. Each operation is different, but just about all can benefit from the optimization of capital investments that coordinate with turnarounds and allow for synergy in project execution. Achievement of this includes understanding your operations constraints (legal, operational etc.), strategies to manage constraints, and a risk assessment of your current and future situations.
Two: Reduce Work Done in a Turnaround
Experts estimate the cost of turnaround work is 100% more expensive than routine maintenance. The scope of the turnaround should be set to increase asset availability through reduced downtime with more equipment operational. Maintenance activities should be reduced through risk-based selection where the work is done outside of the main turnaround whenever feasible. Planning and scheduling of remaining work is used to layout the path and turnaround duration.
Three: Reduce the Duration of the Turnaround
No amount of management in a turnaround will make up for inadequate planning and preparation. Successful turnarounds must execute the work safely and efficiently in the required amount of time. Five ways to assure this include:
- Detailed planning that accurately lays out a schedule and critical path analysis.
- Proper preparation conducted before the turnaround.
- Capital projects integrated into the turnaround’s schedule.
- Critical work is performed using appropriate pattern.
- Post turn around work carefully controlled during and after the startup phase.
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