Manufacturing operations can benefit from IT service management (ITSM) capabilities – from service management principles, through ITSM processes, to the capabilities offered by ITSM tools. In particular, ITSM capabilities can improve equipment uptime and performance. This improvement increases manufacturing throughputs and the manufacturing organization’s operations and outcomes, positively impacting customer perceptions and the financial bottom line.

This blog focuses on the ITSM processes and enabling technology that can help both the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR).

This @SysAid blog focuses on the #ITSM processes and enabling technology that can help both the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR). Click To Tweet

Increasing throughputs by applying ITSM capabilities to manufacturing equipment

Through ITSM capabilities, manufacturing companies can improve the IT employed in supporting the company, such as the corporate IT network and direct and indirect manufacturing employees. Examples of the latter include the Human Resources Management System and the PC and telephony devices used by Human Resources personnel.

However, this blog is focused on how ITSM can be used to directly improve the manufacturing, rather than IT, equipment employed. Although, it’s appreciated that there can be a blur between the two when equipment is network or internet connected. A separate blog looks at the opportunities for manufacturing organizations to leverage what the IT industry calls enterprise service management to improve operations and outcomes through ITSM capabilities.

This blog by @SysAid looks at how #ITSM can be used to directly improve manufacturing, rather than simply being IT equipment employed. Click To Tweet

Examples of ITSM capabilities that can be focused on manufacturing equipment include:

• Asset management – where these ITSM capabilities help manage the entire lifecycle of the manufacturing equipment, from procurement through to retirement, including tracking, maintenance, and repair. This help can also involve contract management and pulling in ITSM capabilities related to ITSM supplier management guidance.
• ITSM automation and other digital enablement capabilities – these capabilities, such as self-service and knowledge management, can help streamline processes and the use of manufacturing equipment, reducing manual errors and increasing efficiency.
• Improved analytics and reporting for performance monitoring – when an ITSM tool is used to digitally enable manufacturing operations, it can provide real-time visibility into the operations. This insight helps with performance monitoring, decision-making, and continual improvement identification – where ITSM continual improvement guidance can then be leveraged to execute the identified improvement opportunities.

The ITSM automation, as well as other ITSM capabilities, can be employed in improving the uptime of manufacturing equipment through practices such as:

• Conducting equipment maintenance on a regular cadence. The ITSM tool can notify of the need, chase non-execution, and record the results. This regular maintenance (and inspection) of manufacturing equipment can help prevent unexpected breakdowns and improve uptime while extending its usable lifespan.
• Implementing a preventive maintenance program. This practice is an extension of the first bullet, with the regularly scheduled maintenance activities able to detect and correct equipment issues before they adversely affect operational uptime.
• Implementing condition-based monitoring. For network-connected manufacturing equipment, the same principles applied to IT equipment can be used with manufacturing assets. This continuous monitoring can detect potential issues to address them before they adversely affect uptime.
• Analyzing manufacturing equipment data. Data on equipment performance can be analyzed to identify patterns and trends that inform decisions on improving equipment reliability and uptime.

However, in terms of increasing manufacturing throughputs thanks to greater equipment uptime, the areas of MTBF and MTTR are key opportunities for ITSM to help manufacturing organizations.

In terms of increasing manufacturing throughputs thanks to greater equipment uptime, the areas of MTBF and MTTR are key opportunities for #ITSM to help manufacturing organizations. This blog by @SysAid explores. Click To Tweet

Increasing the MTBF with ITSM

The MTBF is the average time interval between two consecutive failures with a piece of manufacturing equipment. The higher the number, the better the equipment uptime and the possible throughput.

Examples of ITSM capabilities that can help to increase the MTBF include:

• Asset management, as mentioned above, plays a part in ensuring that manufacturing assets are in optimal condition, thus reducing the likelihood of failure and improving uptime.
• Incident management capabilities help to standardize issue handling – from quickly identifying and resolving incidents (perhaps leveraging knowledge management or automation), thus reducing downtime and improving the MTBF.
• Problem management capabilities can be employed to help identify the root causes of recurring issues, such that remedial action can be taken to prevent future failures and improve the MTBF.
• Change management capabilities will help ensure that any changes to manufacturing equipment or processes are appropriately planned, tested, and implemented. This ITSM capability reduces the risk of failure and improves the MTBF.
• Continual improvement capabilities can be used to identify and action improvement opportunities that improve the MTBF and equipment uptime.

Increasing the MTBF using ITSM capabilities ultimately improves the uptime of equipment and increases manufacturing throughputs.

Reducing the MTTR

The MTTR is the average time it takes to repair a piece of manufacturing equipment. The lower the number, the better the equipment uptime and the possible manufacturing throughput.

Examples of ITSM capabilities that can help to reduce the MTTR include:

• Incident management capabilities where standardized incident handling processes enable support personnel to quickly identify, diagnose, and resolve equipment issues, thus reducing the repair time and the MTTR.
• Problem management capabilities will help to identify the root causes of recurring issues, with workarounds employed where a timely “final” resolution can’t be determined or delivered. This capability again reduces the repair time and the MTTR.
• Knowledge management capabilities, through the maintenance of a knowledge base of common issues and their resolutions, reduce the time it takes support staff to resolve equipment failures and consequently improve the MTTR.
• Change management capabilities can help reduce the risk of change-related failures, thus improving the MTTR.

Ultimately, reducing the MTTR using ITSM capabilities improves the uptime of manufacturing equipment and increases throughputs.

Here @SysAid shares tips to reduce MTTR using #ITSM capabilities to improve the uptime of manufacturing equipment and increase manufacturing throughputs. Click To Tweet

Service management offers a wealth of opportunities to reduce your operating costs, whether related to IT service delivery and support, manufacturing operations, or the operations and outcomes of other business functions. If you would like to learn more, please get in touch.