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APC aids TCSS with maintenance scheduling
Company Profile
The Tuscaloosa County School system has a rich heritage of educational excellence since its establishment in 1871. The system is governed by a board of education elected by district. One of the state's fastest growing public school systems, Tuscaloosa County schools have a student population of over 16,000. The TCSS maintenance department is responsible for 15 elementary schools, four middle schools, and five high schools covering areas in Brookwood, Northport, Northside, Hillcrest and Holt.
Situation
The Tuscaloosa County School System came to the Alabama Productivity Center (APC) in search of assistance with their maintenance program. The APC found that there was a lack of maintenance planning and scheduling, lack of a sufficient number of employees and inefficient use of the computerized maintenance management system (ACT).
Solution
The APC gathered one month of data, which included schools from which the Work Order was generated, duration of Work Orders and Employees assigned. This data became the basis for the development of the simulation model which would mimic the daily workings of the Tuscaloosa maintenance department. APC evaluated the efficiency of the maintenance department on the following criteria: cycle time - length of time that a work order is in the system; throughput - the number of completed Work Orders in a given period of time; and the average number of units of time that a work order is in the system. The model developed was used to evaluate five scheduling scenarios. Each successive scenario built upon the preceding scenario. All scenarios were evaluated over a period of six months of simulation time.
Scenario I : Assigning highest Priority to the Work Orders with the Shortest Processing Time
Scenario II : ‘First In, First Out” scheduling rule only for the last week of the month added onto Scenario I. Scenario II resulted in a 2.4% reduction in cycle time in comparison to Scenario I
Scenario III: Addition of a specialized maintenance worker to Scenario II. Scenario III resulted in a 36 % reduction in cycle time in comparison to Scenario I
Scenario IV: Cross Training a selected number of maintenance employees. Scenario IV resulted in a 40 % reduction in cycle time in comparison to Scenario I
Scenario V: Addition of a preventive maintenance program to Scenario IV. Scenario V resulted in a 46.4 % reduction in cycle time in comparison to Scenario I
APC found that formal scheduling of Work Orders would substantially increase the through-put while reducing the cycle time involved in processing Work Orders
Expected Economic Advantage of Preventive Maintenance
Results
The APC recommended that TCSS formally schedule work orders, cross-train maintenance workers and implement preventive maintenance to improve their maintenance program. With the use of maintenance scheduling, cross-training and preventive maintenance, TCSS has improved the efficiency of their work order processing. Customers have noted that they have seen a noticeable difference in service. TCSS has experienced an increase in throughput as well as an improvement in the work environment. A reduction in lead-time and employee turn over is anticipated as well. The Center’s help directly resulted in a cost savings of 35 percent, which is more than one percent of Tuscaloosa County School System’s annual sales and their unit labor costs were lowered by three to four percent. Two jobs were retained that would have otherwise been lost.
APC Creates Criteria for TCSS Maintenance Manager Selection
Company Profile
The Tuscaloosa County School system has a rich heritage of educational excellence since its establishment in 1871. The system is governed by a board of education elected by district. One of the state's fastest growing public school systems, Tuscaloosa County schools have a student population of over 16,000. The system consists of 15 elementary schools, four middle schools, and five high schools covering areas in Brookwood, Northport, Northside, Hillcrest and Holt.
Situation
The APC presented TCSS with the recommendation of using both scheduling and preventive maintenance in order to improve their maintenance department. Also recommended by the APC, was a need for a specific employee to control the scheduling and maintenance program. TCSS used the Center’s services once again to develop the criteria for selection of the most qualified applicant for the position of maintenance operations management.
Solution
The APC objective was to provide the TCSS steering committee, a panel of selected members who carry out TCSS strategic planning activities, with informative and subjective selection criteria to determine a course of action for the management of their maintenance operations. The options available to them were outsourcing management of maintenance operations to ServiceMaster, outsourcing management of maintenance operations to Honeywell or hiring an internal Director of Maintenance, responsible for the task of managing the maintenance operations. Using previous research, the APC developed both qualitative and quantitative criteria in which to choose the maintenance manager best suited for their needs. Issues critical to the evaluation of possible options were financial benefits such as long term cost savings and intangible benefits such as prior experience and ability to implement good practices. The importance of these must be judged by the steering committee. The APC contacted Honeywell, Service Master and an internal manager and scheduled appointments for each of the applicants to meet with the steering committee where the committee would use the criteria to select the most appropriate applicant. The APC guided each applicant in order to tailor their presentation to meet the needs of the TCSS. Finally, Tuscaloosa County Board of Education Superintendent Dr. Joyce Sellers was presented with the steering committee’s recommendations.
Results
The steering committee’s recommendation made to Dr. Joyce Sellers suggested Honeywell as the outsourcing agent for TCSS. After the contract ends in approximately one year, Honeywell will be reevaluated and a decision will be made by the steering committee to keep Honeywell for another year or hire an internal maintenance manager.
The center’s assistance resulted in a significant increase in throughput. There has been a reduction in lead-time, work-in-progress and defect rate. TCSS has had an improvement in both employee skill and work environment, which they anticipate will lead to the reduction of employee turnover.
In terms of information systems, TCSS anticipates that the Center’s services will lead to an improved use and increased investments of $5,000 in information systems and/or software Also, the Center’s services directly resulted in a 5 percent cost savings or a savings of $48,000. TCSS anticipates avoiding $50,000 worth of unnecessary investments.
APC Optimizes Maintenance Inventory for TCSS
Company Profile
The Tuscaloosa County School system has a rich heritage of educational excellence since its establishment in 1871. The system is governed by a board of education elected by district. One of the state's fastest growing public school systems, Tuscaloosa County schools have a student population of over 16,000. The system consists of 15 elementary schools, four middle schools, and five high schools covering areas in Brookwood, Northport, Northside, Hillcrest and Holt.
Situation
The Tuscaloosa County School System’s Maintenance Department determined that it was necessary to improve its inventory management system by using an existing software program, ACT, in accordance with the policies and procedures under its new maintenance management provider, Honeywell. The purpose of this project was to assist Honeywell and TCSS in the development and implementation of an inventory policy for use in the maintenance management system.
Solution
Several inventory reports, which provide a list of all inventory ordered or used as well as the cost associated with each, were analyzed. The APC found unrecorded demand data in the inventory reports and discovered that the current system did not provide a way to determine lead time for inventory. To optimize the inventory management system, the team found that TCSS must record and maintain average demand size, average time between demand, and lead time. With this knowledge, the APC team established stock and purchase rules, and identified a replenishment policy.
Results
TCSS management anticipates that the Center’s assistance enabled the school system to avoid $30,000 in unnecessary investments and provided a $150,000 cost savings, which they would have otherwise spent on labor, materials, inventory or overhead. As a result of the Center’s services, TCSS gained a better understanding of its customers and improved its customer development and retention. The school system has expanded employee skills and improved work environment. With improved business and strategic planning, TCSS has gained an enhanced understanding of the actual costs involved in its management systems.