By Kendall Kunz
The main goal of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) is to ensure consistency and efficiency in maintenance practices. These procedures standardize maintenance activities, ensuring that each task is performed uniformly, regardless of the technician.
When implemented correctly, they can improve the average speed and quality of performed maintenance work, leading to a reduction in downtime, improved equipment longevity, and better asset performance over time.
This guide aims to provide a comprehensive approach to developing and implementing SOPs that not only meet these objectives but also align with the specific maintenance needs and regulatory requirements.
1. Identify the Scope and Objectives of the SOP
Defining the purpose and goals of the SOP is the first step in its development. It includes identifying what the SOP is intended to achieve, such as improving efficiency, ensuring safety, or complying with regulations.
It’s impossible to create a proper maintenance SOP without understanding the specifics of the maintenance activity, the equipment involved, and the skills required to perform the task efficiently and safely.
Being able to prioritize is crucial in the development of maintenance SOPs. Processes and equipment that are most critical to operations should be covered first. Priority should also be given to tasks with significant safety concerns, ensuring that these areas are adequately covered to minimize risks to personnel and equipment.
After that, the organization can move focus to developing SOPs for audits, assessments, inspections of non-critical equipment, and other maintenance activities they want to standardize.
2. Gather Necessary Information
Gathering information about current maintenance practices, equipment usage, OEM manuals, operating conditions, current equipment conditions, and past failures is essential for crafting effective SOPs. Analyzing this data helps identify trends, common issues, and areas for improvement, which can be directly addressed in the maintenance SOPs.
The person writing the SOP should consult with maintenance technicians and machine operators as a part of the process. Individuals with hands-on experience can provide valuable insights. Their input ensures that the SOPs are not only technically sound but can actually be followed in practice.
Reviewing existing maintenance records and practices is crucial for understanding the current state of maintenance operations. This review helps identify strengths and weaknesses in existing procedures, and it provides a baseline against which the effectiveness of the new SOPs can be measured and built.
3. Consult Experts and Stakeholders
Incorporating feedback from various departments can reveal how maintenance tasks impact other areas of the organization, ensuring that the SOPs are not developed in isolation but are integrated with the broader organizational goals and activities.
For example, in an automotive assembly line, the maintenance team could work closely with the quality assurance and production departments when developing SOPs for machine maintenance. The quality assurance team's insights into common defects and production issues can inform maintenance practices that specifically target these problems.
Similarly, the maintenance department will develop SOPs that include LOTO guidelines. By incorporating feedback from the safety manager, they can ensure that these SOPs not only address the maintenance tasks effectively but also comply with regulations and internal safety standards.
4. Consider Who Will Be Using the SOP
A SOP is useless if the people using it do not understand each and every step.
Presenting the content in a clear, concise manner, using language and terminology that is familiar to its users, ensures that the SOPs are accessible and practical for daily use.
The best way to do that is to look for the lowest common denominator. Who is the person with the least amount of technical expertise that will be performing this task—an experienced engineer, a novice technician, or a machine operator?
Here’s an example of how a SOP might be written for maintenance technicians:
Initiate the filter inspection protocol by powering down the machine and engaging the lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedure. Visually inspect the filter for clogging and wear, utilizing a micrometer for precise measurement of particulate accumulation. If measurements exceed 0.2 millimeters, proceed with filter replacement, ensuring compatibility with model specifications outlined in the technical manual TM-21. Re-engage power following the standard machine startup sequence.
Here is that same SOP adjusted for machine operators:
Turn off the machine and make sure it's safely locked and tagged based on the attached LOTO procedure. Check the filter to see if it looks dirty or worn out. If it's very dirty or damaged, find a new filter that fits our machine (check the label on the old filter for the right type) and replace it. Turn the machine back on by following the steps outlined below.
5. Include Visuals and Safety Guidelines
The SOPs should clearly outline the required safety steps and precautions (i.e. use safety goggles and gloves and watch out for hot steam when closing/opening a valve).
Including visual aids like videos, flowcharts, diagrams, schematics, and annotated images in SOPs can be a great way to eliminate any kind of confusion or chance for misunderstanding. They help break down complex procedures into easy-to-understand steps, making the SOPs more accessible, engaging, and easier to remember.
To have the option of including the aforementioned visual aids, SOPs should come in a digital form. Using a CMMS or a simple online form builder enables the creation of different types of forms, the use of SOPs on any kind of mobile device, and the ability to have a single document that is easily kept up-to-date.
6. Review and Update SOPs Regularly
The SOPs must be regularly updated to reflect changes in technology, tools, equipment, regulations, and maintenance processes. This ensures that maintenance practices remain effective, efficient, and in line with current industry standards and legal requirements.
These guidelines for creating and updating maintenance SOPs are a roadmap for organizations to achieve a higher standard of efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance—ultimately leading to a more sustainable and successful maintenance operation.
About the author:
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Kendall is a 5x founder & business nerd with more than 30 years of experience in technology and automation. Having held leadership positions across several industries, Kendall founded and continues to lead Forms On Fire - the #1 solution for mobile forms automation. |
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