{"id":7173,"date":"2022-03-08T23:40:28","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T06:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/?p=7173"},"modified":"2025-05-30T13:05:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T19:05:35","slug":"production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/blog\/production\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Improve the Love-Hate Relationship between Production and Maintenance"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/span>Business theory suggests that a manufacturer’s production and <\/span>maintenance departments<\/span><\/a> are united in a common goal. Unfortunately, as the famous Marvel villain Thanos likes to point out: <\/span>reality is often disappointing<\/span><\/i>. Rather than being linked through interdependence, you find obstructive rivalry, finger-pointing, and counterproductive behaviors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Such a culture sabotages your business, costs money, and reduces competitiveness. Let\u2019s see how to improve the relationship between maintenance and production teams.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle” kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-bottom” kd_top_separator_style=”skew-left” kd_top_separator_height=”separator-height-small” kd_bottom_separator_style=”skew-left” kd_bottom_separator_height=”separator-height-small” kd_top_separator=”true” kd_bottom_separator=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1682969636891{margin-bottom: 40px !important;padding-top: 120px !important;padding-right: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 50px !important;padding-left: 40px !important;background: #dde4e8 url(https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cta-laired-hex-4.webp?id=9077) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;border-radius: 0px !important;}” css_tablet_landscape=”.vc_custom_1682969636891{padding-bottom: 80px !important;}” css_tablet_portrait=”.vc_custom_1682969636891{padding-bottom: 80px !important;}” css_mobile=”.vc_custom_1682969636892{padding-bottom: 80px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column_inner]

The Essential Guide to CMMS<\/h2>
Download this helpful guide to everything a CMMS has to offer.<\/h6><\/header>[\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner content_placement=”top” kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1631866454223{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-12 vc_col-xs-12″ css_tablet_landscape=”.vc_custom_1631866454223{padding-right: 0px !important;}” css_tablet_portrait=”.vc_custom_1631866454223{padding-right: 0px !important;}” css_mobile=”.vc_custom_1631866454224{padding-right: 15px !important;}”][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn” custom_src=”https:\/\/3975608.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net\/hubfs\/3975608\/Content%20Downloads\/CMMS%20Guide%20mockup.png”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Six tips for uniting your production and maintenance departments<\/span><\/h2>\n

The following tips help you audit your business. When you spot signs of dysfunction, use the outlined suggestions as a guide to effective solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Six<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Realign departmental incentives<\/span><\/h3>\n

Problem<\/b><\/p>\n

Competitiveness or obstructive behavior is rarely driven by malicious intent but rather a desire to protect personal gain. When incentive structures for two departments reward opposing outcomes, you have pitted two departments against each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solutions<\/b><\/p>\n

A good example is a refinery connecting a new process facility to an operating plant. There are two parties, the external contractors and personnel from the refinery. The team from the refinery is allocated to assist the contractors with the connections. They are to liaise with their colleagues for refinery shutdowns, allowing the contractors to make the necessary connections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the promised <\/span>planned shutdowns<\/span><\/a> repeatedly fail to occur, being canceled at the last minute. With team relationships breaking down, an audit reveals that <\/span>the refinery team<\/b> is still incentivized for <\/span>tons of production<\/b>. <\/span>The contractor’s<\/b> incentives depend on <\/span>connections achieved<\/b> and the <\/span>deadlines for completion<\/b>. Aligning both teams’ incentives to reward connections and deadlines would remove that friction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check the incentives you’re applying to your production and maintenance teams. You are driving opposing behaviors if you’re rewarding actions that conflict, such as measuring units manufactured for operators and planned maintenance tasks for maintenance. Centralizing incentives around <\/span>overall equipment effectiveness<\/span><\/a> (OEE) aligns both parties behind a metric that adds business value.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #2: Remove destructive rivalry<\/span><\/h3>\n

Problem<\/b><\/p>\n

Some managers feel rivalry is a good thing, and it can be in small, benign cases. However, it’s more often destructive and signals poor supervision and weak management. You need alignment between your teams, with each team supporting the other, not tearing each other down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solutions<\/b><\/p>\n

Lean manufacturing emphasizes a Gemba walk. A <\/span>Gemba walk<\/span><\/a> is when managers get out of the office and walk the floor with their ears and eyes open, talking to teams and watching operations. Not as a manager exerting power, but as someone willing to listen and learn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check for signs, symbols, and language that may indicate unhealthy rivalry or a lack of respect between teams. How do operators refer to <\/span>maintenance personnel<\/span><\/a>? Do they use us-and-them language? Is there obvious segregation between the two teams? What formal or informal notices do you see on notice boards or in lunchrooms? When breakdowns occur, how are they described to you?<\/span><\/p>\n

If rivalry exists, your managers and supervisors are failing you. You don’t pay them to support dysfunctional behavior, you pay them to address it. Poor supervision supports and reinforces behaviors that lead to becoming partisan, feeling their job is to defend their teams. It’s not.<\/span><\/p>\n

The role of a supervisor or manager is to model team behaviors. Pejorative discussions regarding the other team should be stopped, just like with any other actions that are counter-productive to business success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If issues need to be addressed, the managers can talk privately to reach a compromise. Set clear expectations for your supervisory staff and reward them for correct behaviors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #3: Plan shutdown schedules together<\/span><\/h3>\n

Problem<\/b><\/p>\n

If shutdown schedules are ‘owned’ by one department, any actions by another team to delay or change that schedule will be met with fierce resistance. You often find each department runs its shutdown schedule independently of others. What a waste of opportunity!<\/span><\/p>\n