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Optimizing resource management in maintenance 

Kerstin Schröer

March 6, 2025

Office with valantic employees

Employees as the key to success 

In modern manufacturing, key maintenance metrics are essential for ensuring the reliability and performance of equipment and production facilities. Efficient resource management plays a crucial role in this.

This article explores how to: 

  • maximize resource utilization, 
  • boost productivity and 
  • enhance cost efficiency. 

You’ll also discover how strategic resource management can secure the long-term success of your maintenance activities. 

Identification of maintenance requirements 

Before resources can be managed efficiently, maintenance requirements must be clearly identified. These can range from scheduled maintenance tasks to urgent repairs requiring immediate action. Precisely recording and prioritizing these needs is the first step toward optimal resource utilization. 

Employee scheduling: the right resources in the right place at the right time 

Effective employee scheduling is key to optimizing maintenance activities. However, the growing shortage of skilled workers presents a significant challenge. That’s why a well-structured human resources strategy is essential. It helps to attract and retain qualified employees in the long term, for instance, with: 

  • flexible working arrangements 
  • further training and development 
  • competitive compensation packages 

In addition, qualification measures play an important role: Your maintenance team must possess the necessary skills to perform tasks efficiently. That’s why transparency in skill levels is crucial. Clearly mapping competencies and enabling targeted skills matching ensures that the right employees are assigned to the right tasks. 

Leveraging external resources to overcome workforce shortages 

During workforce shortages or peak demand, external workers can provide valuable support. However, careful selection and seamless integration into the workflows are essential to ensure the quality of your maintenance activities. Key factors for success include: clear communication of expectations, targeted training and onboarding, as well as precise definition of roles and responsibilities. 

Key maintenance metrics for improving resource management 

These key metrics can help enhance resource management and improve the efficiency of your maintenance activities: 

  • Employee utilization: measures how effectively employees are deployed. Overwork or underutilization highlights areas for optimization. 
  • Employee availability: tracks attendance and absences (e.g., vacation, illness) to support realistic resource planning. 
  • Number and priority of maintenance tasks: prioritizes tasks based on urgency and complexity to ensure critical work is completed first. 
  • MTTR (mean time to repair): calculates the average repair time after a failure,; a lower MTTR minimizes downtime. 
  • Efficiency: considers factors such as travel time, billable hours, and sick leave for better employee scheduling. 
  • Qualification level: ensures employees have the necessary training and skills for their tasks. 
  • Turnover rate: a high turnover rate may signal issues with workplace conditions or HR policies.

Conclusion: Efficient resource management – a look into the future 

Effective resource management is the key to seamless maintenance. By accurately identifying maintenance needs, optimizing employee scheduling, implementing targeted qualification management, and strategically integrating external resources, businesses can significantly enhance efficiency. But is there potential for further improvement?  

Modern technologies are revolutionizing resource management, taking efficiency to the next level. Solutions like SAP Field Service Management (SAP FSM), resource-sharing platforms (SAP RSH), and advanced tools like Divcon dynamic Scheduling enable real-time planning and smarter resource allocation. These systems go beyond simple availability tracking – they consider employee qualifications, workload, and location to optimize scheduling.  

By implementing such technologies, companies can precisely control resource deployment and adapt to changes flexibly. Facing an unexpected staff shortage? No problem. These intelligent systems automatically identify the best available resources and efficiently plan their deployment. 

Looking ahead, resource management will not only become more efficient but also more flexible and responsive. Companies will be able to elevate their maintenance processes to a whole new level, gaining a decisive competitive edge. 

Ultimately, resource management is more than just a necessity – it holds strategic potential to significantly enhance performance and profitability. The integration of modern technologies for real-time resource optimization will be a key factor in driving this transformation. 

Senior Consultant vAMX

Kerstin Schröer

Senior Consultant

valantic

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