MMC Maintenance Planning & Scheduling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a 'weekly schedule' in maintenance planning?
- To document equipment failures after they occur
- To commit specific work orders to specific crews for the upcoming week (Correct answer)
- To rank equipment by replacement priority
- To track spare parts inventory levels
Correct answer: To commit specific work orders to specific crews for the upcoming week
The weekly schedule assigns specific planned work orders to specific craft crews for execution during the upcoming week.
Question 2: Which metric best measures the effectiveness of a maintenance planning function?
- Total number of work orders closed per month
- Wrench time (craft time spent on actual work vs. total time) (Correct answer)
- Number of preventive maintenance tasks completed
- Ratio of emergency to routine work orders
Correct answer: Wrench time (craft time spent on actual work vs. total time)
Wrench time—the percentage of a craftsperson's day spent on productive work—directly reflects how well planning has eliminated delays and inefficiencies.
Question 3: In maintenance scheduling, what does 'schedule compliance' measure?
- The percentage of PM tasks completed on time vs. total PM tasks due
- The percentage of scheduled work orders completed vs. total work orders scheduled (Correct answer)
- The ratio of corrective to preventive maintenance
- The on-time delivery rate of spare parts
Correct answer: The percentage of scheduled work orders completed vs. total work orders scheduled
Schedule compliance measures the percentage of work orders on the weekly schedule that were actually completed during that week.
Question 4: What is the 'planning horizon' for a typical maintenance daily schedule?
- Same day through the next business day (Correct answer)
- One to two weeks in advance
- One month in advance
- One quarter in advance
Correct answer: Same day through the next business day
The daily schedule addresses work for the current day and the immediate next day, adjusting for emergencies and absences.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key input a maintenance planner needs before planning a work order?
- The technician's personal preference for the job
- Accurate equipment history and asset records (Correct answer)
- The accounting department's budget approval
- The production manager's vacation schedule
Correct answer: Accurate equipment history and asset records
Accurate equipment history and asset records allow the planner to identify correct parts, procedures, and safety requirements for the job.
Question 6: What is 'backlog management' in the context of maintenance scheduling?
- Tracking overdue invoices from vendors
- Controlling the queue of planned but not yet scheduled work orders (Correct answer)
- Archiving completed maintenance records
- Managing overtime for craft personnel
Correct answer: Controlling the queue of planned but not yet scheduled work orders
Backlog management involves monitoring and controlling the pool of planned, ready-to-schedule work orders to maintain an appropriate workload buffer.
Question 7: When prioritizing work orders for scheduling, which factor should carry the MOST weight?
- The age of the work order in the system
- Safety risk and potential impact on production or operations (Correct answer)
- The requesting technician's seniority
- The availability of the specific part needed
Correct answer: Safety risk and potential impact on production or operations
Safety risk and operational impact are the highest-priority factors; safety hazards must be addressed first regardless of other scheduling constraints.
MMC Maintenance Planning & Scheduling 2
What is the primary purpose of a 'weekly schedule' in maintenance planning?