Industrial facilities around the world operate non-stop to continue providing essential products and services to buyers everywhere. However, the equipment at these paper mills and other industrial facilities suffer wear and tear just like at any factory. That’s where outage support and plant turnarounds come in.
Yearly maintenance is important to keep factories producing efficiently and safely. Even so, facilitating your annual outage support can be a daunting task. With a proper plan set in place and the right contracting team, maintenance will be performed as productively as possible.
What is Annual Outage Support?
To keep up with consumer demand, paper mills, industrial facilities, and other factories throughout the world run 24/7, non-stop. However, it is important to schedule annual outage support once per year to ensure all equipment still functions properly.
Since so much needs to be done in a short amount of time, outages are usually pretty hectic for employees, management, and contractors. There is so much involved on the floor and behind-the-scenes, around the clock.
How to Plan for Annual Outage Support
Devising a concise plan for your annual outage is a crucial element of an efficient process. Therefore, it is important to take the time to think ahead to when annual outage work begins. In our Northeast Florida area, it typically happens around springtime.
Remember, time is money, so there is a narrow time frame for all of this work to be completed. Prepare in advance for a chaotic day.
Facility managers will want to deploy all the troops for your Annual Shutdown. Successful outcomes are the result of teamwork, not just a great planner. Success also comes with selecting the right contractor for the job. A successful contractor can help you plan and execute projects on time.
Encourage your team to think strategically. For example, rather than just making a list of all maintenance activities, have your team identify the key equipment that needs attention.
Use all the stakeholders to develop and define clear objectives, work scopes, and schedules. The team should also keep you informed of progress throughout outage execution.
Lastly, plan for the unexpected. It is inevitable that previously unknown needs will be identified, some activities will take longer than expected, and many will be completed earlier. Communication, therefore, is key. Managers will need regular, reliable updates, and must be able to reschedule quickly.
What to Look for in an Annual Outage Support Partner
When searching for a partner, any smart facility manager should look for verifiable positive track records of outage support tasks of the same caliber. Outage support is no easy task, so it is crucial to ensure your industrial contracting partner has experience with similar projects.
An ideal partner should have proper safety certifications and training certifications. For example, at Coker, our team is certified through NCCCO, ISNetworld, Avetta, and more.
Additionally, a contracting partner should be transparent with you about their insurance. For safety reasons, insurance is a must.
Finally, the right partner will have a stellar track record of completing projects on deadline. This is especially important for annual outage support. Since it typically is crammed into one day, it is imperative that your partner can perform any necessary duties under time constraints.
Annual Outage Support requires precise planning, organization, and teamwork. Without the proper industrial contracting partner, management teams may run into some trouble that could be very costly and waste time. At Coker, we prioritize working within your timeline to ensure your project gets completed on time and on budget. Contact us to request a quote today to get started on your project.