Network maintenance: A discipline with high stakes

The maintenance of complex infrastructures such as networks can be a real challenge for Maintenance Managers. Gas, water, electricity, road, rail, and telecommunications networks all extend over large geographic areas, requiring equipment, sometimes several hundred kilometers apart, to be maintained in operational condition.

Maintenance Managers of these networks are confronted with difficulties in identifying malfunctions or anomalies on these networks, or in managing corrective actions and setting up a preventive plan to avoid new problems.

It is, therefore, necessary to draw up an effective maintenance plan and to ensure its proper execution (human resources, operating methods).

Build a solid knowledge base

The network information system, due to the geographical scope of the problem, implies the gathering of all information in a centralized repository. The idea is to be able to exploit all the knowledge related to maintenance operations and to take advantage of it at any time and in any place. The search for specialized Maintenance software is then necessary, allowing you to interface with your existing information system (GIS, ERP, etc…). In addition, this type of software dedicated to industrial maintenance allows you to visualize your maintenance assets in the form of a geographical and technical tree structure. TEEXMA® for Maintenance offers, for example, a technical tree structure with no limit to the number of levels and integrating the management of linear equipment that can be easily interfaced with your computer system.

Highly regulated environment

Industrial maintenance is a highly regulated field of activity, the ISO 20022 standard describes a metadata repository containing descriptions of messages and business processes, and a maintenance process for the repository content. It is therefore important to integrate this normative reference system into your information system, especially since it does not stop there, and other standards specific to the maintenance of linear network equipment must be taken into account, such as the maintenance of gas pipelines (ISO 19345), standards on electrical installations, etc

Manage the supply and traceability of heterogeneous equipment

Industrial maintenance requires the management of multiple heterogeneous pieces of equipment. Your physical assets (valves, pipes, in-line components, active equipment, or fixed equipment…) alongside your linear equipment, requires detailed knowledge of the repair and maintenance processes. It is therefore critical to have a precise technical description of this equipment, to manage your stock in real-time and guarantee traceability.

Facilitate locating anomalies (GIS)

The location of anomalies in a large geographical area is probably the most difficult issue in a corrective maintenance operation, supporting the preventive maintenance mentioned above. It is, therefore, necessary for network maintenance managers to promote and strengthen the GIS (Geographic Information System), in order to have a direct view of malfunctions and/or an overall view of the network installations.

Thus, it will be easier for the operators to intervene precisely on the place of failure or malfunction for a corrective maintenance. Also, this kind of information system allows to plan tours with the coordinates of the equipment in order to operate an optimal preventive maintenance.

Manage teams efficiently

Our final tip, in connection with the previous one, concerns the management of its maintenance teams. Indeed, whether it is for preventive or corrective maintenance, it will be necessary to efficiently manage the planning of its human resources, while taking into account the problem of operators who are sometimes several tens or even hundreds of kilometers away.

At this level of distance, it seems inevitable to digitalize maintenance operations and to take advantage of applications available on cell phones in order to equip operators. Indeed, the advantage is to be able to take advantage of a global vision of a station in tab while having an offline mode. Thus, it allows maintenance technicians to intervene directly and issue a report in real time, thus avoiding wasting time and double entry.

TEEXMA for Maintenance, the best option for the digitalization of its maintenance operations

Equipping yourself with a TEEXMA® for Maintenance is currently the best solution for digitizing maintenance operations and guaranteeing optimal efficiency on all the points discussed in this article. You can learn more about our TEEXMA® for Maintenance solution, the customizable and full web solution to manage your maintenance data. Available in Saas (software as a service) or on-premise, our maintenance software package allows you to take advantage of a mobile interface to manage your operations even on the largest networks.

BASSETTI, with its Technical Expertise Department, is committed to implementing methods, tools and IT processes to structure, archive and disseminate this high value-added knowledge within the company.