Maintenance Chief

ray a

OK, here's a question for those of you in the manufacturing world, especially if your processes are automated. We are looking to add a new position to oversee the maintenance of our automated equipment used in the mfg'ing process. Key functions will be to establish preventative maintenance (PM) schedules, either perform the pm's or be sure someone else does, and document all pm's. Currently operators are responsible for pm's, but they are done haphazardly when at all. For those in similar situations who have someone designated as responsible for equipment maintenance, what title do you use? Exempt or nonexempt? and who do they report to?

Don D

At our facilities, the Engineering Managers have Maintenance and are in charge of the overall PM program. It is tracked by him and he does the followup. The actual pm work is done by any one of the Maintenance/Electrical Techs. An exempt employee should have overall responsibility for the management of the PM program since it ties closely with the overall safety objectives and responsibilities of the facility and they are typically the ones involved at the management level in the Safety program. They also typically have the responsibility to obligate the money found necessary to correct equipment problems. Just my opinion.

safety

While our process has limited automation, we have a Maintenance Engineer who is an exempt ee. He is in charge of hourly maintenance mechanics and he also schedules the PM’s, tracks the % complete and assigns responsibilities for PM’s. While I agree with Don that there is a safety aspect to the PM’s, there is also a throuput issue here at our facility. Any amount of down time is tracked and our maintenance department is accountable for down time attributed to lack of PM’s. Our Maintenance Engineer is accountable to the Sr. FAcility Manager.

POPEYE

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 09-16-04 AT 03:50PM (CST)[/font][br][br]We have a similiar position with added responsibilities of "managing" 9 maintenance technicians that perform the PM as well as any repair or replace needed. He is an exempt EE with the title of Maintenance Manager.

** Reports to GM **

mrbill

Similar to other responses. In my past life, we had a Maintenance Engineer/Supervisor, who was ultimately responsible. Exempt position. The actual PM work is done by a qualified member of the maintenence department, who logs his work in. There was a safety issue, so we were strict about having the PM's done on a schedule.

lnelson

We have a Maintenance "Manager" who is nonexempt who is to maintain all mfg machinery and keep logs on there PM schedules. Our Safety Director who is exempt oversees this position and ensures it is being done properly and timely.

Kiwi

We have a Chief Engineer who documents, schedules and follows up on PM functions and demand repairs. He is exempt and supervises the hourly maint engineers who do the wrench turning.

Jewel

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 09-17-04 AT 12:37PM (CST)[/font][br][br]We have a Lead Maintenance Mechanic who is responsible for scheduling PM. He is, however, non-exempt because he basically performs all the other duties of a mechanic in addition to his Lead Responsibilities which includes performance evaluations, etc. Technically, he is a working supervisor.

This employee reports to the Manufacturing Operations Manager.

Jewel

TN HR

My response is similar. We have a Maintenance Manager, two Supervisors, 4 Leads and 22 Technicians. We also have a deidcated PM clerk who maintains the PM software and prepares the schedules. The supervisors, in turn, delegate the particular tasks on the PM schedules to the leads so it can go to the appropriate mechanics/sections.

The manager retains overall oversight for the PM program. He also ensures that the program functions within budget in terms of labor and materials.

Gene

Don D

I'd think twice about having non-exempt lead employees doing performance reviews on what amounts to their peers. If they do have that level of responsibility and make retention and discipline recommendations, assign and oversee the work of others, make independent decisions on the line all day long, you may have the definition of an exempt working supervisor.

When I came to this place, lead persons were doing evaluations on all the hourly personnel. A disater! I looked at some of these reviews and nearly fell off the chair. Laden with discriminatory comments, no clue as to how to do a review, had never been formally trained, lacked education and not a sigle one of the reviews could have been defended by management in any kind of hearing. That duty was jerked immediately.

Just a thought.

Jewel

Our lead people don't complete the reviews, the supervisor or manager of the department does. The leads do, however, give their input but it is ultimately the manager of the department who completes the reviews and submits them to HR.

HR also sees the reviews prior to the EE getting them just to make sure that they are fair and balanced.

Jewel

pork1

We have two Maintenance Managers: One for vehicle services and he has a crew of three, he is exempt and the others are labor vehicle mechanics. He makes sure the drivers do their PM and the mechanics do the portion of the PM that must be done with identified PM issues.

One for facilities Maintenance Management which includes responsibilities for the PM on all facilities. He is EXEMPT and rates/evaluates all 15 mechanics assigned to his unit and 15 remote locations.

Our Land Management Manager has 5 different complexes and supervises 7 employees who service and PM all the tractors, hay bailers, sprinkle units, and power generators. This one is a real nightmare looking for a place to happen. This unit needs more people but it is seasonal and the summer is just about over with and now the winter PM begins and the complex ees do t6he PM without anyone elses help, it is part of the job!

PORK

HRCalico

We have a Production Engineer responsible for our PM. He is exempt and reports to the President, although in theory he probably should be reporting to the Production Mgr (don't ask). I just hired an hourly guy to help him out but he's splitting time with 1-2 other depts.