Maintenance service is a critical aspect of ensuring the longevity and efficiency of customer assets across various industries. As technology continues to evolve, maintenance planning has become increasingly sophisticated, incorporating different methodologies to address specific needs. In this blog post, we will delve into the various types of maintenance plans, each with its unique approach and real-life examples.

Image 1: Types of Maintenance Plan

1. Single Cycle Plan:

• Time-Based:

Image 2: Single Cycle Time based plan.

The time-based maintenance plan is a classic approach where maintenance activities are scheduled at regular intervals of time, independent of the customer asset’s actual usage. Consider a manufacturing plant that employs a single cycle time-based plan, performing routine maintenance every two months. This predetermined schedule ensures that customer asset receives timely attention, reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns and optimizing performance. Ex: Air conditioner service to be done every three months, irrespective of the usage.

• Performance-Based:

Image 3: Single Cycle Performance/Counter based plan

Performance-based maintenance plans are tailored to the actual usage and condition of the customer asset. Counters are assigned to track the usage like operating hours, miles travelled, or production cycles. The scheduling service, which considers the odometer reading, is designed for performance based single cycle servicing situations as shown in Image 2.

An aircraft might undergo maintenance every 100 take offs. The service planned date is determined based on the counter reading (100 take offs) at the time of planning and the estimated annual performance fleet management company employing performance-based maintenance for their vehicles, scheduling tire replacements based on mileage.

2. Multiple Counter Plan:

Image 4: Multiple counter plan

The multiple counter plan is a comprehensive approach that considers both performance-based and time-based cycles. It involves scheduling maintenance cycles with counters associated with different dimensions, such as flight hours, take-offs and landings, calendar time and miles travelled. This plan allows for a flexible approach to maintenance scheduling.

Operations in a multiple counter plan can be linked using either an OR &/or AND operation. In an OR operation, maintenance is triggered by the earliest deadline among the specified conditions, while an AND operation triggers maintenance based on the last deadline. This flexibility ensures that maintenance is performed efficiently, considering various factors.

An example of Multiple Counter Plan is scheduling service based on multiple time periods, or counters, or both.

1: Perform a car service every six months (overall check) OR

2: Perform a car service for every 5000 kilometers covered.

3. Strategy Plan:

Image 5: Strategy Plan

A Strategy-Based Maintenance Plan is a comprehensive approach to upkeep the customer asset that involves organizing service activities into multiple packages. Each package is thoughtfully bundled with specific check factors, closely aligned with either time-based or counter-based checks for the customer asset. It is only applicable in S/4 Service area for Service Order with Advanced execution item (https://blogs.sap.com/2023/11/07/introduction-to-service-with-advanced-execution-in-sap-s-4hana-2023/ ).

In this strategy, the maintenance plan is not a one-size-fits-all for instances but rather a tailored approach that considers the specific needs of the customer asset based on time or usage intervals. The maintenance plan considers distinct packages, each addressing different aspects of service. There are specific services related to each package either time or counter-based parameters.

Consider the following example based on strategic packages.

 Image 6  Display of Maintenance Strategies Packages in TCODE : IP12

Image 7: Task List details in TCODE IA05

These are the current types of Maintenance Plans supported in S/4 HANA Service. Single Cycle and Multiple counter based servicing plans are effectively used for classic or simple recurring service scenarios where as the Strategy based plan is more suitable for preventive maintenance scenario with an advanced execution item. By incorporating these accordingly, we can appreciate the practical applications of these maintenance plans and their role in enhancing reliability, reducing downtime, and ultimately contributing to overall operational excellence.