Maintenance Planner Guide: Role, Skills & Best Practices

The Role of the Maintenance Planner

The maintenance planner is responsible for preparing work orders so that technicians can execute maintenance efficiently. The planner does NOT do the maintenance — they plan it. This includes: identifying the scope of work, estimating labour and parts, sourcing materials, creating step-by-step job plans, and scheduling the work.

The distinction between planner and scheduler varies by organisation, but typically:

• Planner: Focuses on the 'what' and 'how' — scope, parts, procedures, labour estimates
• Scheduler: Focuses on the 'when' and 'who' — timing, resource allocation, coordination with production
• In smaller organisations, one person may do both

The Planning Process

1. Receive work request: Review the work request for clarity, completeness, and priority. Reject or return incomplete requests.
2. Scope the work: Visit the equipment if necessary. Understand what needs to be done, what access is required, and what safety precautions are needed.
3. Identify parts and materials: Check the bill of materials (BOM). Verify parts are in stock or order them. Include part numbers, quantities, and storage locations.
4. Estimate labour: Estimate the number of technicians, their trades, and the hours required. Include time for safety procedures (LOTO, confined space).
5. Create the job plan: Write step-by-step instructions. Include: safety requirements, permits needed, tools required, parts needed, procedure steps, and quality checks.
6. Attach documentation: Include drawings, manuals, photos, previous work order history, and any special instructions.
7. Schedule: Coordinate with production for equipment availability. Assign to the appropriate crew. Confirm parts availability.
8. Review after completion: Compare actual time and parts to the plan. Update the job plan with lessons learned for next time.

Essential Skills

• Technical knowledge — understanding of equipment, maintenance procedures, and tools
• CMMS proficiency — able to create and manage work orders, BOMs, and reports in the maintenance system
• Organisational skills — managing dozens of work orders simultaneously with different priorities and deadlines
• Communication — liaising between maintenance, production, procurement, and management
• Estimating — accurately estimating labour hours and material requirements
• Safety awareness — identifying safety requirements (LOTO, permits, PPE) for each job
• Continuous improvement — learning from completed jobs and updating plans to improve future estimates

Measuring Planning Effectiveness