Equipment Availability

A higher percentage signifies higher operational uptime and reliability. Lower Equipment Availability indicates more frequent downtime, which may result from breakdowns, maintenance, or other operational interruptions. It's essential to assess the causes of downtime to make informed decisions.

Several factors influence Equipment Availability, including:

• Maintenance Practices: The choice of maintenance management strategy (e.g., preventive, predictive, corrective) significantly impacts equipment availability. Proactive maintenance strategies can reduce downtime and improve availability.
• Equipment Age: Older equipment may experience more breakdowns, reducing availability, unless proper maintenance practices are in place.
• Spare Parts Availability: Efficient spare parts management ensures that necessary components and parts are readily available, minimizing downtime.
• Operator Training: Adequate training for equipment operators can reduce the likelihood of errors or mishaps that lead to downtime.
• Environmental Conditions: Harsh operating environments can accelerate equipment wear and tear, affecting availability.
• Reliability Engineering: Applying reliability engineering principles can lead to designs that improve equipment availability.

Ensure that availability goals align with the organization's overall operational objectives, safety requirements, and industry standards.

• Ensure that data used for calculations, including downtime records and operational hours, is accurate and well-documented preferably within a CMMS software.
• Maintain consistency in the definitions and methods used for measuring and reporting Equipment Availability to ensure reliable comparisons over time.