COURSE OVERVIEW:

A maintenance backlog is not just a list of work to be done; it is a vital indicator of a plant’s health and a primary tool for resource allocation. This course provides a disciplined framework for managing the maintenance backlog, ensuring that work is identified, screened, and prioritized based on risk and business impact. It focuses on the transition from a "first-in, first-out" mentality to a strategic approach that maximizes the productivity of the maintenance team.

The scope of this training involves the entire lifecycle of a work request, from initial identification to "Ready-to-Schedule" status. Participants will learn how to categorize the backlog into meaningful segments—such as safety, preventive, and corrective—and how to identify "Hidden Backlog" that may be lurking outside the CMMS. The curriculum emphasizes the use of "Risk-Based Prioritization" matrices to ensure that high-consequence work is never buried under low-priority tasks.

Coverage includes the techniques for "Backlog Scrubbing" (the systematic removal of invalid or duplicated work), the calculation of "Backlog Aging" metrics, and the management of "Ready-Backlog" vs. "Total-Backlog." Attendees will explore how to use backlog data to justify staffing levels and determine when to use third-party contractors. By the end of this course, participants will be able to lead a "Backlog Review" meeting and ensure that their maintenance department is focused on the work that matters most.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

After completion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Define the different types of maintenance backlog (Total, Ready, and Scheduled).
• Implement a standardized "Work Identification" and screening process.
• Utilize a "Risk-Based Prioritization Matrix" for all work requests.
• Conduct a systematic "Backlog Scrubbing" session to eliminate waste.
• Calculate the "Backlog in Weeks" metric to manage staffing levels.
• Identify and capture "Hidden Backlog" from informal lists and emails.
• Manage the "Ready-to-Schedule" backlog to improve crew productivity.
• Facilitate effective "Backlog Review" meetings with Operations.
• Use backlog aging reports to identify "Stagnant" or "forgotten" work.
• Determine when to utilize contractors based on backlog trends.
• Integrate "Shutdown and Outage" work into the overall backlog strategy.
• Communicate backlog status and risks effectively to plant leadership.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

This course is vital for Maintenance Planners, Schedulers, Maintenance Supervisors, CMMS Administrators, and Operations Coordinators.

TRAINING COURSE METHODOLOGY:

A highly interactive combination of lectures, discussion sessions, and case studies will be employed to maximize the transfer of information, knowledge, and experience. The course will be intensive, practical, and highly interactive. The sessions will start by raising the most relevant questions and motivating everybody to find the right answers. The attendants will also be encouraged to raise more of their questions and to share in developing the right answers using their analysis and experience. There will also be some indoor experiential activities to enhance the learning experience. Course material will be provided in PowerPoint, with necessary animations, learning videos, and general discussions.

The course participants shall be evaluated before, during, and at the end of the course.

COURSE CERTIFICATE:

National Consultant Centre for Training LLC (NCC) will issue an Attendance Certificate to all participants completing a minimum of 80% of the total attendance time requirement.