Our first step is to identify the potential capacity of the plant, and the profitability available.  We look at the overall production map of the plant, and identify both the theoretical capacity and the best demonstrated performance of the unit. 

We can also identify operating cost structures and how they must change.  When equipment health is excellent, there is less labor and materials required than for a continuous repair operation. Validating maintenance cost reduction potential is an appropriate place to use benchmarking.

The additional production and reduced operating costs lead us in two directions.  First, we can summarize the business case, with benefits as well as cost.

Second, we can identify operating specifications to achieve our annual improvement targets.  Instead of “do better”, we identify uptime requirements at the equipment level to achieve total operating goals.

We then identify specific goals and work necessary over a multi-year horizon, at the appropriate level of detail. 

We document our efforts in an Asset Management Operational Strategic Plan, with the following outline:

• The Management Summary is a concise extract of the important features of the overall plan, intended to give senior management an overview of findings and expectations
• The Current Performance is the assessed status of our plant, including our operating rates versus potential, overall maintenance and reliability statistics compared with world class performance, and a benchmark against the Operational Reliability Maturity Continuum
• Future Operating Vision documents how we expect to operate in the future.  What will we look like?  How will roles and responsibilities evolve?  This is based on understanding best practices, and envisioning their implementation in our plant.
• Strategic Initiatives outline the major components of our improvement process over the next several years.  They are described by intent, outcomes and process, rather than as specific plans.
• The Business Case outlines the opportunities we intend to capture, both in terms of cost savings and additional production, and the outlays required to get us there.
• Resources Required outline timeframes, deliverables, measures, people’s involvement and other resources necessary to achieve the goals.
• Structure, Accountability and Measures show how we will execute the individual project components, who is accountable and how we will measure success