Philips Uses Datastream Software to Streamline Maintenance

	Quick Facts Produces 300,000 tubes per day 60-person maintenance staff All non-production purchases tracked through Datastream software

Philips is the world leader in the production of fluorescent lighting tubes. At the Philips Lighting facility in Chalon-sur-Saone, France, the glassmaking plant produces bulbs which are sent to the production lines to fuel a production of 300,000 tubes per day.

The Philips facility is very automated and requires precise maintenance to ensure product demands are met. A minor breakdown in one production line could lead to more delays throughout the rest of the plant, so equipment uptime is crucial.

The Challenge
The maintenance department for production equipment in Chalon consists of a staff of 50 with ten additional staff members required to maintain the buildings and the grounds. In addition, staff members work at varying schedules requiring a high degree of uniform communication among maintenance workers.

Philips allots over 30 of its workers in the production maintenance department to respond to corrective work orders. With so much maintenance activity at the facility, Philips requires a powerful asset management solution to track the flow of work throughout the plant.

The Solution
Philips chose Datastream asset management software to track the maintenance process at Chalon. The objectives were clear: increase equipment uptime and decrease maintenance costs. To meet these goals, Philips restructured the department around the strengths of the Datastream's software. The company put the new tool in the hands of the users, allowing the department to eliminate much of the costly paperwork. With access to the system, communication within the department increased and led to more accurate repairs and preventive maintenance.

The Results
Within months, Philips had a standardized, computerized asset management system from Datastream. Information that once took weeks to compute was now readily available within the software's reporting capabilities.

With increased access to the software, the maintenance technicians were able to accurately record the time spent repairing equipment. The technicians complete one work order and immediately receives the next task. Thus, the flow of work between the administrator and the technician is streamlined and efficient.

In addition, Philips was able to tighten control on the purchasing process. Every purchase in the plant (except for raw materials) is managed by Datastream's software system. As a result, the stockroom carries a more accurate inventory, ensuring that the necessary part is available when requested.