Shutdown success starts sooner than you think. The average budget for a Shutdown, Turnaround, or Outage (STO) can exceed $1 million even before factoring in the financial impact of weeks of lost production. Inadequate planning significantly increases the risk of unplanned stoppages that leed to this budget being exceeded.
Up to 90% of a successful shutdown’s execution depends on the planning phase yet this phase is often underestimated. Teams frequently fail to account for unexpected ‘found work’, the inevitable discovery of additional, unplanned maintenance or repair tasks during a plant shutdown (STO), leading projects to run over budget or fall behind schedule.
The Consequences of Not Accounting for “Found Work”
- Running Behind Schedule and Over Budget:
If these unexpected tasks aren’t planned for, they will directly cause the project to finish “behind schedule or over budget”. This is a major part of the “price” companies pay for insufficient planning.
- Negative Impact on Priorities and Critical Path:
Unforeseen work can have a “huge negative impact on priorities and critical path”. This means that the carefully laid out sequence of tasks, which dictates the overall project timeline, gets disrupted, potentially delaying crucial steps or requiring a reallocation of resources.
- Project Derailment and Exacerbated Costs
Ultimately, not having a plan for “found work” can and will derail your project entirely. This highlights the significant risk it poses to the entire shutdown process.
Average Plant Shutdowns budgets often more than $1M before companies factor in the financial impact of weeks of lost production. When unexpected work prolongs the shutdown, it directly increases these costs, including labor (often with overtime), materials, and the ongoing loss of production revenue.
The Practical Steps to Account for “Found Work” During the Early Planning Stages
“Found work” is an inevitable part of these complex projects, and early planning stages of a plant shutdown (STO) presents a crucial opportunity to account for the costs of unexpected discoveries. The following offers practical suggestions to enhance front-end loading.
- Planning for the unexpected
Building a contingency of about 10 percent into the plan for “found” or “discovery” work that is inevitable. This financial and time buffer is specifically designed to accommodate the unexpected discoveries that will arise once the plant is shut down and equipment is accessible for closer inspection.
- Detailed cleaning plan
A critical, often underestimated, aspect of early planning is a “detailed cleaning plan”. With an enhanced cleaning plan potential “found work” can be identified sooner in the shutdown process, allowing for more timely adjustments to the schedule and budget
- Enhancing schedule clarity
Using detailed, priority-based planning instead of vague ‘look-ahead schedules’ helps ensure the right tasks are executed at the right time, minimizing congestion, boosting efficiency, and supporting a safer work environment.
- Inventory and ordering
Taking a detailed inventory and ordering all necessary tools and equipment before the project begins to prevent stoppages.
- Agile Communication Plan for Change Management
Implement a real-time communication protocol (e.g., daily stand-ups, digital dashboards, or dedicated channels) to quickly address changes, align stakeholders, and adapt plans without downtime. Transparency is critical to managing disruptions.
- Utilize ERP Systems for Enhanced Visibility and Informed Decision-Making:
Keeping track of tools, equipment, and other maintenance planning data in an ERP system to gain visibility, improve cost tracking, and support informed decision-making. While not directly a step for “found work,” maintaining detailed data in an ERP system is a fundamental part of effective planning that indirectly helps manage unexpected costs.
The true cost of shutdowns isn’t just in the execution, it’s in the missed opportunities for preparation. Failing to plan for inevitable “found work,” inadequate cleaning schedules, unclear task sequencing, or supply chain delays can push even the best-run STOs off track. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Timenow brings the structure, foresight, and field-tested expertise needed to transform the early planning phase from a risk into a competitive advantage.
Supporting the entire lifecycle of industrial assets, Timenow’s guidance helps align STO planning with long-term asset efficiency, not just short-term execution.
Plan early. Avoid rework. Finish strong.
Partner with Timenow to ensure your next shutdown is truly under control.