Thank you for your interest and for taking the time to explore BOF!

Table of Contents:

1 Program Description

2 Features
2.1 Data Recording
2.2 Feedback
2.3 Help Function
2.4 Easy to Adapt
2.5 Data Protection
2.6 Company-Wide Data Processing

3 Installation

4 Additional Information




1 Program Description


BOF is a Microsoft Windows application for personal computers. The program supports the preventive maintenance of technical equipment. It has been developed to match especially the requirements of the shop-floor staff, but is nevertheless suitable for specialized maintenance personnel as well.

The design of BOF is based on a concept called Behavior-Outcome Feedback. In applying the program, one records the maintenance activities and their outcomes. Based on these data the maintenance strategies and their consequences are fed back as plots or charts. From theses graphic representations, the user can derive hypotheses about potentially more efficient strategies. In applying these strategies, he or she gets feedback about their efficiency, resulting in new hypotheses about even more efficient strategies. Thus, BOF supports an inductive, experience-based optimization of maintenance strategies.

Such a support is necessary because

* with increasing complexity of the equipment the number of potential maintenance activities multiplies. Without sufficient recording, one easily loses control over the performed and the to be performed operations.

* frequently no information about the costs of breakdowns compared with the expenditures for preventive activities is available. E.g., generally preventive maintenance of a machine is more efficient than a breakdown. On the other hand, too frequent preventive activities result also in considerable expenditures, especially if an activity requires a stoppage of the machine.

* often no contingency between a preventive activity and its consequences can be detected. E.g., due to the large time intervals between the activities and their insufficient recording rarely machine breakdowns can be attributed unequivocally to a deficient preventive maintenance.
The optimization of preventive maintenance promotes to match the increasing quality demands. Moreover, the optimal employment of the resources improves the profitability of the company.


2 Features

2.1 Data Recording

The Behavior-Outcome Feedback is based on a detailed recording of the maintenance activities. For this purpose, BOF provides a clearly arranged data recording facility. Here, each maintenance activity is stored in a separate record consisting of the performed type of maintenance, its features, the resulting costs, and arbitrary remarks.

2.2 Feedback

The feedback module offers three options to display the collected maintenance data in a clear and figurative way. The report function presents selected aspects of the data in a table, which can be sorted according to diverse criteria. Via mouseclicks the corresponding complete record is displayed in the child window of the data recording.

The weak point analysis presents costs, as working or stoppage time, in easy to survey bar charts, differentiated for the machine units or components. On this basis, those machine units or components with a high optimization potential can be identified.

A more detailed analysis is performed using behavior reports. These reports illustrate the activities of the maintenance personnel or the shop-floor staff. One can identify, whether breakdowns were facilitated by a deficient preventive maintenance or high cost values are due to excessive corresponding activities.

2.3 Help Function

BOF has an on-line help facility, covering all options of the program. A search function provides rapid access to specific topics. We have to admit, however, that currently there is only a German help-file available. On the other hand, BOF is structured like a standard Windows application. Thus, it should not be too difficult to find out how it works, just by trial and error.

2.4 Easy to Adapt

The program is easily adapted to diverse machines. Their units and components are stored in separate data bases.

2.5 Data Protection

The recorded maintenance data can be protected by passwords and, then, are accessible for authorized personnel only.

2.6 Company-Wide Data Processing

BOF uses the dBase data base standard. Thus, the recorded maintenance data can be examined and processed by other departments and, e.g., used in ordering materials and spare parts.


3 Installation

The minimum requirements are:

* Processor 486/33,
* RAM 8 MB,
* Fixed disk with 6 MB disk space available and 
* Operating system Microsoft Windows Version 3.1 or higher

Beyond that, the program requires Asymetrix Multimedia ToolBook and Asymetrix Database Connection. But the corresponding runtime modules and drivers are distributed with BOF.

The demo version has the complete functionality of BOF. In addition, it includes a voluminous file containing industrial maintenance data (nb-h_90.bof), recorded at a flexible manufacturing cell Hüller Hille nb-h 90. This file allows you to test the functions using real-world examples. However, the use of the demo is restricted to the period of time till June 30th, 1996.

Install BOF via SETUP.EXE under Windows.


4 Additional Information

Additional information about BOF and our Research Group Maintenance are available on the Internet, http://exp-1.arb-phys.uni-dortmund.de/mtnance/basis.htm

Or contact us in a more conventional way via:

     Dr. Dietmar Gude
     IfADo
     Abteilung Arbeitspsychologie
     Ardeystr. 67
     D-44139 Dortmund
     Germany

     E-mail: gude@arb-phys.uni-dortmund.de
     Phone:  +49 231 1084303
     Fax:    +49 231 1084308
