Crews

Crews are resources that can be shared among analyses and can be managed via the Resource Manager. You can assign the crews to maintenance tasks. Starting in Version 2019, crews are assigned to maintenance tasks as part of teams. This allows you to require multiple crews to complete a task (e.g., if a task requires both a mechanic and an electrician). A team can also consist of a single crew.

The Crew window allows you to create, view and edit crews. It can be accessed by clicking the Create New or View/Edit icon in the Crew wizard, which is accessed from Crew fields in properties windows (e.g., under Teams for task in the Maintenance Task window).

  

It can also be accessed from the Crews page of the Resource Manager by choosing Home > Edit > Add, by selecting a crew and choosing Home > Edit > View or by double-clicking a crew.

For a new resource, a name will be proposed automatically based on the default naming criteria established for the current database (see Default Name Formats window). You can replace this with your own name, if desired. Remember that the name and identifiers are the primary way in which your team will be able to find the resources you need for your analyses.

The following settings are available to configure the crew:

  • Crew
    • Direct cost allows you to choose or create a model to represent the direct cost per unit time to engage the crew (e.g., the hourly charge for the time that the crew spends performing the task). This field uses a cost per unit time model. If no model is assigned, it is assumed that there is no cost.
    • Cost per incident allows you to choose or create a model to represent the cost per incident to engage the crew (e.g., if you have to pay a fixed fee instead of or in addition to the hourly rate). This field uses a cost model. If no model is assigned, it is assumed that there is no cost.
    • Is there a limit to the number of tasks this crew can perform at the same time?: If you answer Yes, you must specify the limit in the Number of tasks field. For example, if the crew can only fix 3 components at any given time and 4 components fail at the same time, then the crew will not be able to fix the fourth component until one of the other components has been restored.
    • Logistic Delay allows you to choose or create a model to describe the delay time before the crew can start the task. If no model is assigned, it is assumed that the crew can start the task immediately without any delays (i.e., immediate repair). The team with the highest priority is always called upon first, regardless of logistic wait times for the team's crews. If a team is needed and all teams are engaged, the team with the shortest wait time (based on the longest wait time of its constituent crews) is chosen to perform the task.

For a given simulation, a crew's logistic time is constant across that one simulation for the task. It is taken randomly from its distribution or from its fixed time.

For on condition tasks, if the same crew performs the inspection and preventive maintenance and there are logistic delays associated with the crew, the logistic delays will be factored into the simulation for both parts of the task.

    • If Include logistic delay in cost is selected, then the time spent waiting for the crew (including logistic delay and any delay incurred due to limits on the number of tasks the crew can perform simultaneously) will be included when calculating crew costs, based on the direct cost specified for the crew.
    • If Include part delay in cost is selected, then the time spent by the crew waiting for spare parts will be included when calculating crew costs, based on the direct cost specified for the crew.

    • History provides information about when the record was created and last updated. If the history log has been activated at the project level, you can click the View Item History icon to open the Record History Log for the record.

    • Watch allows each individual user to subscribe to receive an alert (via e-mail, SMS text message or portal message) when the resource is changed.

    • Trace Usage. For existing resources, the link at the bottom of the window indicates how many times the resource is currently being used. If you need more information, click the link or the icon to open the Dependency Viewer.

Related Topics and Links