A downtime log should help the next decision, not just count lost minutes
Separate waiting for information, scheduled service and equipment interruptions.
Separate waiting for information, scheduled service and equipment interruptions.
If every interruption is recorded as machine down, an owner cannot tell which problem to address. Waiting for an approved drawing, a planned service visit and an equipment fault may all stop output, but they call for different responses.
Capture the event in ordinary language
Record the machine, start and finish time, affected job, observed issue and the action taken. Distinguish what someone saw from the cause later established by qualified maintenance or support personnel. Keep the relevant service reference with the entry when one exists.
Use a small set of categories the team can apply consistently: preparation or information delay, material availability, planned maintenance and unplanned equipment interruption are a workable starting point. Review the categories with operators rather than imposing a complex code list nobody remembers.
Look for repeatable patterns
At a regular production review, group the records by cause and frequency. A recurring short interruption may deserve as much attention as one long event. Assign one owner to investigate a pattern and record the outcome when the response changes the process.
Park’s maintenance resources provide manufacturer context for its equipment; they do not diagnose a particular incident remotely. Use the log to give the appropriate supplier or internal specialist clear evidence. The business value comes from separating problems the shop can organize better from technical issues that need qualified service.
Source & further reading
Original editorial planning guidance. The linked manufacturer resource supplies relevant product or training context; it is not an endorsement of this article or a substitute for machine-specific instructions.
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