Shutdown module
Shutdown Management Software for Plants and Turnarounds
MaintWiz shutdown management software plans, schedules, controls and closes out a plant shutdown in one place: a Gantt chart with critical path and float, readiness gates, work orders with checklists, spares with SAP status, permits from ePTW and an executive view of every project.
The shutdown module is an add-on to the MaintWiz platform.
By Jai Balachandran · Published · Last reviewed
Works with:SAPExcelPrimavera P6MS ProjectePTWIoT
The module
What does MaintWiz shutdown management software do?
MaintWiz shutdown management software plans, schedules, controls and closes out a plant shutdown in one place: a Gantt chart with critical path and float, readiness gates, work orders with checklists, spares with SAP status, permits and isolations from ePTW, and an executive view of every project. 1
Find the row for the job your team struggles with most and note the area name beside it. Some tasks use two areas, for example permits and isolations sit in Execute and in Controls. Take that list of areas into the demo and ask to see each one working on your own task list.
| Shutdown task | What MaintWiz does | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Plan the portfolio | Shows current projects on a board by phase or on a timeline, with blackout windows from the admin calendar and the availability of trades and common tools | Portfolio |
| Build the schedule | Gantt chart and table with critical activities and float, a flag when float falls to your limit, baselines that show what moved, and scaffolding as a work order of the package that needs it | Plan, Schedule |
| Check readiness | Gates for every work package, configured to your requirements; the standard set is materials, resources, predecessors, tools and scaffold, permits and isolations, scope and engineering, and a go result. Waivers and sign-offs need a typed reason and are saved with the name and the date | Controls, Readiness |
| Control cost and risk | Earned value (planned, earned, actual) with cost and schedule indices, budget against actual and forecast, and a risk register with a score and an owner | Controls |
| Manage spares | Needed, in stock, short and SAP cover for each part, with the SAP status of none, purchase request raised or purchase order issued | Supply chain |
| Run the work | Work orders with five states, a task list for each type of activity, tick, reading and photo tasks, limits on readings, hours and parts used, findings sent to the planner, handover notes and attachments | Execute |
| Control permits and isolations | Permits and isolations from ePTW show on each work order and feed the readiness gate. A package with an open permit or isolation cannot be closed | Execute and Controls |
| Close packages and the project | Completion from closed tasks, status that rolls up from work orders to packages to the project, closure below 100 % only with a typed reason, and reopening | Execute, Work packages |
| Close out | Handover, lessons learnt, reports, deferred items and an archive of closed projects | Close-out |
| See it as an executive | A health matrix with the worst project first, decisions ranked by effect with Approve and Decline, the effect in days and in money, and one timeline of all projects | Exec View |
| Set the rules | Calendars, shifts, rate cards, tool hire rates, units, planning rules and menu access by role | Admin |
Related: Turnaround management software · Shutdown software vs spreadsheets · 40-step shutdown checklist
To compare the module with a CMMS and with scheduling software, see shutdown software vs spreadsheets vs Primavera P6. A PDF data sheet lists the specifications.
It is built for planned shutdown maintenance, including turnarounds and planned outages. The three words are not synonyms: see shutdown, turnaround and outage compared.
| Shutdown task | What MaintWiz does | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Plan the portfolio | Shows current projects on a board by phase or on a timeline, with blackout windows from the admin calendar and the availability of trades and common tools | Portfolio |
| Build the schedule | Gantt chart and table with critical activities and float, a flag when float falls to your limit, baselines that show what moved, and scaffolding as a work order of the package that needs it | Plan, Schedule |
| Check readiness | Gates for every work package, configured to your requirements; the standard set is materials, resources, predecessors, tools and scaffold, permits and isolations, scope and engineering, and a go result. Waivers and sign-offs need a typed reason and are saved with the name and the date | Controls, Readiness |
| Control cost and risk | Earned value (planned, earned, actual) with cost and schedule indices, budget against actual and forecast, and a risk register with a score and an owner | Controls |
| Manage spares | Needed, in stock, short and SAP cover for each part, with the SAP status of none, purchase request raised or purchase order issued | Supply chain |
| Run the work | Work orders with five states, a task list for each type of activity, tick, reading and photo tasks, limits on readings, hours and parts used, findings sent to the planner, handover notes and attachments | Execute |
| Control permits and isolations | Permits and isolations from ePTW show on each work order and feed the readiness gate. A package with an open permit or isolation cannot be closed | Execute and Controls |
| Close packages and the project | Completion from closed tasks, status that rolls up from work orders to packages to the project, closure below 100 % only with a typed reason, and reopening | Execute, Work packages |
| Close out | Handover, lessons learnt, reports, deferred items and an archive of closed projects | Close-out |
| See it as an executive | A health matrix with the worst project first, decisions ranked by effect with Approve and Decline, the effect in days and in money, and one timeline of all projects | Exec View |
| Set the rules | Calendars, shifts, rate cards, tool hire rates, units, planning rules and menu access by role | Admin |
The module is an add-on to the MaintWiz platform and reuses its work orders, spares, approvals, ePTW, preventive maintenance scheduling, instruments and calibration, and SAP integration.
Executives
Decide with the executive view
Executives see which project is at risk first, what each issue costs in days and in money, and can approve or decline the decisions waiting for them in the same view.
Read the line under each decision: it states what the decision saves or the risk it reduces. The shutdown manager approves or declines each row, so the day's calls are taken in one list instead of across emails. Start with the row that saves days, then the ones that reduce risk to the finish.
For a worked planned-versus-actual review, see this shutdown case study.
The health matrix reads each cell against tolerances that an administrator sets, and the decision cards are ranked with the largest effect first. One timeline shows every project, with proposed projects as dashed bars.
Follow-through
Track actions to closure
Every action has an owner and a due date, and the view groups them by person and by date so overdue work is visible at once.
Look left of the today line for red markers; those owners have overdue actions to chase. Rows with several markers close together, such as the safety officer, show where one person's due dates bunch up. The project manager can then re-date or reassign actions before they turn overdue.
Findings that technicians raise in the field reach the planner as requests for added work, so nothing found during the stop depends on someone remembering to report it.
Portfolio
Plan shared trades across projects
The portfolio shows how many people of each trade and how many of each common tool are in the pool, how many are in use, and how many are available each week, so shared resources are not promised twice.
Start with the trades whose bars are mostly blue, such as Instr. tech with 15 available, then check the weekly grid for the week that turns amber. Use it to see which trades need contractor cover before you commit shutdown dates.
It handles projects running at the same time in one portfolio. The calendar of the facility sets the default shifts and holidays, and a single project can override them.
Slotting
Compare slotting scenarios
Compare where upcoming projects could start against the resource pool, material lead times and blackout windows, and see the conflicts each option creates before you commit to dates.
Read down each column; the best value in a row is shown in green. In this view the scenarios differ only on peak monthly spend, with C at 278.9 against 352 for the others. The planning lead can use the Load button to put a scenario on to the board, or Delete to remove one.
Each scenario shows the conflicts, the weeks over the pool and the spend, so the choice rests on numbers rather than on a meeting.
Connections
What does MaintWiz shutdown software connect to?
MaintWiz connects to SAP through the PM or MM module, to Excel, to Microsoft Project XML, with interoperability with Primavera P6, to IoT sources and to ePTW, so a shutdown plan does not live in a separate silo.
To compare with a CMMS and Primavera P6, see shutdown software vs spreadsheets vs Primavera P6. SAP integration is explained in SAP PM shutdown management and SAP MM shutdown materials.
| System | What the connection does | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SAP | Keeps SAP as the system of record. MaintWiz connects through the SAP PM module or the SAP MM module, and shows the status of purchase requests and orders against each part | Available |
| Excel | Imports resources and work from Excel templates, and exports the tables behind the charts | Available |
| Microsoft Project XML and Primavera P6 | Imports and exports schedules in Microsoft Project XML, and is interoperable with Primavera P6, so planners can keep working in their scheduling tool | Available |
| IoT | Brings sensor data from plant equipment into MaintWiz | Available |
| ePTW | Permits and isolations are created in ePTW and appear on the work order and in the readiness gate | Available |
| Work orders, spares, approvals, preventive maintenance scheduling, instruments and calibration | Shared with the rest of the MaintWiz platform, so shutdown work uses the same records as daily maintenance | Available |
If SAP is your system of record it stays that way. The spare parts guide explains how purchase request and order status feed material readiness.
Analysis
What analysis does the module provide?
The module provides Monte Carlo finish confidence, critical chain analysis, what-if scenarios, forecast drill-downs and daily actual cost, together with AI agents that propose changes from live project numbers, each approved by a person.
For what to digitize first, see digital shutdown management. SAP history: SAP S4HANA maintenance data migration. AI agents for shutdown planning are covered in AI shutdown planning.
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Monte Carlo confidence of the finish date | Runs the schedule many times with uncertain durations and shows how likely each finish date is |
| Critical chain analysis | Analyses the schedule with resource constraints and buffers |
| What-if scenarios | Tests the effect of changed durations, crews or materials on the finish before you decide |
| What moves the forecast finish | Shows each cause of a change in the forecast finish, with a drill-down to the packages behind it |
| Forecast methods with formulas and inputs | Shows each forecast method with its formula and inputs |
| Daily actual cost | Stores the actual cost of each day for a true cost history |
In the field
How do technicians and planners work on phones and tablets?
Technicians open a work order on a phone or tablet, scan the equipment QR code, tick tasks, enter readings against their limits and attach photos; transaction screens keep working offline.
The same project appears at three levels of detail. Planners and project managers work from the overview and Gantt on larger screens, while the technician sees only the next job, its permit and crew, and a short task list with readings. The roles in your team decide which screen matters most.
Planners and project managers use larger screens for the schedule and the portfolio. Foremen by default see only My Day and the work orders of Execute, and an administrator can change what each role sees.
Hosting and support
How is MaintWiz hosted, signed in to and supported?
MaintWiz runs on AWS, works with enterprise single sign-on, is rolled out by dedicated Customer Success Managers in typically 4 to 6 weeks, and offers 99.9% uptime excluding planned outages.
| Topic | What you get |
|---|---|
| Hosting | MaintWiz runs on AWS. |
| Sign-in | Works with enterprise single sign-on; it has been set up with enterprise sign-on systems for customers. |
| Rollout | Dedicated Customer Success Managers lead a structured onboarding and implementation process with you. Data loads from Excel sheets, which are easy to upload. Typical implementation takes 4 to 6 weeks. |
| Support | Support during business hours by email, phone, a helpdesk in the portal and a dedicated account manager. Service levels are published by severity. Issues escalate from ticket to account manager to senior management. |
| Availability | 99.9% uptime, excluding planned outages. Data backup and disaster recovery are available. |
Visuals
Save the module overview
One chart to share with your team. Click it for the full-size image.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is MaintWiz shutdown management software?
An add-on module of the MaintWiz platform that plans, schedules, controls and closes out plant shutdowns, turnarounds and outages, from the portfolio down to the task a technician ticks.
Is shutdown software the same as a CMMS?
No. A CMMS manages routine work orders, assets and spares. Shutdown software adds a time-boxed plan with a critical path, readiness gates and a view across projects. The MaintWiz shutdown module reuses the platform records, so both work from the same data. See the terms compared.
Does MaintWiz replace SAP PM or Primavera P6?
No. SAP remains the system of record and MaintWiz connects through the SAP PM or the SAP MM module. Schedules can be imported from and exported to Microsoft Project in Microsoft Project XML, and the module is interoperable with Primavera P6.
Can I import my shutdown plan from Excel?
Yes. Resources and work can be loaded from Excel templates, and the tables behind the charts export to Excel.
How are permits and isolations handled?
They come from ePTW. They show on each work order and in the readiness gate, and a work package with an open permit or isolation cannot be closed.
Does it work offline?
Transaction screens such as work orders work offline. Planning and portfolio screens need a connection.
Does it use AI to predict delays?
Yes. MaintWiz AI agents predict delays and propose changes from live project numbers, and a person approves each one.
How many projects can it handle?
It handles projects running at the same time in one portfolio, shown on a board or a timeline.
Who uses it?
Central planners and project managers plan and control, foremen and technicians run the work orders, executives use the executive view and administrators set calendars, rates and access by role.
Where is the checklist for a shutdown?
See the 40-step shutdown checklist.
Where is MaintWiz hosted?
MaintWiz runs on AWS. It offers 99.9% uptime, excluding planned outages, and data backup and disaster recovery are available.
How long does a MaintWiz implementation take?
Typically 4 to 6 weeks. Dedicated Customer Success Managers lead a structured onboarding and implementation process with you, and data loads from Excel sheets that are easy to upload.
What support does MaintWiz provide?
Support during business hours by email, phone, a helpdesk in the portal and a dedicated account manager, with service levels published by severity. Issues escalate from ticket to account manager to senior management.
Sources
Sources
The module description on this page comes from the MaintWiz product requirements and the current product build. The one external source defines the scheduling terms used here.
- US Government Accountability Office, GAO Schedule Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Project Schedules (GAO-16-89G, December 2015)
- US Department of Health and Human Services, Earned Value Management, Appendix D: Glossary of Terms
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.147, The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
- UK Health and Safety Executive, The safe isolation of plant and equipment (HSG253, 2006)
See your shutdown in one plan
Book a demo and bring your shutdown scope. We will walk through how MaintWiz can support it.