AAOM Handbook

WE.40 Cost above Threshold? Context

In every business area is inevitable that some urgent work needs will arise, although the frequency of such needs may vary significantly. It is also important that these urgent needs be assessed, prioritised and dealt with in a consistent and timely manner, without causing unnecessary disruption to the regular scheduled activities of the business area. The first step in appropriately dealing with urgent work is to ensure that there is one, clearly identified, and easily reached, contact point for urgent work. All urgent work requests must be directed to the nominated contact. The role of the urgent work process is to promptly control, contain and (where possible) remove the immediate cause of an urgent safety, environmental or operational threat. It is not the role of the urgent work process to try to find and remove any underlying common cause issues that are inherent in the business area design, operation or maintenance. For most urgent Work Requests, removing the immediate cause of the request will take only a limited time and resources. In some cases the removal of the immediate cause of a request may be more substantial and may therefore cost more. In cases where completing an urgent work request will require significant expenditure there is the potential for an adverse impact on the costs/budget for the business area In order for the urgent work process to work, and hence to avoid un-necessary disruption of the rest of the organisation, the people assigned to deal with an urgent issue must be given the first opportunity to remove the immediate cause of all urgent work requests. Providing this opportunity must be balanced with limiting the potential impact on the operation if removing the cause of the request requires significant expenditure. Hence for every urgent work case there must be a clear specification of what is the ‘reasonable’ cost that can be incurred because of the work before it must be escalated to obtain assistance or authority to proceed. As soon as it is determined that the agreed cost is likely to be exceeded this must be escalated so that action can be taken to speed the work or have the expenditure authorised. Purpose To check whether the cost threshold for the execution of each urgent work request is likely to be exceeded.

© McAlear Management Consultants 2004

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