Strategies for Optimizing Labor Resource Planning on Plant Shutdown and Turnaround

The complexities inherent in scheduling the execution of process plant turnaround projects present distinctive challenges to project managers in identifying the shortest project duration while determining the optimum crew size. In collaboration with a major plant turnaround contractor in Alberta, we monitored the execution of an oil refinery turnaround project. We looked into management processes in regard to turnaround project schedules development and skilled-labor resource allocation. This research conceptualizes a labor resource provision optimization methodology in the complex and dynamic context of turnaround scheduling to objectively quantify and reduce the crew size. The optimum quantities of specialty trades to be employed in the field can be determined objectively so as to staff a crew with sufficient skilled-labor resources while also minimizing the duration in executing a turnaround work package.