Couples Therapy for Operations and Maintenance: A Terminal Love Story

Session 1: Identifying the Problem

“So, why are you here today?” Dr. Garcia asks, looking over her reading glasses at the two professionals sitting uncomfortably on her office couch.

On the left sits Operations, high-visibility vest and work boots, radio crackling with updates. On the right sits Maintenance, clipboard in hand, multi-tool in a neat pouch. They avoid eye contact.

“He just does not understand what I am up against,” Operations says. “Every minute a crane is down costs us thousands. But Maintenance only wants to talk preventative care and scheduled downtimes.”

Maintenance replies, “If we do not properly maintain equipment, it will not be available at all. A stitch in time saves nine, but Ops wants quick fixes to get through the shift.”

Dr. Garcia nods. “You both fight for the same resources with different priorities.”

Session 2: Historical Patterns

“Let us talk about RTG-7,” Dr. Garcia suggests. During peak season, Operations resisted taking the RTG offline for scheduled service even though it was past recommended hours. The RTG continued to run for another week and then failed catastrophically during a busy shift, blocking two lanes of stacking area.

This pattern is familiar: short-term operational needs versus long-term equipment health. Both teams now see the trade-offs more clearly.

Session 3: Finding Common Goals

“Instead of focusing on differences, what do you both want?” Dr. Garcia asks.

“Equipment reliability,” Maintenance says.

“Maximum productivity,” Operations answers.

“Those goals are not mutually exclusive,” Dr. Garcia replies. “They depend on each other.”

Session 4: Communication Strategies

“Our weekly planning meeting turns into a battlefield,” Operations admits.

“What if you began with shared data?” Dr. Garcia suggests. “Jointly review equipment health, operational forecasts, and historical performance before making plans.”

Maintenance adds, “That would require a system both teams can access and trust.”

Operations agrees, “And metrics that matter to both of us, not just moves per hour or mean time between failures, but overall equipment effectiveness and risk.”

The Breakthrough: A New Approach

The teams started using Opsima to get shared visibility. The system prioritized maintenance based on equipment health and operational impact. When the system flagged STS Crane 3, the team found a 36-hour window with lighter operations and completed maintenance with minimal disruption.

After the work, the crane performed about 12 percent more efficiently.

Final Thought

Operations and Maintenance have different perspectives, but their goals align. Shared visibility, aligned metrics, and collaborative planning transform tension into partnership. The best terminals treat both priorities as parts of a single objective: a well-running terminal that moves cargo efficiently while protecting assets.