Thread Content
Keywords: Equipment management, Measures, Economic benefits. Equipment is an important material and technical foundation for a company’s production and operations, and equipment management is one of the key aspects of corporate management. Under the current market economy conditions, as reforms in the Zhongyuan Oil Field are intensified, the management methods of the former planned economy are no longer suitable for the new situation. The author believes that a key way for enterprises to improve economic efficiency is to reduce the consumption of material and labor inputs. Equipment is an important component of materialized labor, and the goal of equipment management should be to generate as much economic benefit as possible with as little investment in equipment as possible. During the transition period of state-owned enterprises as they deepen reforms and transform their management mechanisms, since effective oversight mechanisms have not yet been fully established, supervision and management from top to bottom must not be weakened; on the contrary, it should be strengthened in order to preserve and increase the value of equipment assets. Under the new circumstances, equipment management requires new approaches and methods in order to achieve efficiency through management. Based on this understanding, the Central Plains Petroleum Exploration Bureau has implemented effective management measures for the equipment in its various units, addressing the various problems and shortcomings that existed in equipment management in the past. 1. Utilize equipment assets on a paid basis to improve their utilization rate. When contracting agreements are signed with exploration agencies and their affiliated units, it is stipulated that both the asset usage fees and the depreciation costs of fixed assets must be handed over to the exploration agency. This lays the foundation for comprehensive management of equipment in terms of physical aspects, technology, and value. In the past, it was the exploration bureau that handled the unified planning, procurement, and allocation of new equipment, so the various subordinate units rushed to ask the bureau for more equipment – after all, they didn’t have to pay for it themselves; the more equipment there was, the better. Even equipment that would be used only a few times a year still had to be obtained and kept on hand. Things have changed drastically since the shift to charging occupancy fees for equipment assets. All units must consider their own economic benefits; they should avoid acquiring equipment that is not necessary, and they are asking to hand over some of their excess and unused equipment. 2. Revitalize idle equipment assets through leasing and transfer methods. The exploration bureau actively seeks new ways to utilize the surplus and idle equipment submitted by its various subsidiaries, employing methods such as optimized allocation, rational flow, and restructuring to revitalize these assets through leasing and paid transfer. Some technologically outdated devices are upgraded to enable their full utilization. This can save funds for oil fields and generate economic benefits. For example, in 1998, the heating management department requested a forklift to be provided in order to improve the coal unloading efficiency. Upon inquiry, the Oil Construction Engineering Department had exactly one crane that was temporarily unused, so it was rented to the Heating Management Department for use during the heating season. This not only met the needs of that department but also saved the agency money on procurement costs, thereby generating economic benefits from the equipment that was otherwise idle. 3. Establish a system for reviewing the status of equipment management in order to maintain the useful value of equipment assets. An important aspect of deepening reforms in state-owned enterprises is to ensure the preservation and appreciation of assets. Equipment is materialized capital, possessing both value and use value. The preservation and appreciation of equipment assets, in terms of the operation of the equipment itself, is reflected in the management of its value form. The management of the value form of equipment is reflected in two main aspects: one is equipment value management, which involves managing aspects such as the methods of investing in equipment, the recovery of those investments, and achieving maximum benefits after the investment ； The second is the management of the useful value of equipment; the useful value of equipment serves as the carrier of value. Through various management methods and measures, it is possible to reduce the loss of functionality in equipment and maintain or restore its functional capabilities. The preservation of the useful value of equipment in production activities is mainly achieved through proper maintenance and care. The macro-control, supervision, and enhanced restraint mechanisms in equipment management involve evaluating the utility of equipment. To this end, an equipment evaluation system as well as effective supervision and inspection systems have been established. Modern methods such as condition monitoring are used to track the status of key production equipment and conduct dynamic analysis, thereby providing qualitative and quantitative assessments of the effectiveness of equipment management in various units. 4. Implementation of a system for accounting for costs related to major equipment repairs Previously, under the financial system of the exploration bureau, there was no separate account for funds intended for major equipment repairs; the costs associated with such repairs were simply included in the current period’s costs. As a result, some subordinate units focused solely on cost savings, which led to severe neglect of equipment and the emergence of new short-term behaviors. Major equipment overhauls are necessary measures to restore the technical performance and utility of equipment, and they represent the main effective means of ensuring a high rate of equipment integrity. Through investigation and research, the exploration bureau took decisive action to set aside 5% of the original value of equipment assets from the contracting targets of various units, to be used as a fund for major equipment repairs. This fund is under the control of the exploration bureau, and a system for accounting for the costs of such repairs is implemented. After major repairs, the equipment’s cost indicator is adjusted to reflect the actual expenses incurred; any savings are not counted as cost reductions, while excess expenses allow 50% to be included in the costs of the current year, with the remaining 50% carried over to subsequent years. Thanks to the exploration bureau’s implementation of macro-control over cost indicators and the conduct of special audits on major repair costs, the maintenance of equipment was ensured, preventing the recurrence of equipment failures. By comprehensively applying the above management measures, the equipment management levels of most affiliated units of Zhongyuan Petroleum Exploration Bureau have seen significant improvement, which in turn has enhanced economic benefits and increased investment in equipment, thus creating a positive cycle for equipment operation. Therefore, as long as state-owned enterprises adopt an economy-oriented mindset and strengthen equipment management, it is entirely possible to preserve and increase the value of their equipment assets.