Buyer’s guide
Turnaround Management Software: What to Look For
Turnaround management software plans and controls a shutdown as one project: scope, critical path, readiness, permits, spares, daily progress, cost and lessons. It sits beside the CMMS and the scheduler, not instead of them. The MaintWiz shutdown module covers all five phases, and AI agents support shutdown planning.
STO means shutdown, turnaround and outage. Software vendors are not named on this page.
How MaintWiz helps: Buying is easier when you know the five phases and test each on your own data. The MaintWiz shutdown module moves the plan from spreadsheets into one system with a critical path, readiness gates, permits and spares status. See the module · Get the RFP and demo scorecard
By Jai Balachandran · Published · Last reviewed
What MaintWiz adds:Critical path and floatReadiness gatesPermits and isolationsSpares status with SAP
Definition
What is turnaround management software?
Turnaround management software is a system that plans and controls a shutdown, turnaround or outage as one project: it holds the scope, the schedule with its critical path, readiness checks, permits, spares, daily progress, cost and the lessons for the next stop. In this guide STO means shutdown, turnaround and outage.
It differs from a CMMS, which manages routine work orders and assets all year, and from a scheduler, which calculates a network but does not hold permits, parts or daily field progress. A turnaround is a time-boxed project with a freeze date, hundreds of linked tasks and many contractors, so the tool has to follow that shape.
Choosing between options? Use the turnaround software checklist and the RFP and demo scorecard (Excel).
Coverage
What should turnaround management software cover?
Turnaround management software should cover five phases in one system: planning the scope and critical path, preparing readiness, permits, spares and contractors, executing with daily progress and field findings, controlling cost and schedule, and closing out with deferred items and lessons.
Plan
Scope list, work packages, baseline, critical path and float.
Prepare
Readiness gates, permits and isolations, spares status, contractor and trade availability.
Execute
Daily progress, checklists with readings and photos, findings to the planner.
Control
Budget, actual and forecast cost, cost and schedule indices.
Close
Handover notes, deferred items, lessons and an archive of past stops.
Each phase has its own guide. See scope, scheduling, readiness gates, progress and lessons learned.
MaintWiz
What does the MaintWiz turnaround module offer?
The MaintWiz shutdown and turnaround module covers plan, prepare, execute, control and close in one system, with SAP integration, and AI agents support shutdown planning.
Bring your task list to a demo and we will load it and run the eight scenarios from the checklist. If a feature on your list is missing, tell us: plant requirements shape what we build next.
About MaintWiz. MaintWiz is an industrial AI platform with IoT, SAP integration and predictive maintenance (PdM) capabilities. Its shutdown and turnaround module helps plants plan, schedule, execute and close out shutdown work.
What the shutdown module covers
As described on the MaintWiz shutdown maintenance product page.
- Gantt chart with critical path, float and baselines
- Seven readiness gates with signed waivers
- Permits and isolations shown on each work order
- Spares status with the SAP request or order behind each short part
- Findings from technicians sent straight to the planner
- Earned value, cost and schedule indices
- Handover notes, deferred items and lessons learnt
Proof
What MaintWiz customers report
Figures as published in MaintWiz case studies on maintwiz.com. They come from maintenance management projects, not shutdowns.
By role
Who uses turnaround management software?
Planners, supervisors, technicians, contractors and executives all use it, each needing a different view: the planner a baselined plan, the supervisor a daily look-ahead, the technician simple field entry, the contractor only its packages, and the executive a risk view across stops.
| Role | Needs | Test in the demo |
|---|---|---|
| Planner | One plan, a critical path, baselines and a record of scope change | Add late scope and show what moved |
| Supervisor | Daily progress and a three-day look-ahead of jobs that are ready | Block a job with an open permit |
| Technician | Checklists, readings, photos and a way to raise findings, with or without signal | Enter a finding on a phone |
| Contractor | The packages and dates they need, nothing more | Show a contractor view |
| Executive | Which stop is at risk, why, and which decision matters most | Show a view across concurrent stops |
Options
How is it different from a CMMS or Primavera P6?
A CMMS runs routine work orders, a scheduler such as Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project calculates the network, and turnaround management software holds the scope, schedule, readiness, permits, spares, progress and cost of the stop together, usually alongside the other two.
Comparing named tools? See Primavera P6 alternatives, Prometheus Group alternatives, Cleopatra Enterprise alternatives, IAMTech iPlanSTO alternatives, Wipro sto360 alternatives and Microsoft Project alternatives.
| Option | Holds | Does not hold |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet | A task list and dates you type | Linked logic, live float, one record for permits, parts and progress |
| Scheduler such as Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project | Network logic and the critical path 1,2 | Permits, spares, field findings and readiness |
| CMMS work-order module | Work orders, assets, history | A time-boxed project with a freeze date and a critical path |
| Turnaround management software | Scope, schedule, readiness, permits, spares, progress and cost together | Routine maintenance planning for the rest of the year |
Detail is in shutdown software vs CMMS vs P6. Most plants keep the CMMS and import from the scheduler.
Red flags
What are the red flags when buying turnaround software?
Red flags are a demo on invented data, no live critical path calculation, no way to block an unready job, AI claims with no task, test or approver named, pricing that leaves out implementation and integration, and no customer with a stop like yours.
- Demo uses only slides or invented data
- Critical path is typed, not calculated
- No way to block a job that is not ready
- AI claims with no task, test or approver
- Price leaves out implementation and integration
- No reference with a similar stop
- Data cannot be exported
See AI shutdown planning for how to test an AI claim and turnaround software cost for what to price.
Rollout
How do you roll out turnaround management software?
Roll out in one pilot shutdown first: agree success measures, clean and load the task list, run in parallel with the spreadsheet, train the planners and supervisors, then decide to extend; a rollout that tries every site at once usually stalls.
- 1
Choose the pilot
One stop with a willing team.
Scope - 2
Agree the measures
Finish date accuracy, scope change visibility, hours spent on reporting.
Success - 3
Load the data
Task list, resources, cost lines.
Data - 4
Run in parallel
Compare with the spreadsheet daily.
Proof - 5
Train and switch
Planners, supervisors, contractors.
People - 6
Review and extend
Decide from the measures.
Decide
See replacing Excel for a migration plan and software for small plants for a lean start.
Visuals
Save the software buyer’s guide visuals
Two visuals for your selection team. Click either for the full-size image.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is turnaround management software?
A system that plans and controls a shutdown, turnaround or outage: scope, schedule, readiness, permits, spares, progress, cost and close-out.
What is the difference between turnaround software and a CMMS?
A CMMS manages routine work orders and assets. Turnaround software manages a time-boxed project with a freeze date and a critical path.
Can Primavera P6 manage a turnaround on its own?
It calculates the network and critical path. 1 Permits, spares, field findings and readiness usually sit elsewhere, which is why plants add a shutdown module or trackers.
Who should be in the selection team?
The planner, a supervisor, a technician, procurement, IT and a sponsor. Each tests the demo from their own role.
How long does it take to roll out?
It depends on data and integration. Start with a pilot stop and ask each vendor for a dated plan.
What should we ask in a demo?
Use the eight scenarios in the turnaround software checklist, on your own data.
What does it cost?
It depends on users, sites, modules and implementation. See turnaround software cost.
Is there a free way to start?
Yes. Free shutdown planning tools include templates and a browser Gantt tool.
Does MaintWiz have AI agents?
AI agents support shutdown planning. See AI shutdown planning.
Sources
Sources
This is a buyer’s guide from our assessment of how shutdowns are run. The references show what P6 and Microsoft Project state about their critical path features.
Move your shutdown plan out of spreadsheets
Book a demo and bring the spreadsheet you use today. We will show how the module covers the same ground.