Readiness
Turnaround Readiness Review: Phase Gates and Go/No-Go
A turnaround readiness review is a gate where each owner shows evidence that scope, plan, materials, people, permits and site are ready, and the sponsor decides go, go with waivers or hold. Use gates at about 12 months, 6 months, 90 days and 30 days, then before restart, and treat any red safety, permit or isolation item as no-go. The MaintWiz shutdown module checks seven readiness gates before each package starts.
STO means shutdown, turnaround and outage. The gate timings are a common pattern for a large stop; adapt them to your stop.
How MaintWiz helps: Gaps are cheapest to fix at a gate, not on day one of the stop. The MaintWiz shutdown module checks seven readiness gates before a package starts and records waivers with a typed reason, name and date. See the module · Get the readiness gate checklist
By Jai Balachandran · Published · Last reviewed
What MaintWiz adds:Seven readiness gatesSigned waivers with name and dateKeyboard operationLook-ahead by gate
Definition
What is a turnaround readiness review?
A turnaround readiness review is a formal check at a set point before the stop, where the owners show evidence that scope, plan, materials, people, permits and site are ready, and the sponsor decides to go, go with waivers or hold. In this guide STO means shutdown, turnaround and outage.
A phase gate is the same idea at each stage of the preparation: a stage ends only when the evidence is shown. Plants that skip gates find the gaps in the first days of the stop, when each one costs the most. The gates below are a common pattern for a large turnaround. Small stops use fewer gates, closer together.
Download the free readiness gate checklist (Excel) to rate every item and read the gate result.
Gates
What are the phase gates in turnaround planning?
Turnaround planning commonly runs seven gates: charter, scope defined, plan and estimate approved, scope freeze and ready to mobilize at about 90 days, go or no-go at about 30 days, restart readiness and close-out, each with evidence and a named decision maker. 1
| Gate | Typical timing | Evidence to show | Decision by |
|---|---|---|---|
| G0 Charter and strategy | T-24 to T-18 months | Objectives, interval, budget envelope, owner | Sponsor |
| G1 Scope defined | T-12 months | Work list screened, scope challenge done, long-lead list started; see scope management | Turnaround manager and operations |
| G2 Plan and estimate approved | T-8 to T-6 months | Baseline schedule, estimate with contingency, contractor plan; see the planning process | Sponsor |
| G3 Scope freeze, ready to mobilize | T-90 days | Frozen scope, work packages issued, long-leads ordered, contractors booked, permit plan drafted | Turnaround manager |
| G4 Go / no-go | T-30 days | Safety plan, spares on site, crews confirmed, site ready, isolation and permit resourcing | Sponsor and site manager |
| G5 Restart readiness | Before start-up | Punch list, tests, isolation removal, handover; see start-up after a shutdown | Operations manager |
| G6 Close-out | After the stop | Deferred items, lessons learned, final cost; see lessons learned | Sponsor |
MaintWiz
How does MaintWiz handle readiness gates?
The MaintWiz shutdown module checks seven readiness gates before a package starts and records every waiver with a reason, a name and a date; AI agents support shutdown planning.
Bring your gate list to a demo and we will set it up on a sample package. Tell us which checks you want added: 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.
- Seven readiness gates checked before a package starts
- Waivers recorded with a typed reason, name and date
- Spares status with the SAP request or order behind each short part
- Permits and isolations shown on each work order
- Gantt chart with critical path, float and baselines
- Look-ahead by gate
Proof
What MaintWiz customers report
Figures as published in MaintWiz case studies on maintwiz.com. They come from maintenance management projects, not shutdowns.
T-90 checklist
What goes on a T-90 day turnaround checklist?
A T-90 day checklist confirms nine things: frozen scope, issued work packages, long-lead items on order with dates, contractors booked, permit plan drafted, access agreed, baseline approved, budget approved and site planned, each with evidence you can show.
| Area | Question | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Is the scope frozen with a signed list and a deferred list? | Signed scope register |
| Packages | Is every job in a work package with steps, parts, labor and drawings? | Package issue log |
| Materials | Are long-lead items ordered with confirmed dates? See spares planning | Order and delivery list |
| Contractors | Are contractors booked, prequalified and scheduled for induction? See contractor management 3 | Signed contracts, induction plan |
| Permits | Is the permit and isolation plan drafted, with issuers resourced? 2 | Permit plan, issuer roster |
| Access | Are scaffold and access needs agreed? See scaffolding planning | Scaffold request register |
| Schedule | Is the baseline approved and the critical path reviewed? See shutdown scheduling | Baseline file |
| Budget | Is the estimate approved with contingency held? | Approved estimate |
| Site | Are laydown, facilities, power, lighting and welfare planned? | Site layout |
Go / no-go
How do you run a go / no-go decision?
Rate each readiness area green, amber or red from the evidence shown, treat any red on a safety, permit or isolation item as no-go until cleared, allow amber only with a dated recovery plan and a signed waiver, and record the decision with names and dates.
- 1
Collect evidence
Each owner brings the proof, not an opinion.
Facts - 2
Rate each area
Green, amber or red against agreed criteria.
Rating - 3
Hold the review
Sponsor, turnaround manager, operations, safety and contractors attend.
Meeting - 4
Decide
Go, go with waivers or hold.
Decision - 5
Record waivers
Name, reason, date and recovery plan for every amber.
Waiver log - 6
Re-check
Open items come back to the next gate.
Follow-up
Green
Evidence shown and the owner confirms. Go.
Amber
A gap with a dated recovery plan. Go with a waiver.
Red
A safety, permit or isolation gap, or no recovery plan. No-go until cleared.
Roles
Who attends a turnaround readiness review?
The sponsor decides, the turnaround manager presents, and operations, maintenance, safety, procurement, planning and the main contractors each show their own evidence, so no area is rated by someone who does not own it.
| Role | Brings |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Decision and waiver approval |
| Turnaround manager | Overall readiness and the schedule |
| Operations | Shutdown and isolation plan, restart plan |
| Maintenance and planning | Packages, parts list, critical path |
| Safety | Safety plan, permit resourcing, emergency arrangements |
| Procurement | Order and delivery status |
| Main contractors | Crew mobilization and induction |
See roles and responsibilities for the full RACI.
Visuals
Save the readiness review visuals
Two visuals for your readiness review. Click either for the full-size image.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a readiness review?
A formal check before a milestone where owners show evidence that their area is ready and the sponsor decides to go, go with waivers or hold.
What are phase gates in turnaround planning?
Decision points that end a preparation stage: charter, scope defined, plan and estimate, scope freeze, go or no-go, restart readiness and close-out.
What is a T-90 checklist?
A readiness check about 90 days before the stop confirming frozen scope, issued packages, long-lead orders, booked contractors, permit plan, access, baseline, budget and site.
Who decides go or no-go for a turnaround?
The sponsor, on advice from the turnaround manager and from operations, safety, maintenance and procurement.
Can we go with an amber item?
Yes, with a dated recovery plan and a signed waiver that names the person, the reason and the date. A red on a safety, permit or isolation item is no-go until cleared.
How many gates does a small shutdown need?
Two or three: scope and plan approved, go or no-go a few days before, and restart readiness.
What is the difference between a gate review and a readiness check on each job?
A gate review covers the whole stop at a set date. A job-level readiness check, such as the three-day look-ahead, covers one package before it starts. See shutdown progress measurement.
Is there a free readiness checklist?
Yes. The readiness gate checklist (Excel) rates 23 items across five gates and returns a go, waiver or no-go reading.
Does MaintWiz support readiness gates?
Yes. The shutdown module checks seven readiness gates before a package starts and records signed waivers. AI agents are part of the module. See AI shutdown planning.
Sources
Sources
The gate pattern is our assessment from how turnarounds are prepared; the three references support the schedule, permit-to-work and contractor points.
- US Government Accountability Office, GAO Schedule Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Project Schedules (GAO-16-89G, December 2015)
- UK Health and Safety Executive, Guidance on permit-to-work systems: a guide for the petroleum, chemical and allied industries (HSG250, 2005)
- UK Health and Safety Executive, Managing contractors: a guide for employers (HSG159, 2nd edition, 2011)
Start each package only when it is ready
Book a demo and bring a work package. We will walk through the seven readiness gates.