We discuss what traits make successful reliability journeys happen. This is part 1 of 2. [Read more…]
Success Traits Part 1
Articles
Find all articles across all article series listed in reverse chronological order.
Passion to Optimize
If you recall I went on a slightly crazy adventure up to the edge of the article circle with my adventure buddy, my daughter Natalie, 11. We almost froze to death on a mountain just to see the Northern Lights (story here). But we also did something we both have always wanted to do and knew would be epic, a dog sled ride. The first thing I have to say about it is holy crap those dogs are fast. It felt like you could blow the doors off a snowmobile if you came across one.
MSA 4 – Gage Linearity
Introduction
The prior article, MSA 3: Gage Bias, focused on defining and calculating a point estimate of gage bias. A method was presented to determine if the bias was statistically significant. If significant, the bias would be applied to the data as a correction factor.
This article discusses gage bias linearity over a measurement range.
Root Cause Analysis
Root Cause Analysis is different than “problem solving.” It is highly visible with money on the table. How can you approach it? How can you be successful? This video gives some fundamentals of my approach. [Read more…]
At The Intersection Of CMMS And Reliability
As more and more organizations seek to improve their maintenance, many are shifting from the reactive ‘repair-focused’ maintenance models to more proactive ‘reliability-focused’ maintenance which includes things like tracking, identifying, and eliminating failure, maintenance planning and scheduling, reduced downtime, reduced costs, continuous improvement, and similar.
Focus on the Important Issues, Not the Many Issues
Utilizing the Pareto Method to Prioritize Improvement Activities
There is limited time, money or resources in every maintenance department. Sometimes you have 2 of the 3, sometimes just 1. So how do you prioritize the items or issues that will have the biggest impact on your facility? There is a simple, yet vital principle that can be used in your facility to determine which issues to focus on. This principle started in a garden in Italy while studying peas… This principle which started with an observation of peas can have an important impact on your operation.
Enterprise Risk Management, Millennials, and Cyber
Guest Post by James Kline (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Kevin Curry in an opinion piece for The Hill raised several issues which will ultimately impact the adoption of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) in government. The article entitled “America’s public sector has a problem –
It’s not getting any Millennials”, makes four points. These are; 1. the federal government is having trouble hiring Millennials, 2. the federal government has old legacy cyber systems, 3. millennials expect up to date cyber systems and 4. the lack of up to date cyber systems is one of the problems keeping Millennials away.
Since the article does not specifically deal with ERM, one might ask: What is the intersection between the four issues and the adoption of ERM in government? This article looks at the relationship of this problem with ERM in government. [Read more…]
Wanna play? Join me in a game of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) True or False
Join me in a game of “Reliability Centered Maintenance, True or False” with some very interesting characters on the Las Vegas strip including: Vegas showgirls, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Batman, and Mickey Mouse! [Read more…]
Planner Justification
We discuss justifying the maintenance planner position by demonstrating the expected efficiency gain of the maintenance staff through proper planning and scheduling.
Dealing with Conflict in NPD and Teams
Conflict is a normal part of living. Do you consider it a positive or a negative? Communication helps, but so does the perspective that you take. This video discusses it from a New Product Development and from a sports point of view. [Read more…]
RCM Training
RCM Training should always reinforce the importance of ensuring the inherent designed reliability of the asset or system that is being analyzed. It is primarily this function of the RCM process that people fail to fully understand. The importance of properly conveying this message is what most often differentiates successful Reliability Centered Maintenance efforts from those who dabble and fail.
Reliability Centered Maintenance Training should always include a case study that allows the participants to identify failure modes that result in the team making task decisions in each of the following Consequence Categories: Hidden Failure Consequences, Health Safety and Environmental Consequences, Operational Consequences and Non-Operational Consequences.
RCM Training should always include real-life facilitation in a team format. It’s extremely important for those learning the process to understand the detail required to properly assess failure modes, failure effects and tasks.
How to Deliver Sustainable Gains in Maintenance Planning
Utilizing the PDCA Methodology in Work Planning
It is well known that maintenance planning & scheduling can deliver significant improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the maintenance department. Maintenance planning & scheduling seems simple enough, plan the work and schedule it to be done at the most opportune time. However, why is it that the organization seem to struggle with realizing the benefits of maintenance planning & scheduling? In my experience, I have seen organizations that focus on the scheduling portion of work management, while not fully planning the work. Doc Palmer (an authority on Maintenance Planning & Scheduling) has said that you cannot schedule without proper planning. So how is it that they are scheduling work without knowing what needs to be done and what materials are required?
Truth, Lies, and Paltering Leaders
Truth, Lies, and Paltering Leaders – What and Who Can Be Believed?
Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
“Lies, damn lies and statistics” is an often-used phrase attributed to the 18th Century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. He acknowledged the persuasive power of numbers to bolster weak arguments.
In a statistical moment his contemporary, Abraham Lincoln, said; “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time“. Politics, persuasion and manipulation (deception) have gone hand in hand for centuries.
Many people have monopolized in the area of Churchill’s “terminological inexactitudes’ or, as it’s now being referred to Stateside of the Pond “False News“. The term”lie” is an accusatory word and maybe impolite and vulgar and’ politically incorrect’ but do ‘lies’ really help us and why can’t we know the truth? [Read more…]
Planning and Scheduling Goal
Lets look at the goal of planning and the two major areas of focus to increase efficiency of the maintenance staff. [Read more…]
Is Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) used to reduce Scheduled Maintenance? The answer is…
I often hear people say that RCM is used to reduce Proactive Maintenance. I say, “it depends!” Watch as I explain… [Read more…]