by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Mar 21, 2022 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
Back in the day (the late 1970s and early 1980s, to be exact), we learned from Philip B. Crosby’s book that “Quality is Free.” Crosby’s basic concept was based on his “zero defects” quality-improvement approach. This landmark approach was initially...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Mar 7, 2022 | Newsletter Column, Plant Operations
Machine-downtime tracking is a fundamental, foundational, most basic component of any reliability-improvement effort. Yet in many plants, I’ve noticed that any form of machine-downtime tracking is the responsibility of the Maintenance Department. Contrary to...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Feb 27, 2022 | Asset Management, Newsletter Column
If your answer to that simple question is “yes,” you might be part of the problem, not the solution. I’ve been in the reliability-engineering and asset-management business for more than 30 years. And, over time, I’ve often heard senior and...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Feb 20, 2022 | Lubrication Corner, Newsletter Column, Plant Operations
Recently, while conducting an on-line lubrication-training workshop, I received a question that I had never before been asked. Seeming at first, to be self-explanatory, it highlighted an over-used analogy with no direct parallel in maintenance terms and no distinct...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Feb 15, 2022 | Newsletter Column, Plant Operations
Supply-chain interruptions are still with us. In fact, for many business sectors, there seems to be almost no end in sight. Add to these interruptions the rising prices of goods and services. As a result, there will be many opportunities for decisions that undermine...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Feb 7, 2022 | Newsletter Column, RAM's Human Factor
My Jan. 31, 2022, newsletter column, “Can We Get Maintenance Staffing Levels Right?” (see link below), responded to an age-old question: “How can I determine the optimum maintenance-technician staffing levels for my plant?” I argued that there’s no reliable...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jan 31, 2022 | Newsletter Column, RAM's Human Factor
There is a recurring, age-old question that one would think easy to answer. “How can I determine the optimum maintenance- technician staffing levels for my plant?” Some would say it’s easy. But I would argue there is no reliable international standard for...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jan 17, 2022 | Beyond RAM, Newsletter Column, Workforce Issues
I grimace when major-newspaper editorialists beat up on manufacturing because of workers leaving, excessive job openings, and an overall decline in jobs. They’re looking at data. What do they know about how manufacturing works? And what do they really know about...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Jan 10, 2022 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
Happy 2022 New Year to all RAM professionals. The New Year is synonymous with a restart, refresh, or rebirth for individuals and businesses alike. And it’s universally recognized as the most natural temporal milestone for change. As clocks zero out, the New Year...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jan 3, 2022 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
Making decisions about what to improve and how to measure the rate of improvement requires a systematic use of data. But whether we’re dealing with raw data, databases, or spreadsheets, it’s important to use “the right data.” Doing so is not...
