by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Apr 26, 2020 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods, Workforce Issues
Over the past few months, I’ve devoted a great deal of my attention and energy to the topic of creating a “defect-avoidance culture” in the plant. Culture isn’t an easy thing to change. It’s even harder to sustain because of a phenomenon referred to as psychological...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Apr 25, 2020 | Planning & Scheduling, RAM Tools & Methods
In the world of maintenance and asset management, equipment failure is an all too common occurrence. Unfortunately, setting in place a strategy and methodology to understand and learn from each equipment failure is not a common occurrence. It’s through an acute...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Apr 17, 2020 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
We all love rules of thumb. They make life simpler. In the plant, we often use rules of thumb to quickly size up a problem based upon similar problems that we’ve seen before and apply a solution framework that’s been effective in the past. Unfortunately, these...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Apr 11, 2020 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
The goal of any reliability-focused asset management system is to avoid defects. Doing so requires a comprehensive management system that includes defect avoidance, defect detection and, finally, defect correction. Defect management for most organizations is oriented...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Apr 10, 2020 | Planning & Scheduling, RAM Tools & Methods
A maintenance work order is developed in two distinctive stages. Stage One involves receiving, understanding, and accepting the “ask” or request for work from the maintenance client or stakeholder. This is commonly called a Maintenance Work Request (or MWR). Stage Two...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Apr 4, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files, Workforce Issues
Managers have cause to ask for cost justifications or projections before they sign off on proposed equipment upgrades (see my Mar. 27, 2020, article). These projections are preferably on the safe side. They should not promise unrealistic returns on the investment....
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Mar 27, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files
In the mid-1980a, one of my informal mentors held a mid-level management position at a refinery just North of Galveston, TX. He was a highly respected, educated man of few words. His advice was always factual, pure common sense. One of his core beliefs was simply...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Mar 21, 2020 | Plant Operations, RAM Tools & Methods
Operator involvement in equipment care is a fundamental of reliability improvement and offers many benefits, starting with the fact that there are more equipment operators than maintainers. Other benefits come from the fact that: ♦ Operators are closer to the...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Mar 20, 2020 | Maintenance Management, RAM Tools & Methods
The global pandemic we’re now facing has put all of us, individuals and businesses alike, on an emergency footing. COVID-19 has already closed down or seriously affected the operation of most public facilities, and is likely to bring much of industry to a severe...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Mar 19, 2020 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
The bull market had a great 11-yr. run. However, COVID-19 has produced a precipitous drop in the stock market and a global recession seems inevitable. In just a matter of weeks, plants and factories that were capacity-constrained have found themselves...
