by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jul 26, 2020 | Newsletter Column, Workforce Issues
Two of the often overused, mis-used, and mis-understood words in plants today are “reliability” and “leadership.” Businesses that have not fully understood and defined what these two words mean in their organizations and the way they are...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Jun 19, 2020 | Plant Operations, The Bloch Files, Workforce Issues
The answer to the above question is, of course, “no.” That brand of the otherwise very astute Ford Motor Company went out of business in late 1959. Chances are management was slow in recognizing that the car-buying public had a number of choices that...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Jun 14, 2020 | Newsletter Column, The Bloch Files, Workforce Issues
This title might seem vaguely familiar to some readers. It could be because I’ve touched on the topic in other articles and columns that I’ve written here and elsewhere. In my opinion, it highlights an ongoing problem in many a workplace. Permit me to...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jun 13, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, Workforce Issues
The world of reliability and maintenance is like most other professions with unique words, phrases, and terminology. Many of us grew up with this “language,” which makes some of the jargon and acronyms second-nature (“reliability-speak” and...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | May 31, 2020 | Newsletter Column, The Bloch Files, Workforce Issues
I know this title comes across as a cryptic comment. But, it’s also a reminder that removing seemingly useless components associated with plant-equipment systems can have unforeseen (albeit not unforeseeable) consequences. Remember, too, that all effects have causes,...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | May 15, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, Workforce Issues
Over the past few months, I’ve been modernizing my home office. In the course of my rigorous spring cleaning, sorting, and pitching, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the amount of “stuff” that had accumulated during my four decades of consulting and...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | May 2, 2020 | Plant Operations, Workforce Issues
Have COVID-19, the global economic downturn, self-quarantine measures, and shelter-in-place directives taken a bite out of your business? Few, if any sectors, have escaped the turmoil. Countless employees and contractors across the industrial landscape have been...
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 Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Apr 19, 2020 | Newsletter Column, Workforce Issues
Writing is a chore for some and a creative outlet for others. Writing columns and articles for The RAM Review is an important task for those of us who do it. In my opinion, though, writing about what we know, what we have learned, what we have experienced (good, bad,...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Apr 17, 2020 | Plant Operations, The Bloch Files, Workforce Issues
Whenever we see the acronym “RAM” used here, most of us know that “R” stands for “Reliability” and “M” stands for “Maintenance.” But, while the letter “A” in the acronym formally stands for “Availability,” to some of us, it also serves as a reminder that reliable...
